The end of summer is around the corner, and fall season is just ahead of us which means itchy season is coming upon us in Wisconsin. Around this time of year we see an influx in dogs whose allergies begin to flare up, have skin or ear issues, and/or fleas/ticks.

Sometimes the signs of itchiness in pets are subtle, other times they are very obvious. Signs that a dog or cat is itchy can include some or all of the following:

  • Licking, biting, chewing, or scratching themselves repetitively
  • Rubbing their face or ears along furniture
  • Pawing at their ears, or shaking their head repeatedly
  • Recurrent ear infections, with odor, discharge, and redness
  • Losing hair anywhere on their body
  • Chewing or licking their feet, red toes, brown-stained fur on paws, feet are wet from licking paws repeatedly
  • Thickened, elephant skin
  • Skin odor
  • Red skin
  • Hot spots: patches of skin that have been chewed raw and hair has been ripped out
  • Rolling on the floor or grass repeatedly
  • Red, watery eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Scooting
  • Scabbing where a pet has been excessively licking, scratching, or chewing
Sometimes, a pet can have more than one cause of itching at the same time! Thankfully, your veterinarian can sort out the cause of itching in your pet by listening to what you are observing at home, conducting a full physical examination, running some tests, and seeing how your pet responds to prescribed treatment.