Question
My 7 months old Golden Retriever hybrid keeps scratching herself. I already applied fleas and ticks material, and she definitely doesn't have either.
Any ideas?
Answer
There are a few possible causes, but a fairly straightforward possibility is Atopic Dermatitis. It's a chronic, non-contagious, skin irritation caused by hypersensitivity to pollens, molds, dust mites, and other allergens. So, basically, an allergy. This problem is more prevalent in dogs than cats, though not exactly common in either case. In the United States, the golden retriever has a predilection for this issue.
Physically, which bears out based on the exam you mentioned, there isn't necessarily a lot of evidence. Lesions can be none at all, to broken hairs, to much more obvious. The onset is usually relatively mild, but can get worse with age. Signs of this issue include itching, scratching, rubbing, and licking.
So... given that there's not a lot of physical evidence, your means to confirmation is allergy tests. These are available and treatments, should this be a positive match, can range from removal of allergen, to modified diets, to several drug regimens as needed.
In any event, as has been mentioned, you should get her into a vet to have this checked. Ideally, you want to see if you can find a vet that specializes in animal dermatology. Even if the issue isn't an allergy, a vet with solid experience in that area is probably going to have a better chance of diagnosing this issue over a more general practitioner.
Answered By - Joanne C