Dog scratching or scooting? Here's what you can do about it
MIAMI - If you have noticed your dog is scratching or scooting across the floor, it might be time to make a trip to the veterinarian. Allergy season is here, and visits to the vet to combat the issues allergies cause, are on the rise.
CBS News Miami spoke with dog owners and a local veterinarian about what they are seeing and what can be done about it.
Christine Birch says, "I took her to the vet. She was a little bit itchy. They said maybe it's food, maybe it's the environment." Carlos Giraldo experienced something similar. "The last three months or so, allergies have started. She's licking her paws and going at her ear."
Dr. Alyssa Dayton, the medical director at the Humane Society in Broward County says, "Spring season even in Florida, we don't get much of a weather change as other places, but as the spring season comes on the pollen goes up and we see a lot of dogs getting itchy that aren't itchy other times of the year."
In a recent report, pet insurance company Nationwide, said allergy claims were up 45% at the start of this year. That's not something that surprised Dr. Dayton.
"What people notice so much is the itching, the chewing at themselves, the red skin really any of those things because it's such an active behavior they see, so it makes them go to the vet really quickly. And there are other symptoms to watch out for as well. Red, inflamed, or infected skin. Excessive shedding. Scooting around the floor. Waxy ears or ear infections, coughing and sneezing."
Christine Birch and Carlos Giraldo have had to take their pets to the vet for treatment.
"They gave her some doggy Benadryl and a shampoo to keep on her for 10 minutes. Which, good luck with that! She's a beagle" Birch told CBS News Miami. Giraldo said, "We've had to go to the vet and get new medicine."
Dr. Dayton says, "A lot of vets will start with tropical first stuff like mouse between the toes or medicated shampoos. You can also use allergy meds on dogs. All of those have dosing for animals as well. It can progress." And that leads to more suffering for some dogs.
"The ears are getting ear infection and you can smell it in the evening. The biting under the paws, and it's not normal. It's been happening on the rise. We just got back from South Georgia and there were no effects there."
Sometimes simple treatments are not enough and Dr. Dayton says that's when immuno-therapy and steroids are considered better help for dogs to stop scratching.