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Skin Issues, Allergies and Conditions

| Modified on Aug 19, 2024
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Just like with humans, your pet's skin can be an indicator of its overall health. If your pet is biting itself, itching and scratching obsessively, losing fur and showing red, irritated skin; your pet is probably suffering from some form of skin disease. Skin conditions in dogs and cats might be allergies, could be fleas, fungal infections like ringworm, a food sensitivity, yeast infections, hormones, mites that can cause issues like mange, bad reactions to grooming products, stress or even boredom. Same as when we have an itch, rash, or any discomfort it bothers us, and it will bother and obsess our pets as well!

Dog skin allergies and skin issues in cats can be treated naturally just as we would treat our own skin problems and allergies. Apple cider vinegar, alone or in conjunction with other natural products, is very popular among our readers for their own skin maladies and has shown great efficacy in our pets! Many of our pet skin care cures also involve coconut oil or hydrogen peroxide, but we are also looking for more remedies to share with anyone who is looking to soothe their cat or dog's suffering or take the redness out of their irritated skin.

Additional pages of interest: Pet Allergies

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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Apple Cider Vinegar

8 User Reviews
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Posted by Garry (Mtn Home, Ar) on 08/15/2017
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

This is for my 10 mo. old Pit Bull. She was covered in little bumps and almost looked like a rash and scratched herself furless. None of the vet trips did anything for her and I was told she was allergic to flea bites. I was advised (by a friend) to use ACV, 50/50 also, but to also substitute boiled lemon water for the mix. I sliced up a lemon and brought it to a boil and then let it sit and steep overnight. I then used it to cut the ACV 50/50. I've since seen the same recipe online, along with the suggestion to add a drop or two of either cedar or lavender oil as repellent. I have used the mix and can say that it indeed kills fleas and ticks here in the woods. It has definitely also gotten rid of the scratching fits, as well as the fleas and ticks I find are dead or dying. She looks a lot better with fur.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kittyhelp (Tallahassee, Fl) on 06/13/2017
 ★★★★★

My 9 month old tux kitty had a dry patch on his ear that was getting bigger. I have a spray bottle of 1/2 water and half mother vinegar. I sprayed a cotton swab and dabbed on his ear daily for a few days and it started getting smaller and very soon was gone. Another time he had a spot just below his ear he had scratched until it was bleeding. I suspect it was a tick. I again dabbed this solution on that spot daily, it dried up and in a very short time was gone. This works great. However, he does not like it at all.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sallie (Md - Maryland) on 12/20/2016
 ★★★★★

I have a Jack Russell that had broken out in sores on face and feet. After spending about $600 and he wasn't getting well. The Vet was talking about putting him down. Of course that was not an option for me. I went home and prayed about Romero's condition. I heard the spirit of the Lord say vinegar. I am thinking Lord that can't be right but I heard the spirit vinegar again. So I got up and went to the computer and looked Apple cider vinegar and how it help dogs with skin conditions. I used it on my dog and within 24 hours my dog was getting better. It really does work. God loves the Animals too. EarthCLINIC thank you for helping the animals.

EC: Sallie,

Thanks for sharing! We are assuming that you used diluted apple cider vinegar, which is what we recommend for topical use. 50% vinegar plus 50% water.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nicole (Pottsville, Australia) on 03/16/2013

hi I have a two year old pug x jack russell, Izzy. She has been itchy and scratchy for it seems like forever. She has a rash at the moment that looks like pimples in her groin area and she is continually chewing /licking her feet and scratching her chin ears and eyes. Where her tail joins to her body she gets dry scabs. She also has an odour. I have taken her to the vet several times about this and they give her prednisolone and antibiotics. This seems to help for a little while but her coondition comes back as soon as she has has finished prednisolone and antibiotics. I am currently feeding her a BARF diet. Thank you for the info on ACV I will try it and see if this helps her.

Replied by Judy
(Denver, Co)
08/03/2013

I have border collie mix that rubbed his eye for short while and had brownish hair just down from tear gland but I didn't notice any draining.

I also have miniature american eskimo with weeping eyes. Boots quite frequently lickes her eyes like a mother dog might. Lately he's been licking her head. I;ve noticed her rubbing her head on hardwood floor. Yesterday he licked her head and all she had was wet hair. Today I noticed he had a crust in corner of his eye and I scratched it off with my fingernai and it was actually a scab and it looks like a crater and red but not bloody. He started licking my Lala's head and kept at till I made him stop. Now she has a red spot with no hair and a scabby looking spot thats dark gray off to one side. This red spot with no hair and dark grey thing is all about the size of a nickle, which is pretty big on her small head. It's hard to believe this came about in 24 hours.

We have ferrel cats in the alley and some spend time under rv parked in back and my dogs make a B-line for that rv and run under it to chase the cats away. Who knows what those might have.

I don't know quite what to do. I have dog vits I give them occasionally. Boots likes them but Lala sometimes refuses them. I'm retired and don't have money for a vet. Their dog food isn't the best but I give some of my veggies, fresh fruit, meat and fish and my brown rice.. I've looked up recipes for dogs and they're pretty much what we eat. Frankly they'd rather eat my food than theirs. I eat organic as much as I can.

Except for an occasional itch they don't scratch a lot. Lala sheds too much in summer so I give her fish oil capsules and that stops. The reddish part of patch on Lala's head looks like ringworm in humans but not dogs.

I have organic apple cider vinegar but not sure how to use it, expecially around the eye. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

Replied by Debbiefudge
(Brighton, Uk)
08/18/2013

Hi. I wouldn't use the ACV around the eye area at all. Put some in their drinking water. I would give fresh raw garlic daily in case the ferral cats have fleas.. (Most likely). That could be what started off the sore near the eye. A flea bite. Just bathe it with some cool, boiled water to keep clean and dab on a little coconut oil. And allow to heal, don't pick the scab off. As for diet. Stop commercial dog food all together and give as much raw meat, raw bones as you can and your scraps.

Replied by Meile
(Dallas, Ga)
11/05/2013

My dog has had a skin infection and just got done with her steroids and now she has the same thing again. I want o know if there is anyting I can do to be able to fix it myself. she has bumps that look like pimples and when you squeeze them puss comes out then blood and then the next day she has a blad spot from the scab that forms. I have tried hydrogen peroxidie sprayed directly on her skin. I haven't seen any changes with that. I give her a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with her food a day. She is a 14 lb. chihuahua mix dog. She is a rescue dog that I got 5 weeks again. So I don't know much about her history.

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
11/06/2013

Hey Meile!

The pimple/pus/bald spots sound like a staph infection. Staph infections may warrant a vet visit for a prescribed antibiotic if you cannot get it under control.

This is Ted's Anti-Fungal and Staph solution:

Ingredients:

  • 1 - 16 oz bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide
  • 1 bottle Milk of Magnesia
  • 1 box Epsom salts
  • 1 box Borax
  • Filtered or distilled water

Method:

Dilute the 16 oz brown bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a 1% solution by dumping the bottle into a jug and adding 32 oz of filtered or distilled water; I just fill up the empty brown bottle with water and dump it in the jug twice. Now you have 48 ounces of a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide.

Add 4 table spoons EACH:

Borax, Epsom salts, and Milk of Magnesia.

Shake the dickens out of the solution. I usually run a tub full of hot water and set the jug in the tub, and then when the tub cools where I can bathe my dog the solution is by then an agreeable temperature for the dog. Bathe the dog in doggy shampoo or what have you, get all the crusty lesions gently scrubbed up and loose skin and scabs off and rinse well. [Caution: if your dog's skin is in a reactive state, rubbing and scrubbing may raise more hives - so again, gently work the scabs and crusts off and watch the skin in the area to see if it calms or raises more bumbs the next day.] Now drain the tub and when empty plug it up again and now pour the jug of prepared solution over the dog. I use a plastic cup to scoop up the solution and keep pouring over the dog. I try to keep this up for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes I pull the plug and let the dog drip a bit in the tub, and then I take the wet dog with bare hands and put her in a crate with no bedding. Do not towel the dog off - you want as much of the solution to stay on the dog as possible, so it can 'work'. I allow the dog to drip dry in the crate with no bedding. It helps to have the house heat ON, and a nice tasty bone or high value chewy in the crate to distract the dog for a bit. After half an hour I let the dog out and towel dry as best I can and then let them work themselves dry by running all about the house. You do NOT rinse the solution off - you let it dry completely and that is it, until the next bath.

If you have a tiny dog, if you do not wish to make up such a large quantity of solution, the single batch is as follows:

  • 1-1/2 cups of 1% hydrogen peroxide
  • 1 tbsp MOM
  • 1 tbsp Epsom salts
  • 1 tbsp Borax

You may be able to put this into a spritzer bottle and spritz problem areas on your dog, but I find it best to tackle the entire dog with a full body treatment first, before using the spritz bottle for a spot treatment approach.

You may find with your dog that you will have to bathe him every other day, or every three days; find what works so that the skin is able to start healing.

And what diet are you feeding? Careful consideration should be made for the diet of your dog - no grocery store brands, no grain based diets, no diets with dyes and colors. Probiotcs are generally indicated with skin issues; consider DDS w/FOS for a full bottle and then switching to PB8 for another full bottle to start.

Replied by Fiona
(Tustin, Ca)
11/12/2013

I suggest you give your dog bath with aquarium salt with methylene blue. Or it can be magnesium chloride.The skin needs balanced minerals. Also these baths will draw toxins out. I have tried this with my 2 dogs. I think the older dog can run much better after this bath.

Replied by Ba
(Ohio)
03/22/2014

Have a big Labrador Male that IMHO received too many vaccines and antibiotics in his younger years. We have been dealing with staph and yeast skin infections for a long time now.Vets have put him on anti biotics and steroids several times only to have it come back with a vengance when the course was done. We have used everything that was recommended usually shampoos had Chlorhexidine in various strengths. One shampoo from the vet that I can remember was Malaseb. Read an article by a vet saying that Chlorhexidine killed some bacteria but he found that some new ones were growing a day or two after use.

ACV was used in various recipes, coconut and neem soap, Zymox, and on and on.Lots of sprays too. Nothing seemed to last more than a day or two.He gets regular probiotics (several diff ones), fish oil, supplements, and low glycemic Preference along with meats like Raw Green tripe. Just recently started giving all dogs Sprouts also.

Veterycin sprays did give him more relief for a day( I think it might have killed some of the bacteria or fungus). Then a friend gave us a free bottle of Burts Bees Calming shampoo with Lavender and green tee. It appeared to help more than anything else up to then and when we rinsed the wash cloth could see black specks from the infection where coming off. Probably because Lavender seems to act as an astingent. This had to be repeated almost daily and then we started using a Lavender rinse afterward which also helped. He does well at night with Lavender and/or a calming spray recipe that includes Lavender and Valerian with a couple of other oils.

In my search for help I came to this site when I was looking for information on sulphur(the skin kind) and baking soda. Noticing that Borax and baking soda where mentioned in so many recipes, a light bulb went off and I read the ingredients of Johnsons Foot Soap. It has Borax, Baking Soda, and Iodide in it so I figured if it was good enough for us it should be okay. Only started it three days ago but so far seeing a vast improvement and he is acting more like his old self with a lot more good twitching sleep and energy and a whole lot less scratching and no more whining (saying help me). His hair is growing back and the black spots are becoming less with each treatment. Feet look much better and he is not licking them anymore. His skin is nice and soft and some areas have returned to a nice healthy pink without any black spots. The worst areas are his chin, around his privates and inside back legs. Knock on wood this is the answer for him.

We are soaking his feet after each treatment which is a twice a day sponge bath for now with the Johnsons and we have plans to do a bath with the BB shampoo or the coconut/neem bar soap at least twice a week as needed. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated to improve this regime if possible. For now we have hope. Have copied Teds MOM recipe which will be the next step if needed. Thanks for this site and the great information it gives us.

Replied by Jan
(London, Ontario)
03/22/2014
★★★★★

My boxer had MRSA on his head and antibiotics and steriods were not helping it. I made a paste of 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, mixed it with a dash of pepper and a little olive oil and applied it directly to the infection two to three times daily. Also, I mixed the same with some probiotic yoghurt and fed it to him daily. Within a day I could see improvements. You need the pepper and olive oil with the turmeric to get the full turmeric benefit.

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
03/24/2014

Hey Ba!

You asked: "Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated to improve this regime if possible. For now we have hope. Have copied Teds MOM recipe which will be the next step if needed..."

I would cut to the chase and just do Ted's MANGE remedy every other day for 3 dips, and then do the MOM formula. Follow directions to the letter - and treat the entire dog, not just spritz the obviously affected areas.

Replied by Pennie
(Northern Wisconsin)
11/16/2015
★★★★★

My Am-Bull was suffering with skin allergies until I put him on a raw diet. All allergies have disappeared.

Replied by Amanda
(Tennessee)
09/12/2016

Would you let me know what kind of raw diet did you try? Any suggestions where to find recipes?

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by My Little Zeus (Dallas, Tx) on 10/16/2012
 ★★★★★

WOW is all I can say. I have an American Bulldog puppy who is currently 5mnths old. He has suffered from skin allergies since we got him, we have been told it's in the breed. He's been on anti itch meds for three months now, with some help, but it just doesnt work. I read the reviews on the ACV and all I can say is it's amazing!! He's on a gluten/grain free diet and we also put fish oil on his food for his coat. I mixed in some of the ACV in his food (think the fish oil hides the taste) and he just munched it down. I have also sprayed him down with a diluted solution and it worked just as well as liquid benadryl. Six hours and it's made an amazing difference.

I've been reading the threads and many have asked how to get them to eat it, try some Omega3 Fish oil capsuls over their food and mix in the vinegar. The smell of the fish oil (oooohhh it's bad, bad) can cover anything I think. Good luck!!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lisa (Bourbon, In) on 07/25/2012
 ★★★★★

After this hot spring and summer in the Midwest, our Belgian Sheepdog, pure black, was having terrible itchy, blotchy skin. A round of anti-biotics and benadryl helped but not enough to really notice. Next step was diet and went gluten free and raw with added Omega3 and eggs. Didn't notice huge difference, but there was a change. And her stools and urine were better. (hate to say it but healthier looking). Then started rinsing after bath with ACV. After more research decided to put the ACV IN her food and found the ____ Organic ACV at the health food store. Started putting it in her breakfast as well as the cats (smaller dose) and her itching has literally stopped. The dry flakey skin has disappeared after only 2 weeks. Husband and I started taking a Tbsp in the morning also and we notice changes in ourselves as well. I would recommend that if your pooch has skin trouble, try the ACV!

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nettie (Salem, Mo., Usa) on 05/04/2012

I have a 18 lb Dachshund with sensitive stomach and coat. Can I use Organic (raw, unfiltered)ACV mixed 50/50 with water to spray on him for the rash and flaky skin? I just bathed him and rinsed him with plain water then sprayed the 50/50 solution on him and let him drip dry outdoors...... Is this correct? Also, with this help to deter ticks? He has seizures that seem to occur after treatment with "Frontline" or "Advantix". I need a cure for ticks. We live in a wooded area very bad for ticks!!!

Replied by Laura
(Vancouver, Bc, Canada)
05/07/2012

Hi Nettie, What is your progress now? Has it been resolved since you last posted? AVC cures alot of ailments, so it's rarely a bad thing.

Our dilemma is we desperately need Advantage Multi but cannot get any for reasons that are too complicated to explain. Would you have any, or know a friend or family member who's a Vet? We're at our wit's end over this dilemma. Please email us at: lovehealing3 (at) gmail
Laura

Replied by Lisa
(Texas)
08/12/2020

I've heard and have a friend whose dachshund (actually 2 of them at 2 diff times and after applying meds) died from the flea applications. They seem to b especially susceptible to the effects of prescription meds. Thats why I only use things I read about here. And I have had great succes hope u can too

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sue (Saratoga Springs, Ny) on 03/05/2012
 ★★★★★

My dog has skin that has black spots and smells bad, it is mostly on her abdomen. I wipe the areas with a cloth soaked in cider vinegar. This seems to offer imediate relief for itching and fades the spots a bit, and the odor disappears as well!

Replied by Yarnaholic1963
(Galveston, Texas)
03/20/2012

My 8 month old German Shepherd has the black spots on her belly. Do you know what causes this? She also has the odor. Thanks!

Replied by Marianne
(Berlin, Germany)
03/20/2012

Dear Yarnaholic1963: It could be Demodex (or demodectic mange which is the same). Our dog had it very bad and the vets treated it with Ivermectin. Check it out on the internet, really bad stuff. I read a lot of books and other information. First thing - after nothing from the vet helped and matters got worse - we changed her diet. First to fresh cooked food with veggies, than to a strictly raw meat diat with steamed veggies and sometimes fresh fruit. Check out the internet there is plenty of info to find. That already started the healing process but it still took more and it takes a long time. Also - and that is the most important thing - don't let her be vaccinated again. These vaccinations really screw up the immune system. I don't want to elaborate since I have written a lot about it in this blog and get a little tired of not getting any feedback. There is also a vaccination side effect page on this earth clinic web site. One of the best articles about Demodex I found here:

www.alternativepets.com/demodex/html

On vaccinations go to to:
Http://mythicaldanes.com/healthtraing/vaccsCO.html

That is just a first step. You will find plenty of information on the internet about vaccination critique. Good luck,
Marianne

Replied by Brooke
(West Salem, Wi, USA)
09/16/2012

Marianne, having problems with my phone so please forgive improper capitalization. thank you for posting the link about vaccines for animals. I worked at a very busy vet clinic for 3 yrs and know that some of the vaccines only need to be administered once in a dogs lifetime. I am cautious about vaccines for my child but hadnt thought of the dangers for my furry children.

doing internet research, several years ago, I discovered that wheat allergies can cause my dogs ear troubles. The vet hadnt heard of it but said it made sense and he would research it further. I have a prescription for my dog for when her ears flame up, stink and itch horribly... its usually because someone has slipped her something with wheat in it or she has stolen it.

i am excited to have found this forum and look forward to spending lots more time on here. Again, thank you for the links. I will follow up with them soon.

Replied by Debbie
(Brighton, Uk)
09/18/2012

I would not use ACV in this instance. apples=sugar.

white vinegar is a much, much better option. Make a solution of half white vinegar/half water. Use as an ear wash. And on skin. Change diet to raw meat. Filtered water. Half a clove of garlic a day. Probiotic yogurt. 1 raw egg a week. 1 tin of tuna in oil, drained, once a week to replace a meat meal.

Dano
(Idaho)
12/03/2022

Nearly all of the sugar in ACV is digested during the fermentation process. ACV contains less than half a gram of sugar per 100 grams of ACV.

Replied by Diamond
(Salisbury, Ma.)
09/27/2012

Debbie; Egg yolks is not good for pets, it's best to give them only egg whites once a month.... Also ACV is all natural, no sugar... Good luck

Dano
(Idaho)
12/03/2022

Egg yolks are fine for dogs. The yolk contains most of the nutrition of the egg in terms of vitamins, healthy fats, and minerals. The egg white is simply protein with very little of anything else.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kate (Courtenay, Bc) on 02/28/2012

Hello, I've read so much great things on this site about apple cider vinegar and how it pretty much saved a lot of animal's lives. We are a big believer in natural cures in everyway and are very weary when it comes to going to the vet. Not only because they cost so much just to get a check up, but also because most of the time they give you useless antibiotics.

I have a wonderful calico cat that, unfortunetly, has strange small red spots on her lower belly and spreading to her legs. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I know it's not ring worm and I'm hoping ACV will help. I am just not sure how to apply it on her neck or paw, whether or not just to apply it to her belly at the area and how properly to dilute it. Beause when it come to our furry family, we don't want to take a chance. Thank you so much and thank ACV.

Replied by Sharon
(New Orleans, La, Us)
02/28/2012

Hi Kate, do a 50/50 solution of the ACV and either spring or filtered water. Dip it in a cotton ball and you can apply directly to the affected area as well as to the back of the neck in between the shoulder blades. Make sure to massage the solution down into the skin in both areas. I would also add some to the food in a ratio mix of 1/4 teaspoon to 8 oz of water or 3 to 4 drops in the water bowl. Some cats drink up the water but some cats, like mine, will not drink it therefore the option of putting it in the food. You should begin to notice a difference within 48 hours.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Caran (Katy, Tx) on 08/01/2011

My Shih Tzus are suffering from skin allergies. Have tried the vet route which hasn't worked. I have switched their food from Taste of the Wild to Natural Blance L.I.D. (duck & potato). I put 2t ACV in their water daily. I can't seem to heal my male's right front paw (in between his toes). The back one was a challenge, but is doing fine to date. I have tried sprays for the licking and now have resorted to the e-collar (soft) and back to the ozonator daily treatment. Shall I add the ACV to their food as well as the water and if so, how much? Or, eliminate the ACV at the moment? We are in the midst of the elimination diet.

Your help will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Thanks.

Replied by Peg
(Katy, Tx, Us)
08/26/2011

You don't want to give them too much ACV. Try putting raw honey on his paw twice daily to help clear it up. Also, be sure to feed your pups plain, unflavored yogurt daily (about a teaspoon) because dogs with allergies are also prone to getting yeast infections. Good luck!

Replied by Tammy
(San Antonio, Texas)
04/30/2012

I know this is late, but this is what can help with lick granules or interdigital cysts/funcules. If there is something stuck in the dog's skin, then you'll probably have to take it to the vet to get it taken out. If there's not, dip the dog's paw in hydrogen peroxide. Only do this once. Then, soak the dog's paw in an Epsom Salt solution for several minutes everyday until the swelling goes away. Also, apply Neosporin to the dog's cyst everyday after the soak and wrap up the paw with something so that the dog won't lick it.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil, Yogurt

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Posted by Reine's Mom (Cambridge, Ohio, Usa) on 05/11/2012
 ★★★★★

My 4 year old black pomeranian has suffered with allergies for years and would dig and itch until she had large bald patches. It seemed like nothing would work until I found this site. She was already on a gluten free, by-product free food; but we saw no improvement until I started adding ACV, yogurt and coconut oil into her diet. In just 7 weeks she has no bald spots and her black hair that had been turning reddish is now going back to the beautiful blueish it should be. I am imagining she will be in full glory by the end of the summer and all because of these little changes that cost next to nothing. Thank you so much for all your advice, for her it has truly been life changing!

Replied by Janice
(Toms River, New Jersey)
09/14/2012

Please tell me the amount of each to use daily. I have a chihuahua. Medium size approx 15lbs. Thank you so much.

Replied by M
(Burbank Ca)
11/08/2015

Also check the food you give your Jack. If it has rosemary (oil, extract, anything). Jack's are allergic and it causes itching between the toes & ear infections.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Oregano Oil

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Posted by Madonna B (Cypress, Texas) on 03/19/2011
 ★★★★★

My female cat started developing the lesions on her belly that were slimy and feverish to the touch. She licked them constantly and they began to spread all over her belly and lower legs. We took her to the vet and he immediately diagnosed her with Eosinophilic Granuloma. What that means is that her white blood cells think there is a foreign object in her body that needs to be attacked. However, there is no actual foreign object and her body is essentially attacking itself. We were told there is no cure and that the most they could do was give steroid shots periodically to relieve it, but that the steroid shots would eventually kill her because they suppress the immune system.

I researched everything I could find and everything I read said what the doctors did. I tried ACV from the mother diluted 50-50 and used a spray bottle to spray her tummy. It helped a little. (NOTE: diluting ACV with tap water has to be refrigerated because the tap water makes it go bad.)

Then my husband had an inspiration to put straight ACV with a dropper full of Oil of Oregano (food grade). Oil of Oregano is a natural anti-fungal, anti-biotic, anti-germ. I've used it on myself. We researched it first to make sure it wouldn't hurt the cat, but every traditional site said not to use it. We reasoned that the steroid shots would kill her and therefore really had nothing to lose either way.

The ACV with Oil of Oregano WORKED!!! We started seeing immediate results! The lessions started diminishing, the cat herself became energetic again.... She is once again the sweet, social cat she was before. It took several months to get rid of all it. We sprayed her once a day in the evening every day. We always made sure we petted and loved on her afterwards so that she wasn't too stressed. She would always lick it off some, but never had a bad reaction to it. She was miffed at being wet though, that's for certain.

Interesting thing I would like to note - we had her fixed 8 yrs ago and the area on her belly which they had shaved for the surgery had never grown back the fur. Since treating her with the ACV/Oil of Oregano combo, all of that fur has grown back!

Replied by Shasta
(Portland, Or)
01/09/2012

What your vet was telling you, without telling you, is the sores and black skin and constant itching is from allergies. They show allergies through their skin, not in their lungs like humans. We spent hundreds of dollars at a skin specialist. Eventually we figured out that he also has hypothyroid and once his thyroid was medicated to normal the allergies have cleared up. This is good because he is highly allergic to all plants that live in the pacific northwest!

Black Walnut

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Posted by Rroo (Greer, S.c) on 08/29/2016
 ★★★★★

I have found that black walnut works for my dog that has skin allergies. Black Walnut is anti parasite, antifungal etc. Make sure you give the correct dosage for your dog's weight.

Borax

Posted by Erika (South Africa) on 12/07/2013

I have a black bull terrier bitch who has a bad skin disorder. Will the borax help her?

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
12/08/2013

Hey Erika!

Only one way to find out if borax will help your BT. Start first with Ted's mange remedy to rule out topical parasites; if you see minimal progress after treating every other day for a week then you may wish to try Ted's Antifungal/Staph remedy.

Borax and Hydrogen Peroxide

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Posted by Alanc (Perth, Australia) on 09/28/2016
 ★★★★★

Hi All,

Just to add my 2 cents. My dog is a six year old Shih tzu cross, had him three years. Always had a patch on his lower back ("blackheads" in the pores and on the hair). Not obvious unless clipped short.

I would paint the area with chlorhexidine and forget about it until the next clipping. A few months back I noticed dried blood. The area has started to ulcerate and spread up his back. The area is itchy and he does not like you touching it.

Now I had to look more carefully, many possible reasons (and there can be primary and secondary causes):

1 Allergies

2 Fungal

3 Bacterial

4 Mites

5 Fleas and tics

As the affected area was on his back where soap is applied when bathed, I changed to a low allergenic shampoo and reduced the frequency of baths from 2 weekly to 6 weekly (he is not a smelly dog! ).

-> No change after three months, getting worse so we discounted an allergic reaction (although we did not try an antihistamine).

We then hit him with a round of antibiotics and chlorhexidine wash.

That cleaned up the skin infection but no improvement beyond that.

So when on holidays for a week and upon return and his next bath the condition had worsened. He starting to loss hair and the skin quite ulcerated and bleeding.

Okay, off to the vet (the vet is useless, her diagnosis was flea bite dermatosis but at least we got another round of antibiotics).

So we clipped the area so we an see it better and started the another round of antibiotics and chlorhexidine wash.

After two days the skin was looking better so we painted the area with borax and peroxide solution with a cotton swab.

After the treatment I examined the cotton swab and the remaining discoloured solution under a mag-light (my eyesight is not very good anymore) in a white plastic container. Although the mag-light is only x2 I could see a couple of the mites wiggling in the solution (tiny black carrots a fraction of a millimeter in length).

That night the skin looked better and some "blackheads" where now "whiteheads".

The next day he skin was a bit scaly. After the second treatment I could only see only dead mites in the contaminated solution. An hour or so later, some of his "blackhead" pores had opened up.

So it is working very well so far. Not all the blackheads are gone but they are disappearing.

We intent to do a full dip of all our dogs in the next few days.

I chose to use borax and peroxide over other remedies because they are both safe to use on "your own" skin.

Regards AlanC


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