Dogs licking and scratching, constantly.

My dogs are always always always licking themselves. It like the most annoying sound in the world.

Does anyone have any ideas on like what shampoo to use or flea medication or anything to stop them from licking and scratching ALL THE TIME?

well how old is your pup cause all pups do that at the beginning...trust me EXPERIANCE my do g did to

If you're absolutely sure there are no fleas...no tics on them...that they are completely parasite free (if not, then time to get some Advantage)...I'd investigate allergies...So many dogs anymore, are allergic to corn (check your dog food bag and see what grains are in it, and where they are in the list of ingredients)...and some dogs are simply allergic to ALL grain...(there are a number of grainless dog foods out there...Innova's Evo...Taste of the Wild...to name a couple)...They can't have bisquits either, if they have grain in them...

Shampooing usually won't do anything for itching and licking with the exception of a flea shampoo, if they have them. It's more likely to cause dryer skin, which itches more.

phrannie

Fleas! I am sure of it! This has been the absoulute worst year I have ever been through and nothing is working very well. I have stuff on all the ground that I use every year that has always worked. I have the same flea spray I always have trusted in the past and still find fleas on my dogs. My Vet's shelves are cleaned off, everything is bought up all over town.

You may think you do not have fleas but I would guess you do? We all do right now

I have 3 dogs and 1 of them I can find like 3 fleas on. But the others are flea free.

Ok, Hannah is 1 1/2 old
Angel is 7 years old
Teddy is about 3 or 4 years.

we have a dog who does this to my father in law takes him to the vet and they give him some sort of shot he has a skin condition he has a special shampoo and medication but the only thing that has every really worked was the shot I think it was some kind of steriod shot but dont qoute me on that im not really sure and the downfall is it is only a temporary cure it last for maybe a month or less but I feel where you are coming from I totally drives me nuts when he does it lol

Magic and phrannie are right, it is likely a flea or food allergy,
but...

Since you said licking, it makes me wonder *where* they are licking. If it's near their butts, they might need to get their anal glands expressed. Letting them go too long can cause infection.

Piggybacking on editor's answer, if it's a b*tch licking its female parts, it may be infected or a simple yeast infection.

If it's a male, it's raw/infected, or the neuter may have always been irritating to the dog, but you just didn't notice it.

Keep these in mind, and also that you can flea bomb your house for $16 at petsmart.

Everyone is right. It can be anything from parasites to allergies or food allergies. This is the first year my female chihuahua has started licking and chewing her feet. I have her on a strict diet to see what it could be. You must start ruling things out to get to the bottom of it or see you vet.

I would not be suggesting Advantage, etc..as these, while small doses, contain pesticides...that over a long time can cause liver problems...and those problems usually show up in the skin. They are part of the problem. Alternatively, Tea Tree Oil, Garlic/Brewers yeast are natural flea/tick and other pest retardants, and seem to have no side effects. Bugs don't like the smell of garlic, etc. Don't worry, your dog won't smell like garlic!

Also effective in natural repellents is taking about 6 drops of geranium oil in 6 ounces of water in a misting bottle. A lot of the time itching can be diet related. I would switch to a raw diet.

You can read about the advantages of raw and the myths associated with it. I would not be taking the dog to the vet to get vaccinated for this and vaccinated for that...Because I have found that this simply damages their immune systems to the point scratching gets worse as they get older. I told the vet to can the vaccinations. Over vaccinating/anti-biotic uses can simply destroy a dog's immune system by killing all the good organisms in the body that ward off infections, etc.

Also, if you live where people are incessantly spraying lawn chemicals...this can be a problem as well..as 53%, for example, of the chemicals used by Chem-Lawn type companies are known carcinogens..and some chemicals can mimic hay fever allergic-like reactions.