Licking, Scratching, & Head Shaking: What Your Pet’s Itching Really Means.
An itchy pet impacts the entire household. They cannot get comfortable, making snuggling a challenge, and they wake us up at night with that not-so-pleasant paw licking sound. Worst of all is just knowing your best friend is struggling to relax.
And itchiness in pets goes way beyond scratching.
The most common signs of an itchy pet are:
- Paw licking
- Fur loss
- Barbering (broken fur)
- Scooting
- Head shaking
- Scratching
- Biting (their skin, paws, nails)
- Restlessness
- Rubbing on the floor and furniture and, well, everything.
That’s where we come in. Because itching is a symptom. It’s a sign that something is wrong and their scratching can make those problems worse.
So what is causing your pet’s itching?
Itching in pets is often caused by:
- Fleas or other parasites
Fleas don’t live on your pet. They jump on, enjoy a blood meal (gross), and hop off to hide beneath floor boards, baseboards, and soft furniture until they get hungry again. But their bite lingers! And some pets are even allergic to them, making that itch so much worse.
- Allergies
Unlike humans, pets rarely exhibit upper respiratory symptoms when exposed to environmental allergens like pollen. Instead, their skin reacts from the contact of those allergens. This causes inflammation, which leads to itching!
- Infection
A weakened skin barrier can become susceptible to infections with bacteria, or even fungal organisms (like ringworm). Those infections can be incredibly itchy, and the more they scratch, the weaker that skin barrier becomes, and the more the infection spreads. It’s a itch-ous cycle.
The good news? There is so much we can do to help your itchy pet!
We’ll check that they’re on an effective flea preventative and assess for potential infection. Then we can get down to controlling that itch! We have a range of options including daily medications, once monthly injections, supplements and shampoos, and even non-invasive, medication-free medical grade laser therapy to jump start instant relief and help restore the skin barrier.
Ready to stop the itch for good? Call us at 757-956-1110 or book you consultation online via our Pet Portal. We’ve got the treat bar freshly stocked.