Chronic Itching - Page 7

have you thought if he only does this in the afternoon, he may be just bored some dogs will do this when bored.

He is alone from 9am to 2 pm as i am in hospital. I am a dentist. When i i see him in afternoon i can see his fur lifted on flanks indicating biting

When he is with my company he sleeps and wants love. No itching

I am planning to buy some chews or beef bone or some toys to keep him occupied

My head is spinning from reading this thread!  I am an ExPat and live in the Guadalajara area in Mexico.  Almost 8 years ago I found my beautiful GS female at a local Shelter, rail thin (47 lbs) and very shy, we think she was severely mistreated, estimated to be between 3 and 4 years old.  Tina is a beauty, and I have had many offers for her, and despite her age, people still admire her when we go walking.  At her first vet exam the Vet discovered that she had a tattoo in her ear.  All my inquiries have gone unanswered.  Big problem however, like so many of the dogs described here, she was biting her back and developed large open sores and a very bad smell.  Knowing little about Vets here, I followed their advice and treated her with their various lotions and potions, to no avail.  Not one of them had lab facilities nor offered to do tests, but they all professed to know what was wrong with her.  Finally I found a bilingual vet that immediately ordered lab tests  (E Coli and whatever the thing is that gives cows Mastitis).  We got that cured with various antibiotics till we found one that helped, and she healed up.  Next she was treated for furunculosis secondary to atopy, the skin had thickened where she used to have the lesions, so she got 10 interferon shots plus it was found that she had very low thyroid action.  That is now under control with 1 mg Soloxine daily, but she still has flare ups despite Cefalex antibiotics every 2 days and needs monthly anti inflammatory shots, however she is at the vet before she develops lesions.  It is non-contagious since our other dog is healthy.  They are on Purina Mainstay dog food which I supplement by cooking a whole skinned chicken, debone it, add rice and oatmeal to the broth, lightly steam 1 kg ea. of carrots, broccoli and either Nopal Cactus or green beans. Meat and veggies go through a meat grinder and the whole mess gets shaped into hamburger size paddies.  That gets mixed in  with their dog food with 1 tbsp of corn oil each.  Tina also gets MSM wit Glucosamine and B3 vitamin.  The Vet has never suggested I change their food, and actually, eating has never been a problem with her (30 kg and holding steady).  Her blood test 2 days ago showed normal levels in everything except a slightly elevated bacteria level. 
Sorry to have been so long winded, but I am at my wits ends with my by now very expensive "free" dog and have long debated about posting here.   Anybody have any suggestions?  Thanks

Same suggestion as always - food only accounts for around 10% of allergies in dogs. Try to find a vet to have her skin tested so you can desensitize her. Maybe a vet school? Did her blood work include an eosinophil  count? If it was higher, that's a good indicator that she is battling an allergy of some sort. If normal, then it's probably not an allergy, maybe a chronic bacterial infection the opposite of an allergy where the dog's immune system is underactive. In that case, maybe an autogenous bactrin could help.

It sounds like you might have two (or more) problems going at once.  One, your dog may be bored as he does not scratch much when you are with him.  Beef leg bone sections are the best, long cut if you can find them.  More marrow, harder to access.  Will keep him distracted for a good long time while you are at work. Plus, great for the teeth.  Second is the artificial environment he is living in.  (indoors).  He may have developed hyper-sensitivity to any number of things in his very small environment.   So, never use rawhide or plastic chews.  Anything from a tannery is very toxic.  Stay away from CORN in a dogs diet (or your own for that matter!).  The poster who gave the ingredients of your dog's food included 'maize flour' in the first few ingredients.  That is code for CORN.  Corn is GMO (genetically modified organism) and one of the most heavily dosed crops with herbicides and pesticides.  Add on flea meds and your dog is living in a toxic soup.  Also, whatever his bed is made out of may be treated with flame retardant.  This is highly toxic and could be irritating his skin. 
As far as fleas and treatments go:  Dogs are creatures meant to lie on the ground.  A few fleas are not a problem for them.  Lots of fleas are.  If too many  fleas have him checked for tapeworms.  Only worm if the dog needs it as this is another toxic chemical.  You can use diatomaceous earth (a natural product that is made of microscopic silicate marine life) to sprinkle around cracks in your floor or kennel or where the dog hangs out.  It is non-toxic to mammals, but don't put it directly on the dog.  Flea larvae will die when in contact with diatomaceous earth, breaking their life cycle.  Look for it in a garden center or online.  Lots of gentle brushing might help him as well.  Dead hair is very irritating to a dog.   Shampoos are often loaded with chemicals so the advice to use Dr. Bronner's soap is good if you must wash him often. 
In short, reduce exposure to chemicals, give real bones, no corn, lots of play time and brushing.   Good luck.

If a dog is sensitive to flea saliva, it only takes one flea to start a chain reaction.

If this were my dog and if I couldn't get her skin tested, I would probably make a hypoallergenic homemade diet for her. There are plenty of recipes on the net. The diet must be strickly followed, nothing for her by mouth other than what's in the food.

Hello Cactus:  I would try a gluten free diet with your dog.  You should eliminate all grains, ie corn and rice and oatmeal. Try a grain free, gluten free diet and i am sure the skin irritations will soon clear up. Just my opinion.  Supplement with coconut oil, Vitamin B-12 and vitamin E. Once you clear her system of grains and glutens and start feeding a meat protein first dog food with no corn additives her coat will shine.