A question for Pit Bull owners

My son has a wonderful Pit, who is CONSTANTLY itching and scratching. He does not have mange, or any other skin disorder I can see. It is so bad, yesterday, he was out on the driveway on his back scratching (writhing back and forth like they do on carpet) and wore a friggin' bald spot (thru the skin) on his head!!! Looks like someone took a disk sander to him.
Aside from the fact that the constant scratching annoys the wife (Fuck her, she's gone in a while anyway) I'm worried about the comfort and quality of life of the dog.
I cannot afford to take him to the vet, and really neither can my son, although I have told him that he cannot afford NOT to.
I have been giving him hydroxazine (an antihistamine) for the itching, but I want to know if the breed is susceptible, or more prone to skin conditions or allergies? I'm getting the money together to get him to the vet, but I'm unemployed due to just getting out of jail, and my son has just started his own business and is living with me to keep that going right now.
ANY help or advise from someone who has Pits will be much appreciated.

check his food .. too high in protien will make dogs do that .. my dogs had the same prob, but they arent pitbulls, found out the food was too high in protien for them .. changed food .. itch gone within a week. hope this helps

OK, will do. But my wolf eats the same food. No prob there, but I guess that's comparing apples to oranges.

yep happend to me .. one dog it never affected - husky , the other 2 couldnt stop scratching - retrievers .. changed to a lower protien and the itch went away and for the husky we just add some canned food to get the protien back up for him

'preciate the help!!

My Rottie had an itching problem a few months back and the vet said to try neem oil (like the stuff we use on plants) 6Hrs after using it on her she was fine i just rubbed it in well all over her back and top of her head. it made her coat nice and healthy with a lovely shine.
It's great for skin problems and hair for us humans too not that i've tried... I'm nearly Bald lol...
I bought 1Litre on ebay for £16.99 free p&p.

Thanx. I'll try that as well. No matter what, it can't hurt. Hopefully, that will do it! I called the vet, and she said that even tho we don't see fleas, if he's allergic just one bite can set it off really bad (and it IS really bad), so I made him an appt for fri. I'll just pay the cellular bill late. MAN is this kid gonna owe me. Most of the time, I can see he's my son and am really proud, but sometimes I think that the UPS driver must have snuck in there. LOL (J/K)

My apbt does have more sensitive skin than any of my other hounds.

A few weeks ago i couldn’t have sat here like this as she couldn't sit or lay still on her bed or anywhere else for that matter. Now she is Snoring louder than a Train lol... We never found out what is was that was causing the problem but the Neem defo sorted it out
I Hope your son's lovely pooch will be ok.

Dude, what did the vet say? Seriously dog.

Edit: Now, reading some more posts, I see you contacted the vet. Nice, doggy!

LOL, yeah JonB I did call the vet, but wihout him actually being there, it's just a guess. I didn't want to foot the vet bill, but the Kid has more on his plate now than ever having a new start up business, so I guess if the dog is gonna get some relief, I'm it. And the dog NEEDS some relief.

karma is a great thing bro ..

I wish!! I'll help my boy any way I can to help make his new venture work, AND to keep from seeing the poor thing in misery!!! I have atopic dermatitis, and I KNOW what that itching is like!!!

It sounds like Canine Dermatitis. I'm not a bully owner but I have worked and lived with dogs my entire life. Pits develop dermatitis all the time. Sometimes from fleas, allergies, or over-breeding and bad genetics. Same thing with Labradors.

My suggestion is to check for fleas first. If fleas are found, treat them, vacuum, clean all house surfaces, and bug bomb. You have to eliminate the fleas from the house or they will never go away. If fleas are not found, try changing the dogs food around. Eliminate any table scraps given to the dog. If you are giving him a chicken based dog food try beef, lamb, or fish based foods and vice versa. Also look at the ingredients. The dog could have a gluten, egg, or dairy allergy. If food allergies are not the cause, it could be an airborne allergen. Season changes can also cause dry skin for dogs. Oatmeal baths or olive oil can help relieve the poor guys itching. My last suggestion is letting a groomer handle the bathing and flea dip treatments.



Causes of Dermatitis in Dogs

The causes of canine dermatitis are elusive and can vary widely. Anything that initiates an itch-scratch-itch cycle can cause dermatitis. Known causes include contact with irritating animal, vegetable or chemical substances, exposure to extreme heat, cold or humidity, mechanical irritation, self-trauma, malnutrition, immune-mediated conditions and infectious disease (bacterial, fungal or viral). Allergic reactions to external parasites (fleas, ticks, mites, lice, mosquitoes), and to certain types of foods, grasses, detergents, plants or other environmental allergens, are among the leading causes of dermatitis in dogs. Dermatitis can accompany systemic disease, and genetic factors can also be involved. Sometimes, the underlying cause will never be discovered. In those cases, prescription medications and shampoos may be helpful to reduce the severity of the clinical signs.



Prevention of Dermatitis in Dogs

Canine dermatitis may be preventable depending upon the underlying cause of the condition. For allergic reactions to external parasites, many topical preventatives are available. All companion dogs should be fed a high-quality, well-balanced diet, which can help avoid adverse reactions to poor food ingredients. Medicated shampoos that contain naturally soothing ingredients can also help to prevent itchiness and moisturize skin.

Damn man that doesn't sound too good. I got 2 pits, they scratch a lil but nothing bad. I got a buddy who has a razors edge bully that has kinda of the same issue as ur sons dog. Ill talk to him about it

Hello again Jack. I’ve just been down to a mate's house to ask his Girlfriend about your son's dog
(and she walk's around Half Naked ) (She is Training to be a Vet). And what she told me has just been said by "morgan lynn" above. Nice one Morgan, Good Info Mate. You've just saved me a Load of typing... lol..
Anyway, I told her about the Neem Oil that i used on my dog and she said it would Kill quite a few Parasites,Stop Fleas,Ticks ect. from Breading as well as kill them and is Very Good for Most Skin conditions/complaints that dogs and people get. (I think you will find that it would be good for your Atopic Dermatitis if you want to try a Green Chemical Free Option?)
So if you want to try it? Don't slap loads of it on... you just use a little at a time and massage it in like you would use handcream. Keep it away from his eyes and mouth and Rub Loads into his Balls... Ha Ha Ha No... Only Joking about his Balls lol....
My Mum said my Niece has been using it for years for her Exma and it works Really Well.
Anyway, I Hope some of this will help you and if you want me to go and see my mates GF (YES PLEASE!!!) with a question, just give me a shout mate. In the meantime Good Luck with the little fella.

if i were you, i would try feeding food without grain. grain free is much better, dogs in the wild dont eat corn or wheat. it's probably an allergy to something in the food.

if not, it could be a case of alopecia

is he blue in color? there is something called CDA color dilute alopecia that is common in blue dogs. if he has CDA, it shouldn't bother him, it would jsut cause him to have a thin coat.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16131833?dopt=Abstract

Blue dog warning, direct from a blue bully dog breeder's site: "THE BLUE COAT COLORING IN MOST BREEDS IS ASSOCIATED WITH SKIN PROBLEMS . BLUE COATED DOGS OF ALL BREEDS ARE MORE PRONE TO BACTERIAL, VIRAL, STAPH AND FUNGAL INFECTIONS AS WELL AS VARIOUS FORMS OF DERMATITIS, ALLERGIES, DEMODEX AND COLOR MUTANT ALOPECIA. WHILE SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS ARE HEREDITARY MANY OF THEM ARE SIMPLY THE RESULT OF THE BLUE COAT COLORING. WE AND OUR PARTNER KENNELS HAVE DONE COUNTLESS HOURS OF RESEARCH AND HAD LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS WITH OUT VETS. AS A RESULT OF OUR FINDINGS AND THE OPINIONS OF OUR VETS WE DO NOT GUARANTEE AGAINST ANY SKIN OR COAT PROBLEMS. NOR WILL WE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SKIN AND COAT PROBLEMS THAT ARE COMMON FOR DOGS WITH THE BLUE COLORING. MOST OF THESE COAT PROBLEMS ARE EASILY AND INEXPENSIVLEY TREATED FOR AROUND $50.00. MOST BREEDERS WILL NOT TELL YOU ABOUT THESE COMMON PROBLEMS BUT WE FEEL IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW. WE HAVE SEEN IT PRODUCED IN ALL BLOODLINES AND COLORS BUT MOST COMMONLY IN BLUES OF ALL BLOODLINES AND MANY OTHER BLUE COATED BREEDS. NOT ALL BLUE DOGS WILL BE EFFECTED BY A SKIN PROBLEM BUT YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO TREAT YOUR DOG IN THE EVENT THAT HE DOES. WE WILL NOT KNOWINGLY BREED ANY DOG THAT IS A PRODUCER OF A SKIN DISEASE. THERE IS NO TEST AVAILABLE FOR THESE PROBLEMS PRIOR TO SIGNS OF INFECTION. ADULT DOGS CAN BE CARRIERS AND NOT EVER SHOW SIGNS OF INFECTION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS, PLEASE DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR VET AND RESEARCH IT ONLINE OR ELSEWHERE AS WE HAVE, BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BUY A BLUE DOG OR ONE WITH PARENTS WHO ARE BLUE! WE WILL NOT REPLACE A DOG OR REFUND MONEY ON A DOG PURCHASED FROM US THAT BECOMES EFFECTED BY DEMODECTIC MANGE."

i know about this stuff bc i have a blue dog. i didn't know when i got him.

try changing food first as this is the less expensive of the two. changing a dogs food does a number on their stomach if they're used to one type of food so be ready for stinky farts and soft shits...

then try researching medicated shampoos for dogs. dandruff shampoo does wonders when i get itchy scalp...

Thank everyone for all the answers and support. I really appreciate the responses.

Oh, and Redivider, by all means YES, go ask her again!! (bring a camera this time!!)

http://www.aspca.org/Home/Pet-care/dog-care.aspx
TONS of info on that page.

food is HUGE but i wouldn't go switching it up so fast / often. plus if you switch prematurely and he rejects it now you have a bag that you had a tough time affording the first place.
check out your foods reviews. maybe the DOG is deficient somewhere.
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

if its hot there, dont pour the water on TOP of him when hes warm. cool his underside instead.
Good luck.