Summer is an itchy time of year. There are a few things you can do at home to help itchy dogs get through to the cooler months.
- Keep up with flea control. A flea bite will feel worse to an already irritated skin.
- Avoid running through long, rough areas of vegetation. Many of the weeds in these areas are irritants e.g. stinging nettle, cleavers, wandering jew, paspalam grass.
- Rinse with cool water after running in long, rough areas of vegetation. This will rinse off any sap and plant fibers that are sticking to the hair, also it will cool and soothe the skin.
- Use oatmeal based shampoos if irritation continues. Oatmeal has a cooling and calming action on skin.
- Don’t use warm water for bathing your dog. Warm water will increase blood flow to the skin and make it more itchy. Avoid warm hair dryers for the same reason.
- Don’t use jute or woolen bedding. Both of these types of bedding have fibers that can be very irritating, especially if you are already a bit hot and itchy. Stick to old cotton sheets or polar fleece.
If you have a persistent problem then a check up may be required. There are several treatments available for irritation that may help everyone sleep at night