Does Your Dog Get The Minnesota Aug-Sept Itch?

It seems to happen every year about this time. I don't know if it comes from some kind of parasite in the grass or just crap floating around in the air.

Every year about August and September, our dog Astro, starts scratching like crazy, sometimes gnawing patches of fur off his legs until it's raw. I feel bad for him and not sure what to do about it. We've tried slipping him some Benadryl wrapped in cheese but he's on to that trick and just eats the cheese and spits the Benadryl out on the floor.

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What is really annoying about it is Astro likes to sleep under the bed at night. I have no idea why. Usually it's not a big deal if he sleeps there at night except when he has this itch. He scratches at night and the bed is bouncing all night like it's in the Honeymoon Suite.

I've heard from other people that they have had the same problem with their dogs. Our other dog, Zoey, doesn't seem to have any problem with this itch thing, so far.

I feel sorry for the big lug, scratching constantly and gnawing the fur off parts of his legs. Is it some kind of gnat in the grass at the lake or some pollen based stuff in the air or what?

BTW, it's for sure not fleas that dogs get sometimes. Whatever it is is invisible to the naked eye.

I guess it may be time to check with his vet and see if we can't figure this annoying itch out and return Astro to his jolly ol' self.