Why does my dog scratch her ears and lips?

My dog has always scratched her lips with her front paws since she was a puppy, sometimes to the point of making her cry. It's doing damage to her lips and it's really aggravating to her. I've noticed she does it more in the summer. Could this be an outdoor allergy? Also, for about two weeks, she's been scratching her ears. She will scratch on the carpet often, and shake her back leg. I took her to the vet. No ear mites, infection. He told me about different food, shampoos, and expensive medication, but they all have their downfalls. Our house is very dry. Could it be this? Has anyone else had this problem with their pet?Why does my dog scratch her ears and lips?
as your vet suggested, it sounds like it could definitely be an allergy problem related to food.





i don't know what you're currently feeding your dog, so i'll just give you some basic info.





typically the 3 biggest ingredients in dog food that usually cause allergies are CORN, WHEAT and SOY. it would be good to look for a food that does NOT contain these 3 ingredients.





you may really want to consider feeding your dog an all natural, holistic food that contains human grade meats and ingredients and does not contain bi-products. the holistic/natural foods WILL cost you more money, but the benefits of doing so far outweigh the monetary costs.





when your dog is getting a better diet, it can result in having a much more healty pet, therefore can equal less vet visits and medical problems, therefore SAVING you money in the long run.





a good rule of thumb for determining a more nutritious food is if you can buy it in a grocery store, it's probably not the best food option. you may want to try something that has to be purchased at a petstore. some common, more premium brands to try are nutro, biljak, nature's choice, royal canin and blue buffalo.





i don't think your house being dry has much to do with it, but i could be wrong.





anyhow, i hope this helps!