Some medications can also be helpful to settle skin inflammation, but these need to be used carefully. Cortisone is commonly over prescribed and this unfortunately carries significant health risks for your pet, and can also make your pet’s skin problems harder to resolve as it makes the skin thinner and shuts down the immune system. This makes skin infections and skin damage much more common, and actually adds to the scratching and itching.

Other treatments such as desensitising vaccines for allergies and medications other than cortisone which will help to control and settle the itch without the side effects (such as atopica or apoquel) are also available.

Always ensure your pets flea control is effective and up to date – fleas may not be the whole problem, but they always make any skin problem much worse. Comfortis is an excellent solution and highly recommended

Use a soap free shampoo appropriate to your pets skin – Pyohex for red and scabby or weepy skin (eg “Hot Spots”), Malaseb for pets whose coat smells musty or “like wet wool”.

Wet the pet to the skin, then apply the shampoo. Work it through the whole coat with a sponge (this is vital) and once you have a lather all over the pet, leave it on their coat for 10 minutes of contact time (this is also vital – use a watch!) Hydrobaths are great for these reasons – contact time and coat penetration

Rinse thoroughly, then squeeze the water from the coat and dry with a towel (avoiding harsh rubbing, especially underneath).

Minimise brushing, and do not blow dry

If you have been advised by us to use a conditioner or moisturiser, apply this to the damp skin and coat, and work through.

Bathing an itchy pet in luke warm water as outlined above often provides some immediate and short term relief, and so we have provided this guide to help you. If the skin irritation or inflammation continues, please contact us for further advice and assistance.