Summary: The reason behind itching stems from two main reasons.

Dogs tend to itch for a variety of reasons and sometimes no reason at all. However, the severity of the itching can range depending on a variety of factors. It’s even uncommon for the scratching to be worse at night. Now, every dog has to scratch some time, but when it’s to the point where he’s incessantly scratching, biting, licking, and chewing to the point of wounding himself, then it becomes a symptom of an underlying cause.

The medical term for scratching is known as pruritus. This is the second most common reason why people take their dogs to the vet. Now, the causes can be quite complex but there are essentially two main reasons why the itching occurs: allergies and the condition of the skin.

Dry, Tough Skin

One of the most common causes of itching comes from dry skin. If you live in an area with low humidity, it’s likely your dog will have dry skin, and it’s actually fairly easy to notice as well. Look for flakes of dandruff in his undercoat and tough, dry skin. The slightest bit of stimulation to the skin can provoke your dog to violently scratch until serious damage occurs. The expert breeders at Iron King Kennels believe that by keeping the skin hydrated and healthy, one can minimize the self-harm dogs inflict on themselves.

Allergic Reactions

Another common cause comes from allergies. Allergies tend to make your dog’s skin dry, oily or even greasy. What accompanies this is frequent scratching, biting, and chewing. There are significantly more cases of allergic dogs occurring now than from the past. While the underlying reasons are still uncertain, there are some theories out there with one being the vaccination protocols dogs must undergo as well as poor breeding practices. Whatever the cause may be, allergies are very difficult to address – especially in blue nose pitbulls.