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My Maltese dog has severe itching, Benadryl doesn't work. What's next?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 8 years and 9 months old | 5 lbs

My maltese has a really bad itching problem. We thought at first that it was fleas causing it, but as she's gotten older and as we've done treatments, she doesn't have any fleas, and her scratching is still horrible. She does it to the point to where she makes herself raw and bleed and we've tried everything from skin treatments, to allergy medicine and itch sprays/creams. Our vet always tells us to just give her benadryl, but even it doesn't work. Is there anything else we could try? TIA.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2018

It sounds like poor Cheyenne is very uncomfortable! I'd recommend getting her an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. They are experts in allergies, and they can run tests to identify exactly what is causing her allergies and therefore prescribe the best treatment that will hopefully give her some relief. Speak to your vet about a referral to a veterinary dermatologist. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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