You may be able to relieve your dog’s itchy skin with apple cider vinegar, a home remedy straight from the kitchen! Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has been a trusted natural remedy for pets, animals, and people alike throughout the centuries. Its mildly acidic character and the nutrients it contains are great for the skin, naturally antibacterial and mildly antibiotic, and can improve a dog’s overall health when added to its food or water.
Dog skin allergies and skin problems can be improved by this weak acid, since the skin itself prefers a slightly acid pH and since most pathogens do poorly under similar conditions. Red, itchy, and irritated skin are often quickly soothed by a topical ACV treatment, and dietary use of apple cider vinegar can provide long-term improvements for your dog’s skin health.
Safely Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Skin Problems in Dogs
Be careful in your use of apple cider vinegar when your dog’s skin is extra raw and inflamed. In fact, in most cases you should dilute apple cider vinegar with equal amounts of water for skin treatment. You can apply apple cider vinegar directly by rubbing it into your dog’s fur, or mix it in a sprayer and spray effected patches of skin whenever necessary (watch out for their eyes). Adding up to a tablespoon or so of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to your dog’s water or food each day can also be a great way to treat dog skin allergies and ailments from the inside. The dosage will vary depending on the size and breed of your dog, but if you start with a low dose and gradually increase to what seems to be an effective dosage for your particular dog, you and your pet will be happy and healthier for it!
Continue reading for extensive feedback from Earth Clinic readers who tried ACV to treat various skin issues in their dogs and whether they were successful. Please let us know if it helped your dog.
Apple Cider Vinegar for shoulder skin irritation
Our dog responds well to the use of half Apple Cider Vinegar and half water on her skin when itching.
My corgi mix has what looks like black dandruff. Her skin is dark so that's why I'm assuming it's dry skin. I make her food with ground turkey, veggies, vitamins, special garlic granules, fish oil caps, olive oil & brewers yeast. Think it would help to give her the vinegar in her water & also spray on skin?
Hey Parkypuss,
Dark skin/blackened skin has been associated with yeast/fungal infections. You might try Ted's Mange Remedy as an occasional dip to bring your dog relief. You might also consider alkalizing your dog's drinking water and also Ted's Borax Protocol for dogs to combat the yeast from the inside out. Finally, you might consider removing the brewer's yeast supplement and use kelp or another non-yeast source for the nutrients you are seeking to provide by adding the yeast.
I had a bad response to an apple cider vinegar rinse with my Westie. He has a black yeasty skin issue that many of his breed have as well as flea bite allergies. I diluted the apple cider vinegar more than 50% as a precaution and used this very dilute solution after his bath as a rinse.
Immediately he began to cry, shake, and almost convulse due to the intense discomfort. I rinsed him thoroughly with water for several minutes and dried him off all the while he trembled and whimpered.
It took minutes for him (and me) to calm down and he was extra itchy for hours afterwards. Luckily there seemed to be no lasting harm.
There was no evidence of open wounds, broken skin, or even red color on his skin or I would not have tried this. I believe that since his skin was irritated it had lost its natural protection to the acid solution, even though it was very dilute. I had researched using apple cider vinegar before trying this and never found someone with a negative reaction.
We get some relief for him using a Tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner baths every other day and follow with a rinse of chlorohexidine to prevent infections from developing. (you can easily find this as a concentrate and mix it yourself) We also make our dog's food in order to control exactly what goes in there.
Good luck everyone with your little loves. I am posting my negative experience on every website/blog I can to try and save someone else the horrible response we endured with apple cider vinegar. Not saying it can't help some, or that my dog's response is typical, but those who have dogs with sensitive skin should not use this topically.
Hey Julie,
A 1:10 ratio is sufficient – it does sound as if your dilution was too strong. Another remedy to consider is Milk of Magnesia – dilute 1:3 [one part MOM to 3 parts water] for yeasty skin. Please continue to share your westie's journey with us.
Thanks for the advice using ACV for flea allergies.
My little Toby is so uncomfortable/itchy all along from the back of his neck to tail. I have mixed 1/2 cup of ACV and 1/2 cup warm water and poured it over the areas after giving him a bath. I've only just done it and was wondering how often this can be done. Should I repeat this again tomorrow and the next few days or only weekly?
Thanks again 🙂
My black lab has been itching and scratching constantly. Tonight when I was brushing him is when I noticed the scabs on his skin (they were hidden well). I finally went and bought some ACV that my co-worker recommended and diluted half with water. I sprayed all over his coat and immediately it took effect. Right now he is snoring next to me. This is the first time in a while that this dog has not been scratching constantly. Wish I would have done this as soon as I found out about it but I was thinking allergy pills would solve the issue.
I am a firm believer that ACV is the answer for all skin issues!
I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar today after reading a lot about it…he went directly (as usual) n rolled in the lawn..or should I say “dead grass” . I is that just re- irritating the problem..or will Apple Cider Vinegar still help?
Hey Pink!
The ACV is one place to start – I prefer using it for an after bath rinse, diluted 1 part vinegar into 10 parts water – rinse through to the skin and leave on to drip dry. Stronger concentrations of the vinegar may irritate rather than sooth the skin.
Another place to start is the diet; go grain free if you have not done so already. Alkalizing the drinking water with baking soda or Ted’s borax protocol for pets is also another tool in the anti-itchies toolbox.
How much baking soda should I put in the water?
Hello Amy,
1 teaspoon of baking soda in one half liter of drinking water can help calm problem skin. Once the skin is under control, for long term maintenance use 1/2 tsp of baking soda per liter of water.
I was wondering if I could use 100% pure apple cider vinegar on my puppy for mites and manage??? I want to try home remedies for I take him to the vet?
PLEASE HELP ME!!!
My 9 week old boxer mix pup was diagnosed with a bacterial and/or fungal infection on the top of his paw and inside his ear. The vet recommended antibiotics and Lotrimin anti-fungal cream. I didn't want to do either but I most definitely did not want to put a cream on his foot that he could potentially ingest.
I found that ACV mixed with water should produce the same result as the cream but without any of the side effects. Immediately there were patches of skin/hair that came off. The skin underneath was pink.
I've been applying the mixture of equal parts ACV and water twice a day for a week and now the skin has gone from a light pink color to a dark almost black color. Also, there are small bumps on the skin. He doesn't show any discomfort when I touch the skin, but I'm wondering if I should be doing something else or if the regimen just needs a chance to run it's course.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!! I really don't want to use drugs on my pup. Thanks!!
I have a little Jack Russell, and she is on medication for her allergies already from the vet, but they do not work! She is still biting and licking her paws until they bleed and has recently bitten off 3 of her claws! Her skin is also quite red, although a steroid injection that she had at the vet recently has temporarily stopped it, but it will come bad – it always does. How much should I put in her food? And how often? Thank you.
P.S if anybody is interested – My vet friend told me that dogs can be allergic to dust mites and it can make them act this way!
Just as a side note, my dog was receiving steroid injections for his allergies and ended up with what they refer to as “Vet Induced Cushing's Disease”. Be careful about how often your dog gets those injections.
As for dosing, they say 2 tsp of ACV for a 50 pound dog, so for a Jack Russell, it should be appx 1 tsp, and then work your way up to an effective dose. I would give the lowest dose for at least a week (2 weeks is recommended) before increasing to 1 1/2 tsp, then to 2 tsp, etc… Hope this helps!
I had a Jack that had terrible allergies for years. Huge sores on her back that bled. I started making her food with a meat and veggies in the crock pot. Her skin started clearing up, her coat was shiny and her eyes clearer. Her sores completely healed and never came back. She lived to be 16. I also put ACV in her bath in a pitcher with water as her final rinse.
What types of meat and vegetables did you seem to use that worked best? How did you prepare it?
Biting off claws – any chance they were starting to come off on their own? Our dog had SLO – an autoimmune problem. In his case, it seemed to resolve itself after a year or two. I'm not sure if whatever triggered it was removed from our environment or…?
I have a pit bull who jumped in my car while I was cleaning it a couple of years ago, and she is the daintiest little flower I've ever seen. I finally got her digestive issues under control with Probiotic 4, and I recently changed to a higher quality, grain-free food, and now she has spots on her head and ears that are just skin that has dried out and crusted over. I tried coconut oil, but it didn't help.
She also has nearly constant ear infections. I took her to the vet in December, and he gave her a shot of something that helped for a couple of days and some ear drops that haven't done anything.
I can't afford the very best name brand foods for her – I have other pets and house issues that are taking my money right now. I have tried several sensitive skin or sensitive stomach brands, and nothing has changed, but if anyone has a suggestion of one that isn't too highly priced, I'll give it a try.
I'm going to try the ACV in the water and as a bath rinse. Any advice on her skin and ears would be most welcome.
Hey Suzi!
Are the crusty spots on your girl’s head due to scratching because of the ear infections? Most often those are behind the ears but they can scratch the top of the head also. If the head wounds are self inflicted due to scratching from ear infections, you can try a number of things for the ears. OTC and ordered online is Zymox Enzymatic solution for ears – I love this stuff. If you can’t afford to spend any money, consider garlic infused olive oil to help with heal sore skin in the ears and loosen up the gunk. After a few days on the garlic oil and the ears are not raw, you can do a isopropyl alcohol/white vinegar/water solution – equal parts of each. Use this solution to flush the gunk out of the ears and keep infections at bay.
Diet is critical; as long as you are feeding grain free I think you are on the right path. Consider switching protiens from chicken to beef to fish, etc. – this each time you need a new bag; this frequent switching has helped some dogs with troubled skin.
You might find Ted’s Borax Protocol for dogs very helpful for your girl, along with /or alternating with alkalizing with baking soda.
Hi Suzie, Try Zymox Otic from Bella's pain relief in the states. My staff has had many hematomas in her ears from yeast infections. But since I tried Otic, she still has the yeast build up from time to time but never need surgery again.
I will be trying the vingar as soon as possible for her feet. Thanks
I was paying big bucks for Royal Canin got my Chihuahuas, $17.99,3.5lbs. Found out through several dog food tests online it's averaging only a 2.5 star rating. I now buy Pure Balance at Walmart, $9.69 for 10 lbs and a 4 star rating! 🙂 Once or twice a week I put a spoonful, not much, in their dog food and mix it up. Keeps the coat shiny.
Unfilted Raw Honey is a great healer too. It's a natural antiseptic and much more. You might have to shop around a bit. I lived in San Jose then, the big city. I had trouble finding it. You can apply to hot spot, with a cone, if they're really raw.. Or add to their water. I just add till I can detect a slight coloring from the honey. I had one with serious pneumonia once. After two rounds of antibiotics I was desperate to save my boy and low on funds. Scouted for natural remedies online. SAVED my dog's life. Read up on it. Good luck.
For skin it is 50/50 distilled water and Apple Cider Vinegar, you can squeeze a lemon and add it too, works great, for Ears you should use Zymox 1% hydrocortizone the very best ear medication. My Vet gave up on My dogs ears, suggested I let him go??
He lost his balance almost dead and I used Zymox… it brought him out within 48 hours, His is still just fine with with Zymox 2 times a week, as maintainence, it is just natural probiotics… new technology, super stuff…
You can also apply neem to these sore spots; it kills fungus, pests etc, and is an oil, so gentle. consider cooking for your pet; save money and know what is in the food 🙂
Try colloidial silver. Make sure it is a good quality product. It will kill bacteria, fungus and viruses .You can use it for eye and ear infections. Make sure you educate yourself on how to use it. Be careful that you give the proper dosage.
The colloidal silver will kill the bad and good bacteria in the gut so give the dog yogurt or pro biotics while on CS. It will help with skin problems and mites. Coconut oil is also good for skin .
I've read all the benefits of giving my dogs ACV. How much ACV would I add to the 2. 5 gallon water dispenser?
My toy poodle has a terrible skin problem, bacterial and fungal infection…after much distress, the vet dermatologist told me to shampoo 3 times a week with Duoxo, and rinse/spray 2-3 times a day wth 1 tsp BLEACH in 8 oz water. That helped .
Hi, I have a blue staffi and he has skin allergys, I feed him raw food only, so do I give him the apple cider vinegar that you buy n the supermarkets or does it have to be a special one, also how much and how do I give to him, also do I spray it on his feet to stop him licking them?
Hey Lesley!
The ACV has to be a special one, that can be found in many supermarkets. The key is to find a brand that is 1)raw, 2) organic, 3) unfiltered, 4) contains ‘The mother’ [active and live enzyme culture].
You can give your guy the ACV in his water or his food; try 2-3 teaspoons into 1 liter of drinking water or just put it in some wet food. Most do this ongoing, or 3 weeks on/3 weeks off.
One thing to consider with you guy since he is a blue/dilute is CDA – color dilution alopecia – google this and do some research to make sure you are not dealing with this genetic condition.
You feed a RAW diet – kudos! Also consider supplementing with Quercetin or yucca for inflamation, and also colostrum to help build the immune system.
lastly, do consider Ted’s Mange Remedy or Anti-fungal/Anti-staph dip for the itching – dip as frequently as needed to keep the skin calm and itching at bay.
Can you put the Apple Cider Vinegar on dry food?
I want to know, how much apple cider vinegar to put in the water to bath my Little ROCCO. ( doggy ) How much water also. And can I leave it on him? What I did today, I bath him with oatmeal shampoo, then I rinsed him, and put about 1/2 a cup of ACV and about the same amount of water. I just put it on his neck to his back. I left it on, without rinsing him. Was that ok?
Hey Carolina!
I would change the ratio of the vinegar to 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water for the after bath rinse. You can also put a couple of tablespoons of the raw, organic, unpasturised ACV in his food; I hide it in wet food for my dogs when I need to dose it. You might also consider alkalizing your dogs water as that often can help with an itchy skin outbreak.
Carolina, do not bath your furbaby in oatmeal yeast will feed on that and cut out all sugars including honey sweet potatoes and potatoes and bread these will strengthen the yeast to spread more. I also took away all his treats and replaced them with Chicken and he is not complaining at all. I actually started spraying my dog with ACV and water. I used a cup to 16 oz of water for a week now every time he goes outside when he comes in I spray his paws off really well then pat them dry. I also place a towel over his eyes and spray his ears and pat dry. If he starts biting his body I spray him in those areas and it calms him and he now sleeps.
Great advice re quercetin and colostrum, thank you.
Does anybody know if its the Apple Cider Vinager with the Mother or just regular Apple Cider Vinager to use when treating my dog for allergies? Thanks
It must be organic Apple Cider Vinegar, with “the mother”.
Hi, where do you get the organic kind? And specifically what does the label say? Thank you much.
You can find organic ACV in any supermarket that has an organic section or a health food store.
One of my German Shepherds tends to get hot spots during the summer months. We live in FL, she's constantly swimming in a pool and the Gulf and she has a thick double layered coat that takes forever to dry. Vetericyn spray always helped in summer's past and I've got her on Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Dry Food, which she's always done well with. This summer was hardly manageable, not so much with the hot spots but itchy/flaky and black skin appeared and did not go away when the cooler weather came in.
Out of the blue she also started having bad breath, gray gook in her eyes every morning and she started to smell bad – even a day after bathing her. She got some aid from the Vetericyn and Oatmeal baths but only temporarily so I spent time researching online and putting together a plan of attack.
For quick relief (as suggested by so many people here) I began spraying 50/50 organic ACV (Walmart) & warm water all over her under belly and armpits and let it air dry. I could not believe it – she felt better immediately. I bought plain yogurt, which she loves (Publix), Probiotic Miracle and Enzyme Miracle (Amazon), I add all 3 and some water to her dry food and mix it well. She eats it up like crazy. When she's done I give her 1 Probiotic Acidophilus, 2 billion active cultures, human vitamin a day (Walmart). I also add 1 tsp. of organic ACV to all the water bowls.
UNBELIEVABLE – as of today, 4 days later, there's no itching or licking whatsoever and the flaking is 95% gone. There's very little gook in her eyes and absolutely no sign of a bad odor, she actually smells nice for the first time in months. My babygirl is doing GREAT, she's got more energy, she's eating well and is so obviously feeling much better all the way around. Also, I bought her all organic/grain free treats – have you read the labels lately on the treats you are giving your dogs? I was shocked!! I will continue to give her the products listed above, possibly for the rest of her life. Even though the black skin and bad breath aren't a nuisance to her, I'm hoping they too will go away soon with this new regimen.
Either way, she went from being miserable to the happiest girl on the planet in just a few days and the worst is way behind us, incredible. Awesome website……my only regret is that I didn't find earth clinic a few months sooner. Next time I have any health concerns for myself, my family or my dogs, this website will be my first stop, for sure.
I would change to raw feeding. raw meat. raw bones. NO treats. NO biscuits.
Bath in a anti fungal shampoo. Once a week. Rinse well. And then soak her everywhere with a solution of Distilled WHITE vinegar/half warm water. Allow to dry.
Put the same solution in a spray bottle, for daily use on bad arrears and dunk paws in at bed time.
Use bottled or filtered water. Not tap water. Add 1 teaspoonful of white vinegar.
Stay away from the ACV. Apples=sugar.
It's wonderful that you've gone holistic with your pet… I hope you've done so with yourself also… The issues/symptoms that your dog is having are 99% likely to your dog being in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and your pool (if it's chlorine)… These issues affect humans as well as animals… Her skin, itching, breath and the "gook" coming out of her eyes are all related health issues… She is sick and detoxing… Wonderful as I said that you've researched online and, incidentally if you weren't aware, specifically your holistic approach is part of the treatment for those affected by the toxins… The VOC's are plentiful in the water and are also airborne… The chemicals used to "treat" the GOM also bind with chlorine in pools… Good luck and stay safe yourself…
I am trying 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar and water on my dogs itchy paws …but she is diabetic and wnder if sugar in this vinegar is a good idea? Might try plain white instead ..love the website .. thankyou
Thanks for the “plan of attack” on the hotspots. I have 2 beagles suffering with it. I'm a groomer, so I have tried every expensive product out there, to no avail. I wondered if Apple Cider Vinegar would help and I'm so happy to hear how this has worked for your dog. We're starting on it today. Thanks again.
My 11 year old German shepherd mix has been suffering from skin problems every summer. Her belly is pretty much black but areas mixed in that look pink. Her coat has many areas of flaky type of packes all over wspecially under the black saddle part! She scratches and I was told to get her Benadryal to help relieve it. I have shampoos oatmeal and aloe and sprays. But I feel so bad for her. I rinse her off every time she goes into the river! She loves it . Please do you think your remedy will help my girl . Thank you deb
To Debbie Landa in NH:
Follow the recommendations of Lauren (Crawfordville, Fl) who posted above. Most importantly, change her food to one without grain, without corn and without rice. And, get some organic Apple Cider Vinegar (the brand that begins with “Br”). Mix a solution in a spray bottle of 1/2 ACV and 1/2 distilled water. Spray all over the dog, getting her completely soaked, and let her air-dry. You can also add a tablespoon of the ACV into her water or her food. Do the ACV (both spraying and in her food) for at least a couple of months to see the benefits.
I tried your remedy tonight and my puppy seems to be doing better tonite. not scratching at all but still licking some. How often should I spray my dog w/ the acv/water solution? Thanks,
The ACV brand is "Bragg" possibly?
my 4 yo, Max, suffers from hot spots as well. Vet gave an expensive script spray of Relifor …4 oz bottle cost $25+ and didn't seem to work. A border collie mix at about 55 lbs…grain free food doesn't agree with him. A sensitive stomach & skin. The previous owner and foster mom had him on Purina dog chow healthy morsels..first ingredient is corn (ugh) I've only had him about 2 months.
I can't afford the expensive prescription food..not at $75 a 20 lb bag..so I've switched him over to Purina's Pro plan for sensitive skin and stomach. First ingredient is salmon. He's eating better but his skin still has the hotspots..at 55 lbs I'm going to try the Apple Cider Vinegar In food and as a spray. Hope it works.
Have tried this solution and I didn't have the measurements of each of the ingredients correct but it still worked a little bit anyway!! LOL I can almost see it in my mind the proper measures will make all the difference.