How can I help my pitbull with itchy skin

Pit Bull Will Not Stop Itching: Why It Happens and What to Do

Have you ever stayed up late because of the sound of your dog scratching himself? If so, you wont be the first and the only one to experience that. There are many owners who had sleepless nights, thinking about their itching dogs.

Scratching is a part of your dogs life. It helps them relieve any itch they feel. But if your pit bull will not stop itching, maybe its time for you to get worried.

Well talk about the reasons behind your dogs itching in this article. Plus, well also share tips and tricks to help your poor dog.

What Happens if Your Pit Bull Will Not Stop Itching?

Consistent itching and scratching are not just worrisome because of the underlying reason. Its also something you should fix as soon as possible or your dog will be in more discomfort. Continuous scratching, biting, and chewing to relieve itch will cause a hot spot.

A hot spot is a red and wet irritated area. This is also known as acute moist dermatitis. It can be found anywhere in your dogs body. But the most common areas are the head, hips, and chest.

If your pit bull continues to irritate a hot spot, it will grow and worsen.

Why It Doesnt Stop

There are several reasons as to why your dog continues to itch. Below are the most common reasons.

Allergies

Allergies can be caused by either food or allergens in their surroundings. It could either be the new dog food youve given them or theyve been exposed to pollens or molds. Your dog can also get skin allergies from the soap and/or shampoo that you used.

When it comes to the latter, your dog may also develop contact dermatitis. This can also be triggered by pesticides.

The allergy will make your dogs skin dry, greasy, or a combination of dry and oily.

It can be tough to eliminate the causes of your dogs allergies. But you can consult their vet and see which one triggers their allergic reaction. Additionally, they can provide medications and treatments for your dogs itch.

Dry Skin

Dry skin can be caused by several factors, including weather with low humidity. If you live in an area like this, be sure to check your dogs skin. This issue is easy to spot as they normally produce dandruff. The skin will also be tougher and may crack.

Besides the weather, your dog can get dry skin from the food you give them. Some commercial dog foods arent good for your pit bull. They strip your dog of their good oils which help them have healthier skin and coat.

Once your dog has dry skin, the slightest touch may bring itchiness and discomfort. They will have to relieve it by chewing, biting, licking, or scratching.

You can get a moisturizing shampoo for your dog. This can help them feel more relieved. But always be careful with what you buy and choose a product with no chemicals.

When it comes to food, its good to add digestive enzymes to your dogs diet.

Parasites

Parasites like ticks, fleas, and mites cause itching. They are bad for your dogs health as it can ruin their lustrous coat and healthy skin. Additionally, they may completely endanger your dogs health.

Fleas are often hard to see unless its an infestation. Ticks are easier to find, but you still have to be careful when taking them out. Meanwhile, mites are microscopic, and you can find it hard to know that your dog has it.

Just because you dont see them doesnt mean your pit bull doesnt have it. Be sure to have them checked at the vet. There, they can provide your dog with the right treatment. There are sprays, powders, and repellent available to relieve your dogs problem.

Hormonal Imbalance

Hormonal imbalance can also cause severe itching. This can happen if they dont produce enough thyroid hormones. Or it can be from too much production of cortisol.

Your dog will keep on licking, biting, and scratching itself when this happens. Besides that, your dog may also have bald spots.

The best remedy for this is to bring them to a vet. They can check their hormone levels with a few examinations. Based on the result, the vet will provide them with the right medications.

How to Help Your Dog

To know how to help your dog, its always important to identify the root of the problem. Observe them and their surroundings.

Ensure your surroundings are clean. Frequently vacuum your home to avoid any parasitic infestation. Do this especially when your dog has been out somewhere bushy or grassy.

Additionally, provide your dog with a healthy meal always. If your pit bull will not stop itching, consult the vet as soon as possible.

How to Treat Pit Bull Skin Problems: 7 Vet-Approved Ways

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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American Pit Bulls, which include breeds like Staffordshire Terriers and American Bulldogs, can suffer from various skin problems. These can be caused by skin infection, sunburns, food and environmental allergies, skin parasites, systemic illness, genetic conditions, and deficiencies in certain minerals.

The ideal treatment will depend on the underlying cause. Finding a suitable and effective treatment starts by determining the root cause of the problem. This is where your vet comes in. Lets take a deeper look.

Identify the Cause of Skin Problems

Although Pit Bulls may suffer more commonly with skin problems, any breed can be affected. Bull Terriers are genetically predisposed to a very rare condition that can encourage dermatitis, erythema, flaking, and crusting, beginning around the eyes, mouth, and ears and spreading to genital area, anus, pads, elbows, and hocks. This condition is called zinc-responsive dermatosis and is fatal. Luckily, it seems like this disease has been mainly bred out, but its important to be aware of it if you own a Pit Bull breed.

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• Skin Infection Any breed of dog, including Pit Bull breeds, may suffer from skin infections. They can occur for various reasons and in different places on the body but are often worsened by the dog licking and self traumatizing. Some of the reasons for an infection may be bacterial or fungal overgrowth, parasites, allergies, etc. Hot spot is a term for a localized skin infection, often on the head, legs, or hips, characterized by a moist, smelly, and often matted area.
• Sunburn Dogs can suffer from sunburns just the same as people can. Although white pitties suffer more, any short-haired, hairless, or fair-colored dog can get a burn in the sun, particularly on the more hairless areas mainly on their face, ears, and belly. Apply sunscreen if your dog will be out in sunny conditions for long periods.
• Zinc-responsive dermatosis in Pit Bulls Zinc is important for creating DNA, enabling the growth of cells, building proteins, healing damaged tissue, and supporting a healthy immune system. The production of all of these is hampered if your dog suffers from zinc deficiency, either because their diet is deficient in zinc or because of a genetic disorder due to defective intestinal resorption of zinc. Skin conditions are the visible face of zinc deficiency, but at the same time, it causes a host of other serious and life-threatening metabolic and health problems that need to be addressed urgently. In case of a genetic defect, which is luckily very rare these days, the illness is considered fatal.
• Food Allergies Your dog might be suffering from food allergies. Ingredients like beef, dairy, chicken, eggs, or lamb, which are just some of the allergens commonly found in commercial dog foods, could be the cause. Identifying and removing allergens from your dogs diet could be enough to prevent allergic skin disease or digestive signs.
• Atopic Dermatitis Environmental irritants are all around us. Your dog could be allergic to the dust mites in your home, the grass in your garden, or the plants and their pollen on their daily walking route.
• Skin Parasites Fleas are the most common dog external parasites and one of the major causes of skin problems in any breed. Some dogs may also develop an allergy to the flea saliva, which exhibits as signs of allergic skin disease. Fleas may be more common during warm months but can invade a home at any time. Other parasites include mange and mites, and any of these infestations include skin complaints as a side effect.
• Ichthyosis A rare genetic condition where the superficial skin layer does not develop properly, resulting in dry flaky and scaly skin. This has been recognized in American Bulldogs.
• Systemic disease There are many underlying systemic health conditions, such as hypothyroidism, advanced liver, pancreatic, or autoimmune disease, that may cause various skin signs. Often, these are accompanied by changes in appetite, drinking, urination, and defecation, often with weight loss.

The Top 7 Dog Skin Disease Management Options

If your dog is suffering from any skin issues, its crucial to get them checked by your veterinarian or a veterinary dermatologist. Skin complaints may be frustrating and challenging to diagnose, and its important that your vet starts the diagnostic process as soon as possible. Here are some of the steps and guidelines your vet will discuss with you, based on your dogs signs and most likely underlying cause.

1. Veterinary Diagnostics

No matter what is happening with your dogs skin or their general health, your vet will be able to help identify the underlying cause. They will recommend a diagnostic process in order to rule out various causes, from the most basic ones to the more challenging ones. Oftentimes, when it comes to skin issues, a diagnosis is based on exclusion. There are many tests your vet or a dermatologist can recommend in order to identify the issue and start appropriate treatment.

Your vet may prescribe systemic or topical treatment, and depending on the cause of skin issues, the treatment may be short term or may continue for a few years or for the rest of your dogs life.

Above all, though, a vet can identify whether a skin complaint is a surface sign of a much deeper and more serious underlying problem.

The following six guidelines are just some of the possible veterinary recommendations if your dogs skin issues are due to an allergic skin disease or a topical skin infection. These are purely adjunctive management options alongside the medical therapy prescribed by your vet, and on their own, depending on the underlying issue, are unlikely to be sufficient to manage the signs. Its important not to self diagnose your pooch, as skin issues are complex, and you may waste valuable time while your dogs skin condition is getting worse. This will cause pain and discomfort to your dog, reduce their quality of life, and may worsen the underlying systemic health condition, making it more expensive and time consuming to diagnose and treat. Consider pet insurance when getting a dog, as it may help alleviate some of the financial concerns.

2. Diet Trials

Your vet or veterinary dermatologist may recommend you change your dogs diet if they suspect your dog is allergic to a certain ingredient in their food. If your dog has been eating food based on a beef protein, your vet may recommend a different protein, such as lamb or fish.

An elimination diet means starting out with a very basic food that does not include any known or suspected allergens. Its necessary to feed such a diet for a minimum of 8-12 weeks, and your dog should not have any other food ingredients or treats at that time, as it will negatively impact the results. If your dogs skin problems or digestive signs clear up, you could speak to your vet about gradually reintroducing ingredients until the problems start again, and then you can definitely identify the ingredients theyre allergic to.

3. Using Antibacterial Dog Shampoo

You should never use human shampoo on dogs, and you can get medicated and specific canine shampoo for use on dogs with allergies and skin complaints based on your vets recommendations.

Speak to your vet, as they may recommend a particular bathing frequency, like weekly, monthly, or fortnightly bathing. A lot of owners are concerned about bathing too often because they have heard that it strips the natural oils from a dogs skin and may lead to skin disbalance. However, done properly and with the right shampoos for the right reasons, which in this case are skin conditions, it can help manage the complaint. Of course, speak to your vet first about how often this should occur.

4. Paw and Skin Fold Hygiene

Many environmental irritants are picked up while out on walks because you cannot control what is in the grass or on the floor. The same goes for dust mites and indoor allergens and contact irritants. Once your dog has these irritants on their paws, they will scratch and may transfer them onto other areas of the skin.

Try to keep the dust levels under control as much as possible, and keep your poochs beds and sleeping areas clean. However, such steps may certainly help but will have a limited effect, as its difficult to control these types of allergens present everywhere in the environment.

Consider wiping your dogs paws when returning from outside using a wet towel, and then wash and dry the towel afterward. If your dog has any skin folds, make sure you are regularly checking them and cleaning them in the appropriate way, as they may also get infected and worsen your dogs skin condition. If your veterinary dermatologist has diagnosed your dog with atopic dermatitis, they may recommend more specific instructions, depending on the identified allergens that are causing skin signs in your pooch.

5. Flea Prevention

Fleas are a major irritant, and even if the fleas themselves do not cause flea allergies in your dog, their itching and biting to eradicate the fleas can be contributing to the problem or even causing it to easily worsen.

Look for signs of fleas and apply regular flea treatment according to the instructions on the treatment package given by your veterinarian.

6. Introduce Fish Oil

Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids. These can play a key role in good health, immune system health, and they also encourage healthy eyes, skin, and coat. If your dog is suffering from skin issues, speak to your vet about adequate and recommended amounts of these compounds in their regular diet.

Some types of food, particularly those formulated with high-quality ingredients and intended for dogs with sensitive skin, already contain omega fatty acids. Too much of a good thing may also be harmful, and there are potential adverse effects if your dog is having a higher-than-recommended amount.

Ensure that the food you offer includes a reasonable amount, and add omega fish oils to their diet using veterinary-approved supplements, but only if your vet suggests doing so based on your dogs medical history and their diet. It may not be indicated in dogs with diabetes, digestive issues, a clotting disorder, those on anticoagulant medication, or a history of pancreatitis. Fish oil should be used cautiously in pregnant or nursing dogs.

7. Home Management

If anybody has picked up any allergens on their shoes while out of the house, they will have settled on the floor. Alternatively, your dog could be allergic or sensitive to dust or even to the carpet fibers or rug itself.

Make sure you dust and vacuum regularly. Consider using an air filter to remove pollen and other potentially sensitive ingredients.

Conclusion

Pit Bull breeds can suffer with skin problems and skin complaints, like any other breed of dog. Although the tips above are geared towards Pit Bull breeds, they will apply to any breed in the hope of alleviating itching, biting, and other skin complaints with the professional help of your vet or a veterinary dermatologist.

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