Is there anything I can do or give to help my bitch that is nursing and very very itchy ?? I feel so sorry for her..

I think before you give her anything you need to know WHY she is itching. Is she scratching everywhere or just one area of her body? Notice any localized swelling? How old are her pups? How long has she been itchy? What is her Temp? Has she really started to shed? I would say a trip or call to the Vet would be in order before any Meds on a nursing bitch. Good luck.

pups one week old...she is starting to shed...she is scratching everywhere, especially tummy and legs. temp normal...haven't changed food...going to try a nice bath with aloe to see if that will give her some relief...Don't really want to take her to vets office as she could bring something back to pups..will call tomorrow to see if vet has any ideas..Was hoping someone could help with ideas...

Rinse her in cool water with a little bath oil added, then clean off her teats well before you put her back in with pups. If you don't have any bath oil, use some olive oil, just a little bit in a tub of cool water. Don't use a blowdryer just towel dry. Make sure your whelping box is not over 72 degrees.

Got a bottle of epi-soothe a few years ago. It ended up under the kitchen sink. One day, when I was in a huge hurry and I was looking like Phyllis Diller, I gave myself with a quick shampoo in the kitchen sink. Didn't give it a whole lot of thought, until it dawned on me how nice my scalp felt. Bet your girl would love it.

Fish Oil may help some. It's a good thing for mother and puppies, either way.

Mike

Warm water rinse with a zoom groom all over. I wouldn't put any kind of oil on her. An oatmeal shampoo wouldn't hurt. The warm water and brushing will help remove the loose fur that's irritating her. Have you ever had a haircut where the small pieces of hair fall under your collar? Pretty irritating. She's starting to blow her coat and the loose hair is irritating her.

Have you checked her for fleas? One flea bite can cause a dog to itch for several weeks....Just a thought.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful ideas. I am going to bath and brush her tomorrow..Did check for fleas..none.... I do have cats so she could have been bitten..I think she losing a lot of her coat which could be a big part of the problem..Will let you know which of thses ideas help her...

What's the temp in the room where she is with her babies? Is there a heat lamp running? (Before everyone rushes in to scream about heat lamps, it was just a question, furthermore, my house is so cool with A/C running, that I often keep a heat lamp on LOW, (the kind with both settings) hung way high, minimum 42", in one corner of the large whelping box). If mom is feeling the dryness from a lamp, she could be itchy. If she was normally outside in more humid weather, then has come into A/C, which removes the humidity, and she's blowing coat,that could be itchy. Even the body heat from the babies can make her warm.

Other issues could include her own hormones changing, I have a female who my vet believes reacts to her changing hormones. Plus, her diet has had a marked change, cleaning up after them, that could bother her a bit. And while many aren't aware, dogs can be allergic to other dogs saliva, and of course, she's exposed to the babies' saliva.

Here's hoping that some of the calming, holistic suggestions here help. I have had bitches who get itchy when I'm weaning them, nothing specific, just a generalized dryness of coat and minor itch, while they're drying up. My vet said they see it a lot as these girl's hormones are changing, and once spayed, they don't see it again.

Good luck with your girl. Nothing worse than worrying about anything, when you've got babies.

I'm thinking fleas. You can't always find them but they are there! AND if you have cats, especially the indoor/outdoor variety, you have fleas. BTW cats do not scratch at fleas the way dogs do. I guess they are too cool to show any signs of discomfort.

Called my vet and she also thinks it is fleas since i do have indoor cats..Can't find a darn flea on mom or pups. But the vet said all it takes is one bite from a flee to set off the itchy...Mommy had frontline 5 weeks ago ... Vet ordered some flea meds that are oral and she feels it is safe for mom and pups..this should help right away...I did the oatmeal shampoo and it helped all of two hrs...Will let you know if this works..I feel so sorry for my girl...