Question submitted by the audience in our recent webinar: "The Itchy Dog":
I have a dog who scratches constantly. There is no apparent skin condition or parasites. Her symptoms are being treated with gabapentin with the supposition she has SM (syringomyelia). However, an MRI has not been done, and the diagnosis is based off of her symptoms. Could there be an underlying skin condition that is not readily visible?
Answer by: Andrew Hillier, BVSc, MANZCVS, DACVD
Some dogs with allergies and itching have very few if any lesions of the skin. We certainly see that in some breeds more than others – Bichon Frise and a variety of Poodles come to mind. So the relative absence of skin lesions should not rule out the possibility of underlying allergic disease. I am not expert in SM and would suggest that if that is suspected to be the problem that your veterinarian refer you to a neurologist who will be best positioned to diagnosis and treat that condition.
