# why is my pitbull keep biting himself and making me itchy



## lilbully (Sep 28, 2010)

Yes I am new here. I want to know why my pit is biting himself constantly so you can see his skin and makes me and my family constantly itchy when none of us are allergic to any type of dog. I have given him flea baths, had him checked at the vets and no one can tell me what is wrong. I want to figure it out because he already had to get a cone put on his head for biting so bad that he made himself bleed and get infections. I got him at 1yr 3months from a guy who never took care of him and this has been happening for over a year now and no one has answers for me and I need to know. I just cant have him lay against me for more than five minutes without getting really itchy or having him constantly bite and scratch himself constantly and now it gets getting so bad that you can barely take him for walks without him stopping every couple of feet just to scratch himself. Please help me


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## Saint Francis (Jun 2, 2010)

I was going to suggest fleas, mange,or food allegies but it sounds like you have seen the vet and checked for that. The fact that you yourself get itchy has to narrow it down a bit. Sorry, I couldn't help For now I would give him some benadryl to relieve him. Do you wash all the flea bath off of him, sometimes the "soap" residue can be harsh on the skin. I don't know, someone will have a better answer. Poor pup


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

What type of tests and treatments has your vet offered? I would think that it is fleas when you bathe him do you wash all his bedding, your bedding do you treat the house? If you are not doing all that you will never get rid of fleas. If you have carpet you can pt a flea collar in the bag the vaccuum then get rid of the bag.


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## lilbully (Sep 28, 2010)

He has been given flea baths everything in the house gets washed and bombed,hes been checked for fleas and doesn't have them. I even had to take him to mass after being down there for 2 weeks because he got his back infected so I know it's not fleas or ticks because he has been checked for that but I haven't had his skin scrapped yet to see if there was anything else the vets so far have said they can't figure it out and I am not to happy about it. I just want to know what to do?


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## jayandlacy (Sep 21, 2009)

could be mange? been tested for mange?? Even if he has he could still have from what I have read from other threads. You could also be affected by some forms of mange as well since it is a mite....IDK exactly what I'm talking bout, but I do know that mange could be an issue from reading things on here all the time. It could be an allergy if it was just him itching, but, if you guys are itchy too I would say it is some sort of something else like fleas or mange, but I'm leaning towards mange with all the flea stuff. Why don't you put him on a mthly flea preventative or something like Frontline? The vacuuming with a flea collar in the vacuum works great too for rooms with carpet. And yes all of his stuff does need to be washed when you do flea treatment.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

It is Sarcoptic Mange I guarantee you, it will come up negative in most scrapping and the only way you can tell for sure is multiple skin biopsies. No need to do expensive work ups just treat for it and it should go away. Sarcoptic Mange is VERY contagious to humans and dogs, it is a mite that burrows under the skin and why skin scraping come up negative when you only scratch the surface, they are buried under several layers of skin. You need to treat the dog and treat the family and it will take several weeks to get rid of it. I had it in my whole kennel once and it is a PAIN in the BUTT but stick with the treatments and don't stop even if you stop itching. You need to break the life cycle of the mite.

To treat the dog.... Read all info on this bottle it is very toxic if not used correctly
You need to buy Prolate and dip your dog every other day, make sure not to get it in the eyes, nose, or mouth of the dog. What I do is the first time is give the dog a bath to get all the dirt off so they do not smell like wet dog, then have your bucket of Prolate and water mix (do this before you bathe the dog so it is ready, mix it with warm water) ready and use a wash cloth to get the mix and help put it all over the dog. Pay special attention to where the dog is itching and soak the dog well. For the face just wet the wash cloth and ring it out a bit and wipe it on the face do not get in the eye, nose, or mouth. You only need to mix about a gallon of the mix each time and the directions for mixing is on the bottle. After the first dip you should not have the bathe the dog every time you dip them, you do not want to dry out the coat more than it will be by the dipping. Dip the dog every other day for 2 weeks. Oh I almost forgot, when the dog is done you can let the extra drip off for a bit then lightly towel off but do not dry off completely you want the dip to stay on the dog and dry in it's own. I just put a towel in the dogs crate and put them in there pretty wet, then in about 20 min they are dry.

to but the prolate
Prolate, 1 qt - Insecticides - Lambert Vet Supply

You can also get Ivermectine orally but the dip should be good enough to get the job done. if you want to treat with ivermectine I need the weight of your dog and I can give you a link of where to get it.

Treatment for you
Get lice shampoo from your drug store ( the kind you use if your kids bring home lice from school) and use the shampoo as a body wash and let it sit on your body for 10 min before rinsing off. Do this twice a week for 2 weeks.

here is more info
Sarcoptic Mange


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## Saint Francis (Jun 2, 2010)

performanceknls said:


> It is Sarcoptic Mange I guarantee you, it will come up negative in most scrapping and the only way you can tell for sure is multiple skin biopsies. No need to do expensive work ups just treat for it and it should go away. Sarcoptic Mange is VERY contagious to humans and dogs, it is a mite that burrows under the skin and why skin scraping come up negative when you only scratch the surface, they are buried under several layers of skin. You need to treat the dog and treat the family and it will take several weeks to get rid of it. I had it in my whole kennel once and it is a PAIN in the BUTT but stick with the treatments and don't stop even if you stop itching. You need to break the life cycle of the mite.
> 
> To treat the dog.... Read all info on this bottle it is very toxic if not used correctly
> You need to buy Prolate and dip your dog every other day, make sure not to get it in the eyes, nose, or mouth of the dog. What I do is the first time is give the dog a bath to get all the dirt off so they do not smell like wet dog, then have your bucket of Prolate and water mix (do this before you bathe the dog so it is ready, mix it with warm water) ready and use a wash cloth to get the mix and help put it all over the dog. Pay special attention to where the dog is itching and soak the dog well. For the face just wet the wash cloth and ring it out a bit and wipe it on the face do not get in the eye, nose, or mouth. You only need to mix about a gallon of the mix each time and the directions for mixing is on the bottle. After the first dip you should not have the bathe the dog every time you dip them, you do not want to dry out the coat more than it will be by the dipping. Dip the dog every other day for 2 weeks. Oh I almost forgot, when the dog is done you can let the extra drip off for a bit then lightly towel off but do not dry off completely you want the dip to stay on the dog and dry in it's own. I just put a towel in the dogs crate and put them in there pretty wet, then in about 20 min they are dry.
> ...


:goodpost: Way to be "Johnny on the spot" with the info Lisa!!! At least it was one of my guesses


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## jayandlacy (Sep 21, 2009)

Yeah Lisa!!! Thats what I thought but I'm just soooo unable to put it into words like you!!! I don't know all of the tech. terms and all, nor all the know how!


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

The sad thing is Sarcoptic mange is so hard to diagnose that is goes untreated for long periods of time and the dogs just suffer. Many vets don't even test or think of Sarcoptic mange they only look for Demodex. If the Demodex is negative then they just blame allergies. Humans are not ideal hosts so sometimes humans will never get the mite so they think it cannot be Sarcoptic mange. It is easy to treat at home without spending a ton of money at the vets and if that does not work then you look at allergies and do all the testing. The second you say ppl are itching...... it can only be one thing.... Dun Dun Dun..... scabies! lol
Having all 18-20 dogs at the time get it and both of us.... all I can say is sorry I know how you feel and here is the treatment!


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## Aczdreign (Jun 15, 2010)

performanceknls said:


> Having all 18-20 dogs at the time get it and both of us...


...Brutal.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

Aczdreign said:


> ...Brutal.


Oh you have no idea! lol
It took about 2 months to completely get rid of it on the dogs and I had to dip the dogs every other day.... that is a lot of friggin dogs! :hammer: I never want to go through that nightmare again and it was all due to this poor little rescue we took in. Someone had tied him up in a bag and left him in the metal bed of a pick up truck in the 103 degree heat. He was burning to death and I stole him out of the back of the truck, took him out of the sack and he had almost no hair and full of ticks. Well he had sarcoptic mange is why he had no hair! Anyway long story short he made a full recovery and was a great dog we found a great home for, we just suffered along the way. :rofl:


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## lilbully (Sep 28, 2010)

Last time he was weighed about 2 months ago he was 64 lbs but I don' think that is accurate anymore with him still growing. So it is safe to use on dogs and how much do I put in the water to dip him?


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

lilbully said:


> Last time he was weighed about 2 months ago he was 64 lbs but I don' think that is accurate anymore with him still growing. So it is safe to use on dogs and how much do I put in the water to dip him?


the prolate will give you mixing direction on the bottle for each gallon you make, you only need to make a gallon at a time. Do not store the extra mix make it fresh every time you dip the dog. It is very safe to use on dogs you just have to make sure not to get it in the nose, eyes, or mouth.

If he is 64lbs then I would give him 1cc of Ivermectin twice a week. You will need a syringe to pull the Ivermectin out of the bottle but give it orally do not inject it. Injecting it SubQ can be painful and it is horrible to see your dog scream for 2 min till the burning stops. Just draw out 1 cc and either put it on top of food when you feed or just open the mouth and shoot it in the back of the mouth. It tastes really bitter and the dog might drool a bit but then they are fine.

Dosing according to Plumb's Drug Handbook: 
Typical dose is 400-600 mcg/kg by mouth every 24 hours. 
10lbs is 4.55 kg. Thus the daily dose is 1820 to 2730 mcg. 
Typical Ivermectin is 10,000mcg/ml
so that puts your dose at about 1cc or 1ml of Ivermectin

Many vets will say to do it everyday but since you are dipping the dog I am a bit more conservative and I would give it orally twice a week. With treating it internally and externally your chances of clearing it up quickly increase. Good luck let us know how it goes.

You can order it online when you get the prolate or get it at a feed store. here is the cheaper generic brand
Ivermectin Injectable, 50 ml - Wormers - Lambert Vet Supply

here is the most common brand you will see
Ivomec 1% Dual, (Inj) 50 ml - Wormers - Lambert Vet Supply


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## luvmypits (Aug 4, 2011)

I've got a rednose at about 80 lbs and a brindle at about 55 lbs. Can you help me with dosages for them? They've been itching for a long time and all they can say is allergies. Now I'm itching too! We've got to try something.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

luvmypits said:


> I've got a rednose at about 80 lbs and a brindle at about 55 lbs. Can you help me with dosages for them? They've been itching for a long time and all they can say is allergies. Now I'm itching too! We've got to try something.


1 CC of ivermectin for the 55 lbs dog and I would do about 1.3 cc for your larger dog and then follow the rest of the info in the thread.

I would like some more info though to make sure that is what it is.
When you are itching is it just a itch or is it driving you nuts?

If it is sarcoptic mange you can go to the drug store and get some lice shampoo for people and use that to soap up your body from head to toe ( I had to use 2 bottles) and sit with it on for about 10 min then rinse. That should take care of it.


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## luvmypits (Aug 4, 2011)

The itching gets pretty intense on my forearms and hands. Doesn't really drive me nuts though. My big girl itches the area between her eyes so much she's giving herself sores and the little one has some scabs on her chest.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

Have they been to the vet for a skin scraping? How long has this been going on?


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

luvmypits said:


> The itching gets pretty intense on my forearms and hands. Doesn't really drive me nuts though. My big girl itches the area between her eyes so much she's giving herself sores and the little one has some scabs on her chest.


I always say if it looks like mange, itches like mange then treat for it. I would start treatment right away and this thread has some good info too. It also talks about treating yourself for the mite. Make sure to treat all dogs in the house even if they show no symptoms.

http://www.gopitbull.com/health-nut...infect-carpets-couch-etc-sarcoptic-mange.html



Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> Have they been to the vet for a skin scraping? How long has this been going on?


Because she is itching too (the human lol) I would call it sarcoptic mange and not waste money on a skin scraping since they really cannot diagnose that way anyway. It can also flare up and come and go and why many vets with negative skin scrapings will just call it allergies. The sure sign it is sarcoptic is when the people start to itch.


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

Yes, if the owner is scratching then it most likely is sarcoptic. Or, it could just be mental on the owners part that they feel itchy  that happened to me when we figured out that Bella had mange. My arms were itchy and it felt like my skin was crawling even though she had demo. Lol!


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

lol that is why I asked how intense the itching was!


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## EL CUCO (Jul 25, 2011)

performanceknls said:


> lol that is why I asked how intense the itching was!


Lisa! u r my freggin hero, APBT wonder woman!!!

..u got this on LOCK!! :thumbsup:


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## Blue_Nose_Bella (Jan 16, 2011)

NoWuCmEnOwU... said:


> Lisa! u r my freggin hero, APBT wonder woman!!!
> 
> ..u got this on LOCK!! :thumbsup:


She is the APBT health guru! She doesn't know it yet but she is my mentor as I am learning so much from her! I know some things but this chick is a book of knowledge  she is helping me become a mange master lmao! !


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

NoWuCmEnOwU... said:


> Lisa! u r my freggin hero, APBT wonder woman!!!
> 
> ..u got this on LOCK!! :thumbsup:


lol well sometimes like Shanon said you have this mental thing about your dog having bugs or thinking they do and then you start to itch! It's all in the mind! I had to keep telling her no you do not have demo the itching is in your head! lol



Blue_Nose_Bella said:


> She is the APBT health guru! She doesn't know it yet but she is my mentor as I am learning so much from her! I know some things but this chick is a book of knowledge  she is helping me become a mange master lmao! !


I use to be a vet tech but it has been many years now and from having so many dogs you learn a lot. If I would not have had a sarcoptic mange outbreak I would be clueless! I also was misdiagnosed by several vets and had to do research on my own to find a cure and what our kennel had. I also learn a lot from others. i do not know it all and room time to time I am just wrong! lol Like I just got spanked by Bulldoc the vet for giving wrong info! oops! If I don't know for sure I try to look it up before I say anything and even my source I found online was wrong so oops I felt DUMB!! 

We have some great people on this board and I wish Deb was around more she is still a vet tech and I have learned a ton from her! Her user name is Geisthexe and she is the bomb! lol She makes me feel like a newbie sometimes  I like helping others and since I have experience with a lot I feel like it is important to share it to help others. The problem is many times vets confuse people or are not great vets and it makes it hard to help out if the vet is saying one thing (and the dog is not getting better) and you try to suggest something else, the owner feels like the vet went to school so they should know better right? That is the way it should be but unfortunately not all vets are great and give bad advice or are looking to take your money. UGH sorry that is OT! lol


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## EL CUCO (Jul 25, 2011)

performanceknls said:


> lol well sometimes like Shanon said you have this mental thing about your dog having bugs or thinking they do and then you start to itch! It's all in the mind! I had to keep telling her no you do not have demo the itching is in your head! lol
> 
> I use to be a vet tech but it has been many years now and from having so many dogs you learn a lot. If I would not have had a sarcoptic mange outbreak I would be clueless! I also was misdiagnosed by several vets and had to do research on my own to find a cure and what our kennel had. I also learn a lot from others. i do not know it all and room time to time I am just wrong! lol Like I just got spanked by Bulldoc the vet for giving wrong info! oops! If I don't know for sure I try to look it up before I say anything and even my source I found online was wrong so oops I felt DUMB!!
> 
> We have some great people on this board and I wish Deb....


i remember wen i 1st got on board..those were the 2 names dat stood out to me...Lisa n Deb  ..there are a few others on here that know their stuff as well. everybody is very helpfull. one day ima b 1 of those too lol 

btw...me and Shanon are going to da same school cuz u have bcum my mentor too lol


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## Firehazard (Dec 4, 2009)

IF... *IF*.. its not sarcoptic aka scabies..

your simply allergic to his hair.. many APBTs have a strange course hair that is itchy.. Hoagie was that way.. No mange here.. LOL just used a softened shampoo and you can use a variety of oatmeal shampoos .. tail and mane is the best JMO.


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## luvmypits (Aug 4, 2011)

The itching is not going to push me over the edge and it comes and goes. I do have more problems if they haven't been bathed for awhile. Gonna give the medication a shot and see how it goes.

They have both been scraped but awhile ago. And nothing was found so the vet is falling back on allergies. We have the no-grain food and I add fish oil and yucca to it but nothing seems to really slow the itching on the dogs down. They've itched for 2 years at least. Sometimes bad and sometimes not but consistently.

You guys are great! So glad I found you. Little pit is in trouble at the moment. Had an altercation with a strangers cat.


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## performanceknls (Apr 4, 2009)

luvmypits said:


> The itching is not going to push me over the edge and it comes and goes. I do have more problems if they haven't been bathed for awhile. Gonna give the medication a shot and see how it goes.
> 
> They have both been scraped but awhile ago. And nothing was found so the vet is falling back on allergies. We have the no-grain food and I add fish oil and yucca to it but nothing seems to really slow the itching on the dogs down. *They've itched for 2 years at least.* Sometimes bad and sometimes not but consistently.
> 
> You guys are great! So glad I found you. Little pit is in trouble at the moment. Had an altercation with a strangers cat.


This makes me think it is not sarcoptic mange, if it was all their hair would have fallen out. It can be allergies like seasonal but we might need some more info. Your itching could be more like what Stan was saying where you are allergic to the dogs. I have several dog who I am allergic too they make me itch like crazy when they lay on me. If you had scabies you would know it, you would itch yourself till you bleed.


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## dominic (Aug 16, 2011)

I firmly agree that Ivermectin does a tremendous amount of mite killing and I have noticed no side affects from using it on my dog.. Along with a healthy diet your dogs GOLDEN....


Also BENEDRYL...Really keeps the itching down....


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## xilley (Nov 28, 2012)

Hi Guys, I m new here just signed up as I have a question about this as well..

hope OP dont mind me asking this on your thread.

I have 4 dogs in the house 2 are my moms westies and 2 are my bullies.

the dogs do come in contact atleast 2-3 times a day, but for some reason I m not itching when I cuddle with the westies.

but as soon as I touch my bullies, I ll start itching like no tomorrow.. it will stop after a quick rinse with water or it just stops after about 5 minutes of itching.

my female bully did have mange but it was treated with ivomec.

I bathe her reguarly with oatmeal from the vet.

my male bully didnt get mange (or atleast I dont think so.. since no hair loss) but I m still reacting the same towards him.

now this is the part that gets on me.. me and my mom have the exact same reactions but my girlfriend on the other hand could cuddle and do whatever with the bullies and shes perfectly fine.. 

I ve been trying to find a solution for this but nothing seems to work.. I ve switched their diet to lamb and salmon instead of chicken.
I bathe them with oatmeal.

any help.. would be much appreciated !

Thanks alot guys and girls !


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