What Makes Dogs Itch

Dr Nick Thompson has been in veterinary medicine for nearly 40 years. He wrote a super-concise guide to What Makes Dogs Itch about 15 years ago. Today, this one-page document is the foundation of the course; 12 short chapters will teach you the basics of canine itch and what treatment options you have at your fingertips.

An introductory chapter explaining how to use the course for maximum benefit. Nick introduces you to Itch Scoring and looks at how common itch is in our modern dogs. He introduces how parasites, sensitivities and infections cause itching issues and how different causes of itch can add together.

A brief chapter for the science and medical nerds to look at less common causes of itch, including hypothyroidism, pemphigus, pain and nutritional deficiencies.

This chapter addresses the king of itch - parasites: fleas, mange, walking dandruff and harvest mites, to name but a few. If this chapter doesn't make you want to scratch, nothing will.

Nick looks at pharmaceuticals to treat infestations with parasites but takes a deep dive into more natural methods to avoid toxic and environmentally damaging pesticide chemicals.

Skin sensitivities – 15% of dogs in the UK are allergic to one or more common environmental allergens such as house dust, tree pollens or food. Nick explains how these everyday, natural phenomena can trigger itch.

Diagnosis of skin sensitivities is covered in chapter six. We go through intradermal testing, blood testing, and the pros and cons of these techniques. We address the thorny issue of blood testing for food sensitivities.

Chapter seven is one of the most essential parts of the course; it covers food trials in detail, what to do, what to avoid, what proteins to choose, and how long to use them. Nick brings over twenty years of science and trial and error to bring you the most logical, easy and streamlined version of the food trial to maximise success and minimise adverse reactions.

There are many potent drugs available to stop your dog's itch. Here, we go through what's available and the pros and cons of using these pharmaceuticals to treat long-term skin diseases, including ear problems.

Even more natural and non-pharmaceutical treatments are available before reverting to drugs for skin itch problems. Nick goes through a range of options and the benefits and limitations of this approach. Let food be thy medicine!

Skin infections occur when the skin is compromised from parasites or sensitivities. It pays to understand what bacterial infections, including hot spots, look like and how to differentiate them from common yeast and fungal infections. Another chapter to get you scratching!

Infections respond well to antibacterials, anti-yeast preparations and antifungals. The problem is that if you don't address why the dog got the infection in the first place, you'll have to keep using the bug-busters because the primary cause of the itch is not being addressed.

Natural and non-drug treatment of skin infections. How to keep the drugs in the cupboard and your dog infection-free. We cover shampoos, skin probiotics, balms, essential oils, and even yeast-eating algae.