Dog has itchy skin?

My dog (Yorkie) recently started itching nonstop. No fleas, I have looked throughly, also we have white bedding that she sleeps on and not a single flea there. I do put advantage on her, but the last time I applied it was about 2 weeks ago. Her skin doesn't appear to be irritated, except maybe a couple very small spots under her arm area. Is this something she needs to go to the vet for, or is there an over the counter or home remedy I can try...

Dog has itchy skin?
It could be a variety of things. She could have a bacterial infection or she may even have allergies to her food. I would suggest that you take her to the vet to make sure that all is well with your little puppy. Good luck.
Reply:Sounds like dry skin. My dog gets dry skin too. He is a Boston Terrier so he has very very short hair and we wash him with a special shampoo for it or use oatmeal (like you do on children with chicken pox).





Yorkie's have longer hair than Boston Terriers, so I wouldn't suggest the oatmeal, but you could check your local pet stores for dry skin or no-itch shampoo and try that. If it doesn't work, you could contact your vet for a medicated shampoo or other treatment options.





Add: Also, don't wash her too much, that could also be the problem. As washing dogs with shampoo removes the oil from their skin making them dry, irritated and itchy. If you currently wash your dog often, you might be washing her too much.
Reply:Did you bath her recently with something besides dog shampoo or does she go swimming in a pool (chlorine will dry out dogs skin severly). I don't think it's something to take her to the vet about immediately, but if it doesn't get better or she starts scratching so hard she is cracking skin- I would take her. Also, make sure you don't apply the flea medicine but once a month because too much will bother the skin.
Reply:I would at least call the vet. I had a Golden Retriever that I could give an allergy pill to but I'm not sure about a toy breed.


There is also a liquid that is for hot spots, just use a cotton ball to put it on the irritated area.


Call the vet first to make sure it's not something else though..





Good Luck
Reply:Vet.





It could be allergies, an infection, mange -- your vet will let you know.
Reply:OK, so not fleas. I wouldn't use Advantage though. I'd use Frontline. Anyway, make an appointment for your Yorkie with the vet. Ask if she can receive a Depo/Vetalog injection if they feel it is the right thing to do. This will help her tremendously. Also get some Aloe %26amp; Oatmeal Shampoo and use that on her. You don't want to get "hooked" on the injection due to the fact it is a steroid. Not going to hurt her. Good Luck.
Reply:You got dry skin issue got to the vet for me medication to help clear it up.
Reply:Please do take the dog to a vet to have it checked. Take the time to ask your vet to do blood work and see if the the thyroid levels are correct. If the levels are low this can cause the dog to scratch as well as allergies, dry skin and poor nutrition.
Reply:Try giving Omega 3 pill daily that should clear it up and will inprove her coat. Add a nice shine
Reply:If her skin is dry, I agree with some of the other answerers here - you can start by switching her shampoo to a milder one -- just make sure you're brushing her regularly and not washing her too often (that can exacerbate the problem).





For the spots, you can apply neosporin or a hydrocortisone to them - that will help provide some relief.





There are also vitamin supplements you can give her to help her skin - we give our dog Lipiderm - it's an Omega complex that helps with skin and shedding - it's helped us tremendously. Our vet also suggested adding Mazola corn oil directly to his food, as it's also rich in the Omega fatty acids - however this is NOT RECOMMENDED if your dog has a corn allergy (for obvious reasons!). You can call your vet to see how much oil to add.





If the problem persists or gets any worse, then yes, a trip to the vet is in order.
Reply:Your dog may just have dry skin, over bathing can make this occur. Or she nay be allergic to the frontline, or the shampoo you use. Try next time you give her a bath to put some conditioner on her afterwards, also I wouldn't give her a bath no more than 1 or 2 times a month. Keep an eye on her skin, if more scabs occure take to vet, if not try what I suggested. Good luck!!
Reply:She probably has a food allergy. There are several great foods on the market that are specifically made for dogs with allergies. Check out this site for more info:





http://www.peaceful-organic-planet.com/n...