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Beagles/Itchy almost all the time

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Expert: - 7/17/2009


Question

My Princess
My 4 yr old beagle Princess is always itchy and just recently she has been concentrating on the top part of the base of her tail.  She likes to go outside and rub herself in the ground, but she seems to be always itchy, more often than not.  I bought a derma shampoo and she still is always scratching.  I've had a beagle a long time ago, and I think she was the same way, always scratching.  Should I be concerned?  My wife is saying that its her anal sacs I say no, because there is no fishy smell.

Answer
What a cutie Princess is! She reminds me of one of my beagle girls who we unfortunately just had to put to sleep at the age of 15.

Beagles are prone to allergies which is sadly the reason they are used so much for research purposes and cruel experiments but anyway.... there are several things I would recommend.

First off get her on DermCaps which are omega fatty acids and fish oil combined and will not cure her allergies but will promote healthy skin and less susecptibility. They can be obtained the cheapest I have found online through omahavaccine.com and it is something that I recommend for life for a beagle, I have all my dogs on it, beagles or not.

Secondly you need to make sure she doesnt have fleas and has a flea allergy, this is not uncommon. She should be on a monthly flea/tic medication. I use Biospot which can be gotten from omaha vaccine as well but Advantage or any of the others are great too. If she is already on one of these still check to make sure there are no fleas on her. If there are she will need to be deflead a couple times.

Lastly, get some over the counter Benadryl 25 mg. You can give her one a day. This will help a lot to cut down on the itching, if she needs to stay on it it is ok also. If this doesn't eliminate it then she needs to go to the vet as she may need a steroid shot.

From the picture I can acutally see that the skin under her stomach hair is pink which is one of the telltale signs of an allergic beagle, also look to see if the insides of their ears are pink or red. The spot at the top of her tail is probably a "hot spot" and needs to be dealt with asap. If she gets to the point where she breaks the skin it can cause a seoondary infection which will require antibiotics and can be hard to get rid of. You can get an anti-itch salve or lotion from Omaha or your vet.

Her anal sacs actually surround the anus (opening) and while they can cause itching the sign that they are impacted would be dragging her butt outside or along carpet etc. In allergic dogs they are more sensitive. The absence of a fishy smell doesnt mean they are'nt full and not draining well but it would not cause her to chew at the top part of the base of her tail, it would be her actual anus she would lick at. She might have both going on, it is also not unusal for beagles to have anal sac issues ( as with most dogs whose anus' are open and exposed)so this too needs to be evaluated. Your vet can express them or you can llok onlin for instructions on how to do it.

Hope this is helpful, feel free to check back anytime!
    Questioner's Rating
    Rating(1-10)Knowledgeability = 10Clarity of Response = 10Politeness = 10
    CommentI was pleasantly surprised by the quick response to my question. I have did all that was suggested to me and my mind was put at ease just knowing that it could be taken care of with a few things at the pet store. I will administer the products and give it a couple weeks, but all in all my experince was great with the answer I got.


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Have4Paws

Expertise

I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.

Experience

I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.

Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!

Publications
Dog Fancy

Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist

Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.

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