Itching and rash around the neck

[Basenjimamma]

Otis has been scratching his neck too lately and I just noticed last night that he seems to be blowing his coat ..again..mainly the white fur, more so then the brindle, is that common.?
Could Chance be getting dry and itchy due to winter, I know you are in Cali, but maybe the weather gets drier in the winter, more heat on in the house or something?

[AJs Human]

I'm kind of coming in late on this, but I don't recall anyone asking what kind of collar it is you use on Chance or whether he gets itchy only when he wears it. I had a cat once who was allergic to nylon collars. They drove her nuts. I played the devil finding a natural leather cat collar for her with the stretchy escape loop, but once it was on her, she stopped itching altogether.

I know normally one wouldn't want to put a collar on a cat, but I lived off base in Germany at the time and wanted her to be able to get home if she ever got out. It worked, too.

[renaultf1]

When Ruby got a few fleas this fall, I bathed her with Virbac Epi-Soothe and I used an all natural Oatmeal/Tea Tree Oil spray to soothe her skin after the fleas were killed. It really helped stop her itching.

Granted that won't fix anything regarding the allergy, but it might give Chance some temporary relief from the itching (the spray especially - I used it 3x per day) while you figure out what he is allergic to.

[Alex]

Good point about the collar. We are going to wash and are keeping it off for now.

[AJs Human]

How's Chance's neck looking?

[Alex]

We have switched the food and take his collar off when he is at home. He seems to be doing a bit better but still itching his neck.

[BART]

Haven't had to use them for Arleigh but had to a few times for Bisquit. they're for 'hot spots'…."DermaCare" and "Relief". Both from the vet (Dr. Tracey Leonard) and worked great. Sometimes we can't figure out what causes those "hot spots" they just are....as a human I have also experienced this. Hives on my legs and arms, went to the urgent care, they gave me a shot and a prescription strength Benadryl 'script. Never did figure out why.....hadn't happened before and never since, go figure?

[Alex]

Chance had a bad experience with benadryl, the one time we gave it to him several years ago. A very small dose made it hard for him to breathe. So we have not given it to him since then.

We will try the relief cream, but he tends to roll on the floor anytime something smelly is put on him, plus Kiya likes to lick it off immediately as well off of him. As you can tell we are having a tough time with this.

[wizard]

I would still consider the collar issue as contributing factor - if the collar is not the real cause it could be aggrevating the real cause. Could also be dry skin - there are some natural skin lotions for dog (can't remember the name of the one I used last year).

[AJs Human]

If he still wears the same collar and it is the culprit, it will irritate already raw skin and prevent complete healing. I know the holidays are usually tight for everyone, but perhaps finding a (maybe no-so-stylish) collar made of a completely different material and without dyes would stop the cycle. That's what eventually worked for Elvira, my cat. If it is confined to one spot where there an item directly touches the skin on a regular basis, it sounds more like contact dermatitis to me. Any creams may exacerbate the situation. If it was a food allergy, I would expect a more widespread problem.

I would suggest, if he wears a cloth or nylon collar, get a natural leather collar with stainless steel loops rather than coated brass. Since colorful nylon and cloth seem to be the rage right now, it may be a little more difficult to find. The payoff is the leather collar will last much longer than cloth or nylon.

If it is felt a cream or ointment must be used, break open a Vitamin E capsule and rub the goo on his rash. It is odorless and if Kiya feels she must be Little Miss Nursemaid, the Vitamin E will benefit her as well.