Itchy Pets.

Itching can be a common problem in pets and can occur for a variety of reasons. It can have a significant effect on a pet’s quality of life. If your pet is itchy you may see the scratching, licking or biting themselves. Itching is a common clinical sign of many skin disorders and is one of the most common reasons for owners to seek veterinary advice.

Itching can have a number of different causes with require different treatments. Flea allergy dermatitis, seasonal allergies, food allergies and mites are some of the most common causes of itching.

Over grooming which can be common in cats may be another sign of skin disease or it may be related to a behavioural issue. If your cat is over grooming it would be best to have them checked over by a vet to see if there is skin disease or if there could be a behavioural issue occurring such as stress or anxiety.

Diagnosing the cause of itching can be challenging and sometimes frustrating for owners and for vets. Diagnosis may require several tests and treatments, which might include skin scrapes and cytology which look for the presence of external parasites or bacteria using a microscope.

Some skin conditions will be resolved easily with a single treatment but other may not be resolved so easily and may require life long treatment to control the condition. This can happen with some skin allergies.

You can speak to one of our vets today if you are concerned your pet may be scratching too much or have skin disease.