persistent itching in a raw fed dog?

[Kristi]

I have a friend that also shows chihuahuas...she has a little LC male that is 3 years old...he's been on raw about a year now. In the middle of this summer he started itching basically neurotically. Nothing is helping. He itches just 'because'. She's taken him to a dermatologist, the vet a billion times, no one has any idea...

Why would e be itching like this? He mostly is on Stella & Chewy's so only 5% of it is non-animal matter and of course it is grainfree...thing is it doesn't seem like a food allergy.

I suggested maybe its some kind of deficiency? But I don't know...its reached a point where she can't really even show the boy anymore cuz of these obsessive itching fits. Shes dumping benadryl into him like its water and no improvement...there are no localized indications of external issues that would cause the itching...he is a black and tan and has no dandruff...

Thoughts? I just told her to put him on Nupro 'incase' its a deficiency? Could he be allergic to the benadryl LOL?

She thinks a kid she watched last summer traumatized him but I don't see how that would make a dog itch, I haven't found dogs have long emotional memories like that, part of what makes dogs that have been abused perfectly able to be rehabbed...

[Sarah]

It could be environmental or the dog could be allergic to the type of meat it's eating...

[Kristi]

She switched him off chicken entirely which was all he wasg etting before and that didn't make a difference, and she's changed all her detergents and stuff to free/simple/basic stuff so IDK, I'd think if it were an ALLERGY the benadryl would at least make SOME difference?

[Sarah]

Who knows is she giving oils???

[brodysmom]

Can she take him off of Stella and Chewy's and try something else? Maybe one of the whole prey grinds from hare-today? Or Primal or Bravo? I don't really like Nature's Variety, but she could try that also. Maybe there is something in there that is causing the itching.

If she were doing it herself with the raw, my first thought would be sodium. That can cause some pretty bad itchies.

I'd start in on therapeutic high doses of salmon oil or krill oil daily. Make sure there is no tocopherols added to the oils as that is vitamin E and it's derived from soy. It's hard to find a brand that doesn't have those added, but they are out there. Soy can cause itching as well.

Not sure I'd recommend Nupro because it's just got so many ingredients in it. Same with Missing Link. If it's food related, you'd be hard pressed to find the culprit if you added in those.

I might suggest adding zinc though. I was reading about a dog that had a crusty nose and itching and when the gal added in zinc - the dog improved drastically. Not sure what the appropriate dose is though...... there's a syndrome in huskies and nordic breeds that makes them zinc deficient and then they have lots of skin problems. Perhaps that could be the case here??

If he were mine, I'd probably put him in a onesie so he couldn't scratch himself raw. Then it's a cycle, where they tear themselves up and then as it heals, it itches, so they keep scratching.

Just grasping at straws here .... let me think and ask around ......

[brodysmom]

Here's that zinc problem I was talking about ....

veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Medicine/Canine-zinc-responsive-dermatosis/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/162405

It certainly wouldn't hurt to try a zinc supplement and see if it helps???

[brodysmom]

Also do a complete thyroid panel on him. I'd probably opt for the one that Dr. Dodds does.

[Hollie]

Feo itched "neurotically". It did start on raw, then when I put him on kibble carried on, it was terrible, I was having to put him in an e-collar most days and he was drawing blood with his scratching. Fish is one of his serious allergies- It was bad on raw because I was supplementing alot with fish oil, and that was a realy high concentration of what he was allergic to. Napoleon his brother is the same unfortunately.

I hate it because he is in so much discomfort day in day out, and despite me spending hundreds of pounds and many hours trying to remedy the problem, missing half his hur off his sides he looks like a dog that is full on neglected