Why Does My Golden Retriever Itch So Much and What To Do About It?
Your Golden Retriever may start to itch at themselves and act like there is a problem.
An occasional itch is normal, but when they itch quite a bit, you will want to do something to provide them with relief.
When some of the at-home treatments do not seem to be doing it, you need to take a closer look to see what is causing the itching.
Why Does My Golden Retriever Itch So Much?
Golden Retrievers are usually itchy because of dry skin, ear infections, fleas or mites, or allergies. You need to identify the source of the itchiness before applying treatments. In some cases, identifying the source can be easy if you know what to look for, but you should also consult with your veterinarian.
When you notice the itching, you need to look to see what is causing the problem first before looking for a solution that will provide the relief your dog needs.
When you start to notice the Golden Retriever is itching, you need to find out the cause so you can give them a treatment.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why your Golden Retriever is itching so badly and some of the things that you can do to help give them some relief from this problem.
Why Does My Golden Retriever Itch So Much?
There are a number of reasons that your Golden Retriever, or any dog, is going to itch quite a bit.
Knowing the reason that they are going through this discomfort is going to be a big deal because it helps you provide them with some of the relief that they need.
Some of the most common reasons why your Golden Retriever is itching includes:
Allergies
Your Golden Retriever could develop some kind of allergy to the environment that would make them itch.
They may have an allergy to some foods or food dies, fungus, pollens, and plants. Sometimes they can even be allergic to some of the other pets that are in the home or that they spend their time around.
There are a variety of allergies that your dog may have, but you can look for some of the signs that an allergen is present, outside of the itching.
First, you may notice that there Is a rash.
This is often a sign that the allergen was caused by something the dog touched, though it is also going to show up if the dog inhaled something or ate something.
Skin irritation is the first place that you should look to see if this is the problem.
If the allergy is really severe, it is possible that they will experience some hair loss as well.
This can be a sign of a parasite or a flea more than anything, but it is worth looking into.
They may also have issues like sneezing and a runny nose.
If you notice that the dog is losing hair, especially in one specific area, or they are itching quite a bit there too, then you will need to take them into their vet to see if there is an allergy to blame.
Food allergies are able to cause some of these problems as well.
These are harder to diagnose though.
If you do notice that the dog starts to itch once they eat a specific type of food, it is important to take a closer look to see whether this is a concern for your dog or not.
You can also do some testing with your vet to see whether this is a true concern that you need to work on with your dog.
If you do find an allergy, take some precautions to ensure that the dog is not given that food again.
Ear Infections
Another reason that your Golden Retriever is itching quite a bit is because they have an ear infection.
When the ear is bothering them, they are going to itch at the ears to try and make it feel better.
There are a number of issues that will cause an ear infection and the itching that goes with it including:
- Allergic reactions: This is most common in the late fall and may occur at the same time from one year to the next for your dog. Your dog may also have developed food allergies.
Bacterial infections: When this happens, there is often going to be some type of discharge out of the ears. Staph is the most common bacterial to cause this, but there is the potential for it to be another one as well. Medication is the best way to heal this problem and visiting their vet will help.
- Yeast infections: it is possible for a yeast infection to cause problems in the ear. If the dog has one of their allergic reactions, it will produce more oils of the skin. This can build up right in the ears and will allow the yeast to grow. This can cause a strong smell and you need to take the dog to their vet to help clean it all up.
- Mites: Another issue is ear mites. These are small and will be able to get into the ears of young Golden Retrievers. They will cause some irritation and will make the dog rub at their ears all the time. You can have the vet check the ears for these mites and then clean them out to help. There are also medications that go right into the ear of the dog to help handle the mites as well.
- Foreign objects: There are different objects that can get caught in the ear and cause problems like dirt, plant debris, small bugs, and ear medication that gets dried out.
There are different signs that you can look for when it comes to earn infections like the dog shaking their head, some redness that is around and in the ears, a discharge out of the ears, an odor that is easy to notice, and even scratching of the ears.
When you start to notice these signs, you will need to take the pet to their vet to get help.
Dry Skin
The dog could also have some problems with itching because their skin is dry.
You will notice that the dog is itching quite a bit and this dry skin will turn into dandruff that can get all over the place.
You may also look at the skin and notice it is tough and cracked.
There are some home remedies, like a shampoo that has oatmeal in it that can help.
Pick one that has a conditioner inside to help moisturize the skin as well.
But only bathe them once a week to not make it as dry.
The shampoo can work if it is getting to winter and the skin is just dry.
But if there are other issues that are making the skin dry, like fleas and mites, ear infections, or allergies, then you will need to use a different treatment to help out with that.
Your vet may be able to provide some of the best options for medications that will give the dog some relief.
Supplements that often seem to do well on this kind of skin and will give you some relief will include options like omega 3’s, salmon oil, coconut oil, turmeric, and more.
You can give a few of these a try. If the skin tends to get worse or none of the options are working, then.
You need to visit the vet for your dog and see what you are able to do to make it better.
Some dogs will tend to have skin that is drier than some others.
This means that you will need to be on the lookout for this problem more than other pet owners.
You can look for the signs that the dry skin is showing up again and then try out a few treatments until you find one that works.
Once you find that treatment option, you will be able to bring it out any time that you see the dry skin is a problem again.
Keeping the Skin Safe and Itch Free
No one wants to see that their dog is in discomfort or not feeling as good as they should when it comes to their skin.
When the dog is itching at the skin and seems like they are not able to stop, then this is a sign that something is wrong with them.
You need to take a closer look to see what is causing the problem the most.
In some cases, you will be able to take a look at the skin or the ears and see what the problem is.
When you are able to do that, it is possible to use some good home remedies to help out with making the skin healthier and to stop the itching.
However, when the skin irritation is really bad and the dog will not stop itching, even when they are making the situation worse, then it is time to go to the vet to get a better treatment option.
The reason for the itching will often determine the treatment that will be used.
