My dog is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross Whippet. We got her as a rescue dog whilst we were living in the Midlands. We were given little information about her, other than the fact that she had some sort of skin condition that caused her skin to be red and itchy, which she'd scratch to the point of bleeding.
We shortly after moved to live by the sea in Somerset and within a few weeks her skin had completely cleared up. We lived there for 2 years and she never scratched herself raw once and her skin was a normal pinky colour.

Now we're back in the Midlands. We've not been here a whole week and her skin is already back to how it was before, if not worse. It looks red and irritated from her chest all the way down to her stomach, as well as on her nose and around one of her eyes. (Her coat is white with dark brown patches and the redness appears to only be where her coat is white). She's been scratching obsessively and has left herself raw under her arms and over her chest.
We've tried over the counter antihistamines, as we thought it may be some sort of allergy. They've taken some of the redness away but she's still itching.

I can provide a picture of her stomach if needed.

Hi

That sounds suspiciously like she does have an allergy to something only in the environment in the Midlands. Many allergies causing a skin disease in dogs are reactions to plant proteins in the environment, this is termed atopic dermatitis. In my experience, Spring is a common time for this type of skin problem to develop, as trees, grasses and weeds start to grow, flower and produce pollen. I see the problem in many dogs and as a breed see the problem in quite a few Staffies . She is likely to need some veterinary treatment if your attempts to soothe symptoms have not worked. Antihistamines often don't work very well for a dog's symptoms. She might need a full work up with tests to diagnose exactly what she is allergic to and to rule out any other underlying problems. It sounds to me like her symptoms were becoming quite severe, making herself very sore by scratching her skin. If this continues I hope you can take her to a vet to get a full diagnosis and treatment. That's the only way to really deal with the problem.

Cathy Wickenden BVet Med MRCVS
Barton Lodge Veterinary Centre
1 Midland Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 5BH
Tel: 01442 216048 24 hours
[www.bartonlodgevets.co.uk]