itching

[mrdermot]

i have a 18month old staffie and just recently whenever he licks me or has been around me i begin to itch i come up in bumps that look like nettle stings. he doesn't have fleas has anybody any idea what could be the problem?

[kita1]

You could be slightly allergic to him or his whiskers.

I get a similar thing with my dog if his whiskers touch my skin, I think maybe they pierce the skin slightly and cause a reaction. It usually goes within a short time. I sometimes put Savlon on it to cool it (but that often makes him sniff round where I have put the cream!!).

Thankfully it has never got any worse - no way am I ever going to avoid dogs!!!

[leelapops]

Awww mrdermot, ouch! Maybe you are a little allergic. Some calamine, or like kita says, a little savlon, should do the job if it isn't serious. You could see the doc for a more long term solution if it persists or worsens.

One of my worries when I got my first dog was if I would be allergic, but that said I would bathe hourly in antiseptic as long as it meant I could keep him! There's no way I would do without!

[lankeela]

It is possible he is suffering from something called cheyletiella mites, also known as walking dandruff as they resemble tiny flakes of white dandruff moving about. They irritate and can cause an itchy rash in humans. Not everyone is affected by them, some people could come into contact with the dog and not be affected others could merely walk past and start itching.

Details here:

http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/cheyle tiella.htm

Get your vet to do a skin scrape and if it is this he will give you some shampoo to treat him with.