Whippet neck and ear scratching

[Katie Alice]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

One of my whippets has a problem scratching her ears and neck. She is 14 months old and lives in the house (not a working dog). The vet can't find anything wrong and she has had a skin scrape which was fine. We have changed her food, tried sulphur drops in her water and rubbed her ears and neck with Aloe Vera Gel. All to no avail. It gets worse when she is warm. i would appreciate your comments. Many.

Thanks,

 

[gypsysmum2]

Once a vet rules out all the obvious health problems you could look at behaviour problems.

Keep an eye on when she does it. Is it when she feels a little stressed? Is she waiting for her walk or her dinner? Is she resisting doing something naughty because you are watching her? Lots of things stress our dogs and it can manifest itself as scratching and licking and yawning as a way of relieving it.

 

[Katie Alice]

Thanks gypsymum2 I appreciate your comments. But, this is not the problem. However, I will make a note of when she does it.

 

[JoanneF]

What have you changed her food from and what is the new one? When did you make the change?

 

[Katie Alice]

We changed her food about a month ago to Simpsons premium adult sensitive salmon and potato which they both enjoy. They (we have two from the same litter who are now 14 months old) have had several different foods over their first year the previous one being Iams adult, before that Arden Grange puppy. They are both in excellent health apart from the neck scratching with one. Thanks for your comments.

 

[JoanneF]

Simpsons is a very good food but does contain wheat gluten. Allergies or intolerance do sometimes result in skin irritations so you could try a grain free food.

 

[Katie Alice]

Thanks I will look into that. But, if it was the food, I would have thought the itching would be all over, not just the neck, ears, head area. Just a thought. Thanks again.

 

[dogmatize]

Hello i have whippets too.They are simply the best. I also struggled with a skin condition which we spent a fortune on including scraping and a punch biopsy sent to the vet school.They couldn't find the cause of her problem.

After a while my vet agreed to let me just try out everything i could think of : neem, essential oils in shampoo, calendula ointment, sudocrem,a blend of essential oils.etc

Eventually i found the solution in Quistel shampoo and skin spray.It literally solved the problem for us. She now only occasionally gets a flaky forehead and we put a little coconut oil on it.

I did wonder if her collar might be to blame. I presume youve considered all the environmental things like soap powder in bedding etc?

 

[Katie Alice]

Thanks. The vet is now trying her on Yumega itchy dog (which is selected oils) in her food. Only on day 3 so we will have to see. To be fair, her skin is not dry or flaky and her coat is smooth and shiny. I had thought of her collar, which is leather, but she only wears it for about an hour and a half each day. Like you, we will keep on trying to solve her problem. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

[gypsysmum2]

Have you been noting when she does it? If so, is there any pattern?

The things to look out for are stresses felt by her in her daily life. Family problems, frustrations, worries, changes in routine etc. I knew of a dog that licked its front leg until it was raw. It had every skin test under the sun to no avail. The problem turned out to be family problems within the home that were affecting the dog's mental well being. He licked and licked to try to sooth his emotions.

 

[Katie Alice]

Thanks. The vet is now trying her on Yumega itchy dog (which is selected oils) in her food. Only on day 3 so we will have to see. To be fair, her skin is not dry or flaky and her coat is smooth and shiny. I had thought of her collar, which is leather, but she only wears it for about an hour and a half each day. Like you, we will keep on trying to solve her problem. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

This doesn't make my difference.

 

[Katie Alice]

Hello i have whippets too.They are simply the best. I also struggled with a skin condition which we spent a fortune on including scraping and a punch biopsy sent to the vet school.They couldn't find the cause of her problem.

After a while my vet agreed to let me just try out everything i could think of : neem, essential oils in shampoo, calendula ointment, sudocrem,a blend of essential oils.etc

Eventually i found the solution in Quistel shampoo and skin spray.It literally solved the problem for us. She now only occasionally gets a flaky forehead and we put a little coconut oil on it.

I did wonder if her collar might be to blame. I presume youve considered all the environmental things like soap powder in bedding etc?

Thank you I have just ordered some Quistel spray. Hope it works.