Why does my husky keep itching?

If your husky has been itching itself a lot you might want to know why and what you can do about it.

In this post, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be itching itself and what you can do about it.

So, why does my husky keep itching itself? Possible reasons are that it has allergies, fleas, it is a compulsive behavior, anxiety, something being stuck in its fur or it could have just been itchy at the time.

There are actually multiple reasons why your husky might keep itching itself and it could be a combination of multiple reasons. However, there are also some things you can consider when trying to figure out why your husky has been doing it. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it will become easier for you to get it to stop.

Why your husky keeps itching itself

The different reasons why your Siberian husky has been itching itself will likely come with a number of clues in the way that it does it.

Below, I will show you a number of reasons why your husky might be itching itself a lot and what would make them more likely.

Allergies

Allergies or a rash could be causing your husky to itch itself. Allergies can be caused by things such as shampoo, other dogs, pollen or household chemicals (source).

It would be more likely that allergies or a rash are the cause if it started doing it after something happened that might have caused it to get allergies or a rash. Examples could be using a different shampoo or a harness that rubs its skin.

Fleas

Fleas could also be the cause of it itching itself. This would be more likely if it started itching itself suddenly and if you have been finding fleas around the house.

If fleas are causing your husky to itch itself, it would help to talk to your vet about what you should do to get rid of the flees.

It would also help to eradicate fleas from your home by doing things such as:

• Washing the bedding with hot soapy water
• Vacuuming the carpets and throwing the bad
• Applying an environmental flee control
• Applying a spray, pellet or non-toxic treatment for the yard
• Treating your husky with a monthly preventative

Compulsive behavior

It might be the case that it has been doing it compulsively. This is where your husky has an irresistible urge to itch itself and can’t stop itself from doing it. This would be more likely if it has been doing it excessively for more than a few weeks and it doesn’t seem like anything else is causing it. If it does seem like it might be doing it compulsively, the best option would be to get help from a vet.

Boredom

Huskies are a breed that is meant to get a lot of exercise on a daily basis. If your husky is not getting much exercise it could be causing it to behave abnormally.

Generally, it is recommended for them to be getting at least an hour of exercise per day. If your husky is not getting that much, it would help to make sure that it does, by walking it yourself or getting a dog walker to do it for you.

Anxiety

It might be the case that something is causing your husky to be anxious that is making it itch itself. Things that might cause it to get anxious would be if someone moved away recently, another pet died or if you recently adopted it.

It might also be the case that it has separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and being left alone causes it to become anxious. This would be more likely if it itches itself and it shows signs of being anxious when you are about to leave home.

Injury

An injury could be what is causing your husky to itch itself a lot. This would be more likely if it has been itching the same area, if it has been showing other signs of injury such as a cut and if it has started doing it suddenly. If it does seem like an injury could be the cause the best option would be to take it to a vet.

There is something stuck in its fur

It might be the case that there is something stuck in its fur. This would be more likely if it has started itching the same area suddenly and if you can see that there is something stuck there.

It was just itchy

It could be the case that it was just itchy at the time. This would be more likely if it only itches itself occasionally and it does not do it excessively.

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider when trying to figure out why your Siberian husky keeps itching itself.

When it first started itching itself

It would help to consider when your husky first started itching itself since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start doing it.

If it started itching itself suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as an injury, something being stuck in its fur, something making it become anxious, fleas or allergies. It would help to consider what else changed at around the same time that it started doing it.

When it does it

It would also help to consider the timing of when it itches itself since the timing might have something to do with it.

If you notice that it tends to do it more when you are about to leave home it could be a sign of separation anxiety. Whereas, if it does it more after you bathe it the shampoo might be what is causing it.

How often it does

How often your husky itches itself will have an impact on the most probable causes of it itching itself.

If it rarely does itch itself or if it’s a puppy and it just did it once then less likely to be a problem and it was probably playing.

If it does it a lot then it would make it more likely to be due to things such as a rash, fleas, compulsive behavior or an injury.

How to get your husky to stop itching itself

Below are a number of options you have when getting your Siberian husky to stop itching itself.

Take it to a vet

If you cannot figure out why your husky has been itching itself, it seems to be injured or it has been doing it excessively the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular husky.

Give it exercise

If your husky does not have an injury, it would be important to make sure that it gets exercise on a daily basis. If it does not get much exercise it could be causing it to seek its own ways of stimulating itself and it could be contributing to it itching itself a lot.

Avoid negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement is where you inadvertently reinforce bad behaviors by giving your husky what it wants when it displays them.

Instead of giving your husky things it wants when it itches itself, try to redirect its focus when it is about to do it and to reward it when it behaves the way that you want it to.

Make sure that it is not due to shampoo

It could be the case that the shampoo you use on your Siberian husky is causing it to be itchy. This would be more likely if it only itches itself when you have recently put shampoo on it. In this case, it would help to change the shampoo.