Shedding and straching

[chickamin]

My dog was in good health and still seems to be, was growing winter coat but now seems to be a total summer coat. She goes outside and rides in back of pickup in good weather but is an inside dog. I have been undergoing some radiation bone nukes for a knee problem and radiation iodine treatment [one] for thyroid. My dog sits in my chair when I don't but she has her own blanket for it. What I want to know could somehow she has picked up on the radiation and this is causing her problem? We have a male German Shepard but he don't sit in chair and he is growing a goof coat and has no straching. I treat both dogs with a good flea and tick spray and before it has never been the problem. My vet is 50 miles away and she just passed her exam for total good health?

[Jennifer Mathis, D.V.M.]

Your dog should be unaffected from your radiation.  Please schedule an appt. with your veterinarian to have her seen for itching and hair coat issues.  It's likely something has changed so the itch is now present.
I found fleas on a dog on Saturday that was itching while the other dog had no symptoms - so fleas are still possible and flea sprays do little to solve a flea problem.  Other possibilities are seasonal alopecia, low thyroid, other parasites, as well as allergies.  The skin can only respond in a few ways to a myriad of things, so an exam and diagnosis is necessary to help get to the bottom of the issue.