When dogs scratch their faces or muzzles, it can indicate food allergies, skin problems, or infections. In individual cases, hormonal disorders, parasites or even injuries are also responsible.
Constant scratching can lead to injuries, inflammation or even spotty hair loss. In most cases it is therefore advisable to stop the dog from doing this.
You can achieve this by, for example, distracting him, attaching a muzzle or putting a bandage over his paws and especially his claws.
In addition, the following home remedies can also help to acutely relieve itching:
- Coconut Oil: For a variety of skin problems including contact dermatitis.
- Apple cider vinegar: Unless your dog has any open wounds and you suspect bacteria, fungi or parasites.
- Chamomile and Green Tea: Throw 3 bags into a cup of hot water, allow to cool, then spray onto the affected area.
- Aloe Vera: For dry and irritated skin. [1]
Important: These home remedies primarily combat the symptoms and do not solve the trigger behind the scratching. For this reason, you will learn the 10 most common causes below.
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#1 Food Allergies
According to studies, between 1-2% of all dogs suffer from food allergies. The specific trigger for this can basically be anything. [2]
However, some foods seem to cause allergic reactions much more often than others. This includes:
- beef
- lamb
- Chicken meat
- Dairy products
- soy products
- Cereal products [3]
You can usually recognize food allergies when the dog constantly scratches its mouth and the skin around the mouth becomes relatively dry. Other symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Swelling on the muzzle
- Change in behavior after eating
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Sudden diarrhea
- Lack of motivation [4]
The cause of this is genetic. The only thing that helps here is to keep your distance from the allergens by eliminating them from the dog's diet.
An allergy test is usually carried out to diagnose this. If the symptoms are severe, medication can also bring short-term improvement.
Alternatively, such a free food check can also help to get individual food recommendations and free food samples.
Food allergies are usually triggered by the protein in meat, dairy and grain products. Among other things, they cause dogs to scratch their faces and muzzles after eating. If you suspect something, an allergy test can help.
#2 Injuries
Wood splinters, thorns, sharp pieces of bone, broken glass and lacerations from playing with other dogs are among the most common injuries in the dog's mouth.
These can occur inside the mouth, around the teeth, on the tongue or even on the lips. Here, scratching the mouth is an attempt by the dog to remove the object.
The most common signs include:
- Blood in the mouth
- Refusal of food
- Constant beeping
- Visible swelling
- Refusal to open your mouth
- Profuse drooling
- Constant rubbing of the muzzle [5]
If the pain is severe, many affected dogs react aggressively as soon as you come close to them. The vet can help you here.
Local anesthesia can be used to reduce the pain and allow the cause to be investigated. An ultrasound examination is usually carried out for this purpose.
Injuries to the inside of the mouth can cause dogs to refuse food, drool excessively, and constantly scratch their faces and muzzles. In some cases it is possible to remove any splinters yourself. If necessary, the vet can also help.
#3 Infections
Mouth infections are usually caused by either bacteria, fungi or viruses. Depending on the underlying cause, the symptoms also differ.
Bacterial infections are usually caused by contaminated water, old meat or dairy products that have gone bad.
The most common symptoms include fever, diarrhea, itching, listlessness and restless behavior. Affected dogs also often scratch their mouths. [6]
Fungal infections, on the other hand, can usually be recognized by an unpleasant smell. In addition, the skin is often red, very dry and there is spotty hair loss.
Viral infections usually occur in very young and unvaccinated dogs. In addition to itching, these often lead to fever, nausea and listlessness.
If you suspect infections, you should consult the vet immediately. Depending on the cause, either creams or antibiotics are used for treatment. [7]
Both fungi, bacteria and viruses can cause infections in the mouth that are accompanied by severe itching. Affected dogs often suffer from nausea, develop a fever, scratch their muzzles and appear listless.
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#4 Toothache
Dogs are tough when it comes to pain. This behavior has evolutionary roots. In the past, dogs couldn't afford to show pain outwardly.
Why? Well, because weakened wild animals usually become prey for other predators. And dogs still have 99.9% identical genes to wolves. [8]
Typical symptoms of toothache are:
- Refusal of food
- Whining and whining while eating
- Touch sensitivity
- Constant scratching of the muzzle
- One-sided chewing
- Sudden aggressiveness [9]
According to the American Veterinary Association, 4 out of 5 dogs show signs of existing dental problems. Tartar and tooth cavities are particularly common.
But inflammation of the gums, excessive tartar and tooth root inflammation can also be behind it. The vet can help here. [10]
Dogs with dental problems usually instinctively try to hide their pain. However, as the symptoms increase, dogs increasingly refuse their food, chew on one side or even constantly scratch their mouths. The veterinarian should be consulted here.
#5 Skin problems
In addition to allergies, a whole range of other skin problems can also cause itching in the mouth. The most common causes include:
- Rashes
- Warts
- Insect bites
- Dry skin
- mange [11]
Constant scratching at the mouth is one of the most common signs. However, depending on the cause, the symptoms can vary greatly. Other signs include:
- Redness of the skin
- Slight swelling
- Little red dots
- Cracked skin
- Constant licking of the area
Dry skin caused by bathing too often or using very aggressive shampoos is one of the most common triggers. Aloe vera and coconut oil can help here.
If you have any other skin problems, I would advise you to visit the vet as a precaution. To avoid making the problems worse, you should also stop your dog from scratching.
A variety of skin problems can cause the dog's mouth to itch. Affected four-legged friends therefore scratch their snouts more often. However, there are often other signs on the skin that allow conclusions to be drawn about the cause.
#6 Irritants
When dogs come into contact with irritants with their mouths while walking or rummaging through trash, it can severely irritate the skin around their mouths.
The most common triggers include:
- Aggressive cleaning agents
- Pesticides such as snail killers
- Acids and corrosive substances
- Colors and varnish
- Insecticides of gardens and fields
- Highly concentrated alcohol
- Rat poison [12]
Here, scratching the muzzle is simply an attempt to remove these irritants. In some cases it can also be caused by too many acidic foods.
Most dogs instinctively avoid citrus fruits, pineapple, or vinegar. However, if it is mixed into the food, many people will still eat it.
If you experience diarrhea, vomiting, severe tremors, breathing problems or other signs of poisoning, I advise you to go to the veterinary emergency clinic immediately.
Various irritants such as cleaning products, paints or pesticides can severely irritate the dog's skin around the dog. Affected dogs try to scratch the irritants away from their mouths using their paws. Here the owner can proactively help.
#7 Parasite infestation
In total, there are almost three-digit numbers of parasites that can infect dogs. The most common representatives, which can also appear in the mouth and face, include:
- mites
- Fleas
- Ticks
- worms
- lice [13]
Fortunately, you can recognize fleas with your naked eyes. They are black, move relatively slowly and are about the size of a poppy seed.
Lice, on the other hand, are significantly smaller and can only be seen by people with good eyesight. Mites and worms cannot be recognized by us.
Although ticks are relatively large, they can hide in the folds of the dog's mouth. The typical symptoms of a parasite infestation include:
- Constant shaking of the head
- Frequent scratching of the muzzle
- Dog bites itself
- Visible skin irritation
- Dog rubs his face
- Small black dots on the skin [14]
From personal experience I can recommend this spray. Not only does it remove all possible parasites, but it also has long-term protection of up to 6 months.
Various parasites such as mites, ticks, fleas and lice can cause severe itching on the dog's face. Here the four-legged friends try to fight it by scratching their mouths. An appropriate spray is recommended for treatment
#8 Contact dermatitis
There are numerous allergens, both indoors and outdoors, that can cause an allergic reaction when they come into contact with the skin. The most common triggers include:
- Dust mites
- Pollen
- mold spores
- grasses
- Cigarette smoke [15]
Since the cause here is also genetic, it is important to first identify these allergens and then (if possible) avoid contact with them.
Here, too, scratching the muzzle is only intended to relieve the itching. The symptoms of contact dermatitis only occur where there has been direct contact with the allergen:
- Skin swelling
- Redness of the skin
- Dry skin
- Small red bumps [16]
Antihistamines can help with acute symptoms. To prevent this, however, I recommend doing an allergy test. The vet can help you here.
Various allergens in the home and outside the home can cause allergic reactions upon contact. These are usually accompanied by itching. Because dogs explore the world with their snouts, they scratch…