[paularobinson]

I have a 2 year old female with long hair who appears to be very itchy. She is always scratching with no visible "reason". What should I try to help her?
Would it be OK to give her 1/4 tsp. children's Benedryl? She weighs 16 lbs. Yes I know she is chubby. We are working on it.:)

[will5168]

Do not give her benedryl. It is more likley that she is either having a allergic reaction to something (carpet cleaner, washing powder or anything close to her)try to identify something recently like this that you have changed, even food) or she has fleas.

My dog was the same. I found out that he had sensitive skin although there were no visible signs. I finnaly found a dog shampoo called MALASEB which is an antibacterial and antifungal shampoo. You bathe them and leave the shampoo on for 5 to 10 minutes then rinse off. I could tell the difference straight away.

Im not a vet but it worked on my dog.

[labman]

I can almost count on my thumbs the situations where I would medicate a dog other than on the advice of a vet. You might try the Benydril for a while and see if she itches less. My Vetvax catalog gives ''up to 2 mg/lb every 8 hours.'' That is the maximum dose.

How often are you bathing her and how well do you rinse? Before medicating her, you could try cutting out the baths, a good daily brushing with a soft bristled brush, and little to eat except a dog chow. Here is a link to help determine how much chow she should be getting, http://www.puppychow.com/products/po...condition.aspx