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Why is my dog still scratching with skin patches after Benadryl?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 11 years old

My dog keeps scratching herself. So bad that she now has patches. I was told to try Benadryl and I also bought a lavender anti itch shampoo and conditioner. Nothing seems to be helping. I have no idea what’s wrong. Please help.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 19th, 2019

She could have allergies, mites, fleas, or a skin infection. Since Benadryl and the shampoo didn’t work, she should be examined by a vet for treatment. She may need an antibiotic, corticosteroid , and/or other medications to help relieve the itching. Make sure to use a good flea prevention, like Nexgard, Bravecto, Credelio, or Advantage.

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 30th, 2019

    Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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