So last week, the dog was itchy. Really Itchy. So itchy he would stop mid retrieve to chew his leg.
My wife ended up taking him to the vet, who diagnosed an "environmental allergy, with secondary bacterial infection. He prescribed Zyrtec, antibiotics, and a special shampoo. The bacterial infection was from him irritating his skin. The only things that have differed from our routine are; a romp in the mud and puddles in a runoff area behind the house, the first swim of the year in the river, and a fresh bag of food.
The itching began 3 days after playing in the runoff area, and two days after the trip to the river and the new bag of food. The itching is confined to legs (knees/elbows mostly), belly, and his junk. He didn't show any redness for a few days, until the scratching/chewing began to irritate him. No sign of fleas.
The run off area is where we normally run our marks in heavy cover. The river was the same as it always is, although maybe muddier than the hunting season, and there was two herds of horses in the area. The food was the same brand (blue buffalo wilderness, chicken), but the kibble looked to be larger than in the past.
We don't get a lot of rain here so the mud and puddles is something we haven't had in the past. He is not itching behind the ears, the back, or the tail all which got wet in the river. Blue buffalo doesn't appear to have changed its recipe.
He seems to be improving slowly.
Any thoughts or recommendations? The vet recommended washing him after working in the water, but I am worried about stripping the oils out of his coat. BTW he is a 2 year old Toller.