Itchy pet—What does it mean?

Our itchy pets may do all manner of behaviors to try to get comfortable, from scratching, licking, gnawing and excessively grooming, even to scooting and head shaking. To help them stop chasing the itch and get back to enjoying their best life, we have to get to the bottom of the problem.

There are many causes of itchiness in pets, the most common of which fit into three main categories:

Fleas, ticks, lice and mites can find their way onto your pet and make them their new home. Sometimes you can see these bugs, but fleas can be rather quick and ticks burrow in tricky places, so you may never catch sight of these pesky pests on your pet. Mites, which include critters such as scabies and Demodex, are microscopic, meaning your veterinarian will need to do some tests to find them.

Allergies

Pets develop allergies when their immune system gets confused and reacts to normal substances like they are harmful, which can result in intense itchiness. This can happen with environmental substances floating in the air, like pollens and dust, or with foods that your pet has eaten often in the past. Flea saliva is another common allergen, making flea bites even more of a scratchy nuisance than they would be normally.

Infection

Yeast and bacterial skin infections are uncomfortable in and of themselves, but they are often made itchier by the fact that they can be accompanied by other underlying skin diseases. This is because both incessant scratching and several skin conditions, such as allergies, can lead to bacterial or yeast overgrowth. Along with treating an infection, your veterinarian may want to look for these other conditions.

With so many possibilities, it is always best to take your itchy pet to the veterinarian to determine the cause. Your veterinarian will examine your pet and follow an algorithm of tests and treatments to rule out possibilities and reach a diagnosis.

Tracking your pet’s itch level throughout this process is extremely helpful for determining which treatment your pet is responding to best.

No matter what your veterinarian recommends, be it parasite preventives, hypoallergenic food, itch-relief medications and more, you can easily find it online. 

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