Itchy and Scratchy Pets

Itching and scratching are the two most irritating activities that every pet-owner despises. Just imagine you have to wake up in the middle of the night on the sound of your pooch or kitty scratching the behind of their ears. Isn’t it annoying? But why this behavior is happening when your pet is trained and well-behaved. This action of the pets must be taken into account that something is wrong. Several factors (environmental, food and many more) reflect this behavior in the pets.

Major causes are as defined below:

Allergy: Allergic reactions in the pets are the major cause of scratching. Allergies can be triggered by any of the allergens, which may vary from food to plants and to other matters present in the surroundings. Pets can also undergo seasonal allergies every year and may wind up scratching their body causing uneasiness to both themselves and the parents.  Food allergies are depicting that the pet is not comfortable with the intake of a certain ingredient served to him.

Parasites: The largest cause of the scratching and itching and causing discomfort to their own body is parasitic invasion. Parasites like fleas, ticks, mites, lice bother the pets a lot. These small but pesky insects causes skin diseases due to excessive scratches. Mange is also a parasite that is responsible for skin disease and hair loss in pets.

Dry skin: Sometimes when you out of excess care for the pet bathe him a lot or excessively clean and groom him, it may lead to depletion of essential oils and nutrients present in their coat. The dry skin and coat makes the pets scratch frequently which is not a healthy sign for skin maintenance. Other factors also play a vital role in this cause like weather changes, lack of certain nutrients etc.

Hot spots: Excess heat is a responsible factor for skin irritation and scratching. Even a minor cut, wound, or abrasion is a perfect site for a hot spot to form. Hot spots can be caused by external injuries or by too much biting or scratching at skin. Pus, bleeding, and matted hair is a result of excessive scratching and biting causing a hot spot.

Boredom and stress: Anxiety in pets is an acknowledged problem. Out of boredom or loneliness, even pets exhibit certain reactions like itching, excessive licking, chewing and other self-destructive behaviors.