WHEN I was in my first year in practice, six short, hard years after starting university, I met a Maltese Terrier called Squeaky who looked like a bouncing, yapping cloud of candyfloss.
Squeaky’s skin was red and itchy, robbing the tiny tornado of sleep and playfulness.
I had no answers for this little dog literally tearing her hair out in frustration — old drugs, new drugs, diagnostic tests — I turned up nothing.
Finally, the microscope produced the lightbulb moment — a massive overgrowth gave us the clue we needed to treat a yeast allergy.
A decade later I still think of her.
Dogs can itch from fleas, especially in autumn and spring, and other parasites but they’re far from unique.
Many of our prized pooches exhibit genetic predispositions to allergic skin disease, some are food allergic with beef and chicken the most common culprits.
For those who suffer it gets more complex — opportunists like yeasts and bacteria move in, complicating the issue and making treatments less effective.
So, very quickly whilst I’ve got you, here are some good things to know.
Allergies can’t be cured but they can be managed.
If your dog has a problem with their skin, frequent bathing is a must — ask your vet for recommendations on this.
Ensure if your friend is struggling you get help, ideally from someone who knows their way around a microscope.
Be aware of when problems occur, both in time and place.
If at first you don’t succeed try something else! Different protocols and medications can be brilliant for dogs with subtly different needs.
Finally, don’t ignore an itchy friend — that itch, the bad ear, sore bum or painful fold is worth helping.
You might be amazed how much better they feel afterwards — and how much better that will make you feel.
Our new columnist Will Trewarman MRCVS is a senior veterinary surgeon at Vale Veterinary Group which is based in Kidderminster and Stourport.
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