Golden Retriever Allergies and Itchy Skin: Causes, Signs and What Your Vet Will Do

Itchy skin is one of the most common reasons goldens visit the vet. It can be miserable for your dog and exhausting for you, with scratching at night, licking paws, red ears and hot spots. Allergies are a leading cause, but not the only one, so a vet visit is the first step.

This guide is general education, not a diagnosis. Please see your vet for itching that lasts more than a few days or comes with sores, odor or ear problems.

Common signs

• Scratching, chewing or licking, especially paws, belly, armpits and groin
• Rubbing the face or ears on the floor
• Red, irritated or darkened skin
• Recurrent ear infections (ear infections)
• Hot spots (hot spots)
• Hair loss or thinning
• Greasy, flaky or smelly skin
• Sometimes vomiting or loose stool with food allergies

Main causes

Cause	What it is	Clues
Environmental allergy (atopy)	Reaction to pollen, dust mites, molds	Often seasonal at first, then year-round. VCA notes it typically starts in young dogs
Flea allergy	Reaction to flea saliva	Intense itching at the base of the tail, even from one bite
Food allergy or intolerance	Reaction to a food ingredient, often a protein	Year-round itching, ears, and sometimes digestive signs
Contact allergy	Reaction to a shampoo, plant or cleaning product	Irritation where the skin touched it
Skin infections	Bacterial or yeast, often secondary to allergy	Odor, redness, scabs, pimples
Other	Mange mites, hormonal disease, pain	Your vet can test

Goldens are among the breeds commonly affected by allergic skin disease, along with many others.

What your vet may do

1. Exam and history. When did it start? Where is the itch? Season? Diet changes?
2. Rule out parasites. Fleas, mites and other skin parasites. Your vet may recommend year-round flea control.
3. Check for infection. Skin or ear cytology to look for bacteria and yeast.
4. Food trial. If a food allergy is suspected, your vet may recommend a strict elimination diet for several weeks, using a prescribed diet and no treats or extras. This is the standard way to diagnose food allergy.
5. Allergy testing. Skin or blood tests can help choose immunotherapy (allergy shots or drops) for environmental allergies.
6. Treatment. May include medications to control itch and inflammation, medicated shampoos, treatment of infections, omega-3 fatty acids and allergen management.

What you can do at home (with your vet’s OK)

• Bathe with a gentle shampoo or the medicated product your vet recommends. See shampoo guide.
• Wipe paws and belly after walks to remove pollen.
• Keep fleas away with a vet-approved preventive.
• Wash bedding weekly.
• Keep your dog lean. Extra weight can make skin fold irritation worse. See weight guide.
• Keep a diary of itch level, food, season and treatments.

What not to do

• Don’t switch foods repeatedly. It makes diagnosing a food allergy harder.
• Don’t jump to grain-free. The FDA is investigating a link between certain diets (many grain-free) and dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart disease.
• Don’t use human medications or creams without asking your vet.
• Don’t let your dog scratch raw. Use a cone or a recovery suit and call your vet if sores develop.
• Don’t wait. Chronic itch can lead to infections.

When to go to the vet urgently

• Face swelling, hives or difficulty breathing (possible severe allergic reaction, an emergency)
• Raw, bleeding or oozing skin
• Head shaking, ear pain or discharge
• Your dog is miserable or not sleeping
• Itching with lethargy, fever or loss of appetite

Related

• Why does my golden smell?
• Coat and grooming guide