My dog scratches, loses hair. Grain-free food & Benadryl don't help.

Question

Dog - Constant Scratching and hair loss. I know he has a grain allergy, but grainfree food doesn't seem to be helping. Before he was adopted he was put on antibiotics, but that is all I know. He is my boyfriend's dog and hasn't taken him to the vet in quite sometime. Is there a food brand you'd recommend? benedryl doesn't seem to help much either. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 40 lbs

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

Poor Gunner! It sounds like he could also have an allergy to the protein in the food. He could also be allergic to the environment. Make sure he is also on a flea preventative. Unfortunately, any "hypoallergenic" food over the counter isn't complete allergen free since they are made in factories where other foods are made which can lead to cross contamination. The best food option for a true food trial would be a prescription hypoallergenic food like science diet Z/D or Purina H/A. I would talk to your vet about a prescription if you want to try this. I would do a food trial for 12 weeks giving him nothing but this particular food. If you want to try a OTC food, I like natural balance venison and sweet potato. Also, if Benadryl isn't helping you could try 20mg of Zyrtec per day. I would also start bathing in 1-2 times per week in a calming shampoo. I like duoxo calm. If he isn't improving, I would have your vet take a look at him. He may need some stronger allergy meds like apoquel or steroids. Also, Gunner could be experiencing a secondary yeast or bacterial infection that could also be causing the itching and he may need some additional meds. I hope this helps!

My dog scratches, loses hair. Grain-free food & Benadryl don't help.

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