Shih Tzu Dog Scratching: How To Stop
One of the most common problem is Shih Tzu Dog Scratching. It is usually caused by fleas, food allergy, or other skin irritations. A Shih Tzu that keeps on scratching may get hot spots and breaks on the skin that may cause infections. Severe scratching should be arrested to prevent the long term effects to your pets.
What causes Shih Tzu Dog Scratching?
Your Shih Tzu Dog Scratching due to a lot of factors. First thing you need to do is find the source and cause of the itching and it may be one of the following:
- Parasites – fleas, ticks, mites, flies or gnats are common parasites that infest a dog’s skin. They can cause so much itching and discomfort to your Shih Tzu that he cannot help it but scratch.
- Infection – a dog can get infected from bacteria, yeast or fungi. Check your dog‘s body and look for signs of infection like swelling, red hairless spots, or sores and get immediate cure for your Shih Tzu.
- Allergies – your dog may contact allergy from fleas, plants, dust, and frequently from Shih Tzu feeding. These factors cause severe itching and later on develop to skin problems.
- Inadequate nutrition – if your Shih Tzu doesn’t get the right and enough nutrition from his food he may develop dry skin prone to irritation and other skin problems. Sores and eczema may appear which lead to scratching.
- Neurogenic scratching –it is a dog’s impulse to scratch and lick itself even without any itch factor present. Shih Tzu puppy training can prevent this condition where the dog gets enough exercise, stimulation and interaction.
- Environment – there are factors around that can cause scratching like too much swimming in the pool, soil, or excess moisture on the dog’s skin.
That’s it. If you can identify the root cause of your Shih Tzu problems on scratching, it would be easy to get the exact remedy for your dog. A visit to your vet is always a good measure to fully identify if your dog is really scratching because of skin problems or developing this behavior.
If there is an allergy, the vet will give antihistamine and may advice you to change your Shih Tzu feeding. There are soaps, shampoos and medications to get rid of dog skin parasites. Infection is treated with antibiotics and antifungal cream.
How to Deal with Neurogenic Scratching
This is the most notorious form of dog scratching where there is no physical evidence of the cause of itching. It is only the dog’s urge to scratch and lick that signals the behaviour. There are causes of neurogenic scratching like the following.
- Lack of enough exercise.
- The dog is always in a boring condition, situation or place.
- It may be due to separation anxiety.
See to it that your dog is getting the exercise he needs; you can jog or run together. Your Shih Tzu puppy training is very important to avoid this behaviour. And lastly you need to keep a close watch as your dog may start scratching due to the factors given above. If it happens you can fix the issue easily, or go to your vet and have a non-scratching Shih Tzu.
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