Itchy Dog Remedies

Why is My Dog Itching?

For a pet parent, seeing your dog constantly scratching, licking, biting his skin, or chewing his paws can be cause for concern - especially if you don’t know why it keeps happening.

There are many possible causes for itching in dogs which include:

  • Parasites: Such as fleas, mites, lice, endoparasite migration
  • Allergies: To parasites, food, contact drugs
  • Infections: Malassezia overgrowth, staphylococcal infections, and dermatophytosis
  • Rare Conditions: Tumors of the skin, psychogenic diseases and endocrine dermatosis [1,9]

Your vet can help you figure out the cause of your dog’s itching, give you the appropriate medications, and help you understand how to prevent future outbreaks.

It may take time before the underlying cause of your dog’s itching is fully treated. In the meantime, there are ways you can soothe your dog’s itchy skin.

10 Natural Remedies to Help Your Itchy Dog

  1. Inspect Your Dog’s Skin, Coat, & Paws
  2. Give Your Dog An Epsom Salt or Oatmeal Bath
  3. Clean House
  4. Start a Log to Track Symptoms
  5. Can Dog Food Cause Itching?
  6. Will Fish Oil Stop Dog Itching?
  7. Try Dog Friendly Essential Oils
  8. DIY Itchy Dog Spray & Rinses
  9. Soothing Natural Topical Applications
  10. Offer Distractions with Exercise & Chew Toys

1. Inspect Your Dog’s Skin, Coat & Paws

If your dog has been itching more than normal, or is constantly licking an area of his body, inspect his coat, skin and paws.

Sometimes burrs, thorns, grass seed and small sticks can burrow into a dog’s coat or get stuck in between paw pads. [3,4] Look for visible ticks, fleas, insect bites and other skin irritations. Even if you don’t see any fleas, be sure to check for flea dander, which is often present at the base of the spine, near the top of an infected dog’s tail. Part the fur until you see skin, and look for tiny black specs.

Itchy Dog Tip: Make sure your dog is up to date on flea & tick preventatives.

2. Give Your Dog an Epsom Salt or Oatmeal Bath

If your dog is itching all the time, and nothing looks out of the ordinary after you inspect your pet’s fur, skin and paws, it’s time for a bath!

Plain, cool water is an excellent healing agent and will help you remove invisible irritants from the environment that your pet may have stepped on or rolled in - from dust to pollen, or household cleaners to lawn care granules.

How to Give a Dog an Epsom Salt Bath

Epsom salts are safe for dogs, and a natural remedy to heal a dog’s itchy skin or open wounds from constant licking. Simply add 1 cup of Epsom salts to approximately 1 gallon of cool bath water. Coax your pet to sit or lie down in the bath for 10 minutes if possible, or drizzle the salted water over affected areas.

Itchy Dog Tip: Avoid warm water - it can intensify the itch! [3,4]

Try an Oatmeal and Baking Soda Bath for Dogs

Some pet parents use a canine oatmeal shampoo or leave-in conditioner if their dog has skin allergies. It’s just as easy to create your own mixture at home to soothe itchy paw pads and skin.

Simply grind 1 cup of oatmeal into a fine powder in your food processor or blender (this is known as colloidal oatmeal). Combine with 1 cup of baking soda in cool bath water.

Let your dog’s paws soak in the tub for 5 -15 minutes. Rub oatmeal and baking soda mixture into your dog’s skin and thoroughly rinse with plain, cool water. Repeat daily if needed.

Itchy Dog Tip: Pat your dog dry with a fluffy towel & avoid using a hairdryer unless it is set on cool. [3,4]

3. Clean House!

Vacuum your entire house - including your furniture, baseboard cracks, and your pet’s sleeping and resting areas. This will help get rid of the dust, fleas, or mites that could be behind your pet’s discomfort.

Throw away the vacuum bag so pests do not hatch inside.[7] Wash your pet’s pillow cases, throw rugs, and bedding in hot water once a week [4]. Also change the filters of the furnaces, air conditioners, or air humidifiers to help reduce dust and dust mites.[4]

4. Start a Log to Track Symptoms

Even if your dog did not have allergies as a puppy, it is possible for them to develop at any point during his/her life. How much itching is normal for your dog?

Make a note of when your dog is most uncomfortable. Write down days when your dog is itching like crazy all the time. Does itching happen most after being outside, after a bath, after grooming, during the spring, in winter, etc.?

What are your dog’s symptoms? Is your dog itching and licking but no fleas are present? Has your dog developed a hot spot? Is your dog losing hair, throwing up, or bleeding? Does anything seem to soothe your dog’s discomfort?

Track symptoms and cross reference them with seasonal information i.e. are pollen counts high? Pollen and mold spores can cause allergies in sensitive dogs.

Share your observations with your vet so you can work together to determine triggers and keep your fur baby comfortable if seasonal patterns are developing.

5. Can Dog Food Cause Itching?

Yes! Dry skin is related to diet. If your dog is itching like crazy all the time, even after a bath or in winter, or gets frequent skin and/or ear infections, it’s very possible you need to address an underlying food allergy. [8]

Switching to a preservative-free, homemade dog food with natural supplements may be the best thing you can do to relieve your pet’s itching and significantly improve quality of life for your dog.

Try the Best Homemade Food for Dogs with Allergies Azestfor's Lamb & Rice Dog Food Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Rice, Cooked
7 ounces, Lamb, Cooked
1 teaspoon, Sunflower Oil
5 teaspoons, Azestfor Vitamins

Go to recipe page

Rice is a very easily digested carbohydrate for dogs, and lamb is a protein source many dogs have not encountered before.If you suspect your dog has a food allergy, download our free Food Allergies in Dogs Guide, which will walk you through step by step on how to recognize and manage a food intolerance.

6. Will Fish Oil Stop Dog Itching?

One of the most common supplements dog lovers provide to their pets is fish oil, due to the healing properties found in their omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Fish oil supports heart health, keeps a dog’s coat shiny, and can even act as an antihistamine, soothing the inflamed skin in some pets. [6,7,10]

Natural Supplements For Dogs With Itchy Skin

New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel is a shellfish and like traditional fish oil for dogs it contains omega 3 fatty acids - EPA and DHA. In it's nutrients there is also an additional, third omega 3, called ETA.These rare ETA (Eicosatetraenoic) fatty acids can lower enzyme levels responsible for your dog’s skin inflammation and pain — thereby benefiting not only dogs with allergies and itchy skin,Dogs suffering from joint pain and arthritis benefit from adding New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel to their diet the omega 3 fatty acids from green lipped mussels and the naturally occurring chondroitin and glucosamine work together synergistically to help to repair damaged cartilage in joints - increasing mobility, range of motion, and ultimately improving a dog’s quality of life.

New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel Dosage For Dogs
Dog Weight Daily Dosage (scoop) Daily Dosage (teaspoon) Daily Dosage (mg)
01-25 lbs 1/2 scoop 1/16 teaspoon (250 mg)
26-50 lbs 1 scoop 1/8 teaspoon (500 mg)
51-75 lbs 1 1/2 scoops 3/8 teaspoon (750 mg)
76-100 lbs 2 scoops 1/4 teaspoon (1000 mg)
100-125 lbs 2 1/2 scoops 1/2 teaspoon (1250 mg)

Double daily use for first two weeks.