He hasn't been to the vet yet for this specifically, since he just had a checkup in August. The vet told me that the reason he gets into these scratchy-itchy cycles is allergies to a food ingredient and suggested then that I try different foods to try to pinpoint which thing is making him itch. He gave me some common places to start -- for instance, I used to give George dry cat food occasionally for a treat because he simply LOVES it, and the vet said that's a huge trigger, so I quit doing that. This time around, I've tried regular Purina Dog Chow, Beneful sensitive skin formula, Ol' Roy Sensitive Skin formula (because they both like that, for some reason), Kibbles 'n' Bits (two different flavors, they liked both but one gave them the trots), Gravy Train (they don't like it), some stuff from PetCo that the clerk said was really good for itchy and dry skin (made George throw up) and Pedigree, both dry and canned. Iams was next on my list. My mom used to give that to her beloved little poodle, Fang (ATB). But he didn't care for it, which is why I hadn't tried it already. In fact, Fang HATED it. I'm going to PetSmart today to see what they have. Frankly, I'm to the point where I don't care WHAT it costs if it'll make him stop itching all the time, poor boy, and I'm sure he agrees heartily. I read an article on the news wire at work (I'm a reporter) by a "holistic" vet that suggested organic food for itchy dogs, so I thought I'd give that go.