[danielnoahsmommy]

Excuse my spelling of the breed. I am watching my in-laws dog while they are on a cruise. She is extreamly itchy, and rubs herself on everything. She has no fleas or tick and is well groomed. Any ideas what it could be and how do I stop the itchieness, it is driving all of us crazy

[RubyPitbull]

She is a nervous wreck being away from mommy & daddy. Sometimes dogs will chew off the hair and create what is referred to as "hot spots." If she is as bad as you are describing, there really isn't much to do about it except to try to give her as much attention and play time as possible. Give her a relaxing doggy massage. She needs to be refocused. You won't be able to extinguish it completely as she appears to be very attached to her family, but you can at least make attempts to reduce her anxiety. I hope they aren't gone on the cruise for an extended period. :eek:

[danielnoahsmommy]

It will only be a week in total. I am with that dog nearly 24 hours a day. Exhaust her with play and sleep with her as well. We noticed she was itching in her own home as well before we took her

[RubyPitbull]

Well, when you noticed it in her own home, was this prior to any trip planning or was it when you picked her up? Dogs know something is up when their people are preparing for a trip. It can be days or weeks in advance! But, if you think she might have an issue, then I would suggest calling her vet and see if they are aware of any allergies or problems. You can always take her for a visit to your vet to see if they have any ideas. Maybe take a skin scraping and see if there is some sort of issue.

One thing to be aware of is, if it is anxiety sometimes no amount of attention will decrease it. Believe me, I have been through the gamut with that type of behavior before. I know how very upsetting it can be. They may adore you, but their routine has been disrupted and they are confused. If they are so attached to their people, it is really rough on them and it comes out in this manner. Sometimes dogs will chew off all the fur on their tails or paws. :(

[labman]

You could try some Benadryl, maybe one 25 mg capsule a day. It is a rare exception for me to suggest medicating a dog on your own. Otherwise, RubyPitbull has given a couple of the good answers I have come to expect of her.

[danielnoahsmommy]

Thank you lab man and ruby, I guess I'm going to just wait till Saturday when she goes home and tell the in;laws the situation and let them go from there

[RubyPitbull]

Probably for the best. Like labman, I hate to assume allergies and give medication if you don't know that is what she suffers from. Did they leave you with their vet's number? You might want to just call and see if she does suffer from allergies. This way, you can give her some relief if that is the true culprit and not anxiety. I would a imagine half a tablet would help but it would be best to get confirmation from her vet.

[danielnoahsmommy]

I don't want to be blamed if something happens to her so, we will just wait. You all know how in-laws could be

[RubyPitbull]

LOL. I hear you!

[bushg]

My mom used Sulfodene for some itchy stray dogs that she found, a couple of weeks ago. She said it worked wonders for them. This was bought for 3-4 dollars at walmart.