Itchy nose? Watery eyes? Rashy skin? Sounds familiar, right? While it may seem surprising, your pet can also experience allergy issues many people encounter. The good news is that a dog’s allergies are easy to treat using the same natural remedies used for people!
Dogs with allergies often respond well to natural remedies like acidophilus, evening primrose oil, omega-3 fats, and coconut oil.
Top Allergy Remedies for Pets
Catching a pet’s allergic response early on is one of the most important steps to fighting allergies. In some cases, you may notice symptoms of allergies in your pet before it develops to a systemic response, which allows you to begin treating immediately and avoid additional vet visits. However, if you pet is red, itchy, and swollen, you should probably head to the vet with the animal to get a more thorough diagnosis. In any event, though, natural cures are helpful supports for safely and effectively alleviating allergy issues in pets. Consider trying acidophilus, evening primrose oil, omega-3 fats, and coconut oil to treat your pet’s allergy symptoms.
Acidophilus
Acidophilus is a form of good bacteria that helps balance the body’s immune system. When the natural bacteria is “in check” in the gastrointestinal tract, your pet’s immune system functions more optimally. You can find acidophilus in the form of a dietary supplement and even in yogurt or food forms for your pet.
Evening Primrose Oil
Evening primrose oil has active anti-inflammatory and anti-itch compounds. You can apply primrose oil to you animal’s skin to treat dry or itchy skin issues. Likewise, giving your pet evening primrose oil by mouth helps calm allergies and boost the immune system.
Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 fatty acids are more balanced, complex fats than other forms. These supplements help decrease inflammation and relieve allergic responses throughout the body. Omega-3s are especially helpful for treating seasonal allergies. Consider using krill, salmon, or tuna oil as a dietary supplement or topical application for your pet.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another complex fat. This blend contains lauric acid, which actually helps fight the production of yeast, a common inflammatory component.
Coconut oil also helps decrease inflammation and can be used internally and externally for treating your pet’s allergy issues.
How Can I Stop My Dog From Chewing His Paws?
If your dog is chewing or licking his paws, it might be from allergies in the environment. Rinsing your dog’s paws after she or he returns from the walk may help immensely.
Other Options to Ask Your Vet
If dietary changes and home remedies don’t work in improving your dog’s itchy skin, especially if his/her immune system has been compromised and weakened, ask your vet about a Cytopoint injection, which treats itchy skin and atopic dermatitis in dogs with minimal side effects. One shot, though quite expensive, lasts 4-8 weeks.
What Types of Allergies Are Common in Pets?
The two most common forms of allergies that your pet may experience are food allergies and environmental allergies. As a general rule of thumb, seasonal allergies are situated within the “environmental” category of allergies.
Allergies of any type are an overreaction of the immune system, in which the immune system identifies the allergen as a foreign substance that it must eliminate. As the animal’s body tries to fight this substance, the reactions in the form of allergy symptoms occur.
Several different types of pet allergies are relatively common including dust mite sensitivity and sensitivity to chemicals such as latex or aerosol. Nonetheless, the absolutely most common allergies that may be affecting your pet are environmental allergies that include ragweed, grass, pollen, mold, and trees.
What Symptoms Will My Pet Exhibit If She Has Allergies?
The symptoms your pet exhibits may vary depending on the specific allergy it has, but generally animal allergy symptoms are relatively common.
Some of the symptoms that your pet may exhibit include inflammation in the sinuses or airways, coughing, excess mucus, nasal discharge, runny eyes, swollen eyes, redness in the paws or belly, and itching and scratching.
Bowel issues are also common in relation to environmental allergies and may include issues such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Reader Feedback
Below you will find user submitted natural remedies for pets with allergies. The most popular treatment for allergies in dogs is apple cider vinegar. Many users have also suggested dietary changes for your cat or dog; food allergies to certain brands are quite common.
If your dog has any issues with IBS or pancreatitis, DO NOT give them any oils of any kind.
I think coconut oil is not processed the same as other oils, and you can uptake it through skin if you have nausea, or add some ginger. Dogs love it
When dogs chew their paws and paws are stained the Biggest Allergies are Chicken, Chicken fat, Chicken meal!!
No corn Soy of wheat! So go with Grain Free dog food with none of these ingredients Salmon,Turkey, Duck and Lamb are fine! Watch your Treats too!! No Wheat!!!
I now have a chorky a chihuahua + yorkie, she has horrible allergies airborne she will bit, nip, scratch till she looks like she has mainge! She came into my life to make me as happy to have a lil` girly girl again she was right around 8 weeks, I noticed she had this tiny little bump no bigger than the tip of ball point pen. months later I noticed it had grown and split into 2 bumps still small I got nerveous and had her checked out while I was in Georgia and she said it was a cysts and could be removed but was small that it may go away or grow but was nothing dangerous, we'd watch it and if it got worse or painful she'd remove it. well what seemed like overnight [and was a couple months later] it not only grew but ruptured! Omg I didn't see it go from an eraser size to a bump split wide open oMg, I cried, cleaned it up and poor baby she looked at mommy with sad eyes, they said that was good to release and put her on antibiotics I kept it clean and researched!!
I found Turmeric I purchased my from Health xxx site vitamins etc, … it was purest form and I sprinkled it in her food and WoW never had one again 4 years later she had a small one and after a few couple and a half years i didn't think she should be on it for life so I quit giving it to her and a couple months ago she had a small one. So I'm going back to Tumeric, guess my point was that it's healing properties are for cysts, tumors, cancer, and more! I just noticed that her ear seemed darker and bumpier than her other one and she's never been one to allow her ears to be manipulated to see inside, she's all black lol and disapears in a shadow, lol. there seems to be a tint of what I can't be sure of but either from her scratching or there is something irritated I pray thats the only reason is irratation! But Tumeric is extremely dooable price I paid …4 years ago was around $8 and some change, was on sale but a larger pouch size of a bag of salad croutons. research the amount you'd need for your pet and sprinkle it in their food, she never seemed to not like it.
Good Luck. I hope my story tho long but hopefully helpful! Tc & gb!
Hi There,
i just wanted to share this remedy for allergies. My cat is allergic to pretty much every food known to man, he was tested, even rice, corn, and I heard on the radio in London, BBC Radio London, The Barking Hour, that raw green tripe helps bring dogs out of allergies. So, I tried it on my cat. It has helped so much, he has never been better, not totally allergy free but much better even than when he was on steroids. He has been my "project" for the last eleven years and I cannot say how relieved we both are for the tripe. Here in London, it gets delivered from Mobile Pet Food, minced and frozen. So you just thaw it out, I mix it with quarter tsp coconut oil, courgettes, pinch kelp and sometimes some lamb heart ( he can tolerate a bit more 'normal' food now)
Grate fresh turmeric root on your pet's food to treat allergies. Protects the liver and reduces inflammation. I heard fresh pepper makes it more assumable but I am not giving it to my dog without a few vets weighing in on it. I'm a 10 yr veterinary technician with a blue pit bull myself who has terrible allergies. It comes down to a toxin in their environment working its way out of them and a faulty immune response. Find the culprit and remove it or antigen therapy may be needed. Building up tolerance and immunity to the allergen. Do not use essential oils with them. Doesn't work the same. I grate half a root for my 110lb dog.
One of my dogs has severe skin allergies and his skin tends to get infected at times, especially in the spring and summer. I can usually keep it in check with turmeric capsules, fish oil and a tea tree oil containing hotspot spray, but his skin continues to flare along his spine, ribs and tail. I recently had to do a round of antibiotics from the vet to stop the infection from spreading and it really threw his system off. His skin smelled terrible after that, even with probiotics. Then a friend recently suggested I try spraying 20 ppm (parts per million) Colloidal Silver several times a day.
I put 20 ppm CS (undiluted) in a spray bottle with a fine mist and I spray the colloidal silver on all the areas he is having skin issues (quite a large area). I do not towel the CS off.
Colloidal Silver is the first remedy I have tried that is working wonders on a recurring skin condition. I spray him with CS 3 times a day, parting his fur to make sure the CS gets directly to the problem skin. I started to see improvement in 48 hours. His skin is no longer red, the flaking has stopped completely and his smell is back to normal!
P.S. When you buy the colloidal silver in a store, make sure the color of the liquid is yellow. They tend to sell Colloidal silver in blue or brown bottles so it is impossible to tell the color of the liquid inside until you get home and open it. But 20 ppm TRUE colloidal silver is yellow… 320-500 ppm is copper colored. You will have to dilute the stronger concentrations of CS but instructions are usually given on the label. If the liquid is clear, you have bought ionic silver and not colloidal silver.
Hope this information helps some of the dogs suffering from skin infections and issues.
My dog has had skin ALLERGIES soooo bad FOREVER– (since 8wks old she is now 2—-itchy eyes like goggles, hot spots on her front paws and YEASTY ears/skin – also inflammed itchy lips)- I went though TONS of natural remedies for red mange/YEAST/allergies (because the symptoms can mimic each other) including but not limited to—- coconut oil, ACV, elimination diets, supplements, essential oils— you name it – I tried it— did TEDS Mange treatment, and have been making her food ( ground turkey with cruciferous veggies only …even with all of the evening primrose, immune support anti yeast probiotic protocols, even making 24 hr fermented homemade yogurt!!!
For all I was doing I was seeing small improvements where it would DEFINITELY improve but not go away completely— no REAL RESULTS that I could say WOW – that worked–my husband who makes fun of my 13 hour research sessions for our pup has been giving Stella a raw egg once a day for the last week with her breakfast. – PROBLEM SOLVED —no joke— I can't even believe it! AMAZING!!!!
Hi Krista! I came upon your post on Earth Clinic..how’s Stella? Our Blue Nose/Rott mix has everything Stella has!! Tried the Coconut; the ACV; Baking Soda; Borax; Benzoil Peroxide baths, and the proverbial Vet Visit. And because of yeast jnfections has Cauliflower ears! Scratching; licking paws & hot spots! I was born & grew up in Brooklyn, NY and remember my mom giving our German Sheppard, Missy, an egg a day & I don’t remember going to vet appointments every month! Guess there is something to the Ole School way of taking care of business!!!
Natural dog skin allergy cures
Why r u not recommending turmeric in the dog's food and in pill form for eye and skin rashes. I found it to work in just a few days.
My dog had a very bad rash all over his body plus runny ichy eyes..I started putting turmeric in his food and within three days eyes started clearing up and his skin returned 98% clear..I'm still trying other herbs to clear up the rest….THIS was after spending almost $2000.00 at a vet.
Are u using the powder or root
WORKED TEMPORARILY
After learning more about K9 allergies from this site. I had my Jack Russell Clothes FREE & Bucket Head Free, for 3 wks. She was ROCKIN!!! I feed Raw, doing the yogurt, apple cider vinegar, Diatomaceous Earth. Omegas, all in her food. Bentonite Mud body masks, apple cider/ water/ tea tree body sprays. She has had a SERIOUS RELAPSE. For the past week she is Chewing & Scratching herself to the point to open wounds over her body. She is back wearing clothes & back to her bucket head. I'll be buying a muzzle today for her as well. I Need HELP!!! Both of Us are Worn Out.
Hello Janice,
Did you keep up with all the RAW and DE and body masks and then the symptoms came back when you stopped?
If you have continued with the program and the itching came back despite the RAW diet et al, you might consider a few additional dietary supplements. Consider yucca and quercetin for the inflammation, and also colostrum to help build the immune system.
Maybe a it's a lot for the system … I do know that when my Bells gets a hot spot she gets caught in a scratch and turns her brows upwards in a look saying" I don't have fleas… I swear! "
Vinegar works great for us, and wheat free. Stress never fails to set her back though.😇
Have you tried bovine colostrum? it's the miracle cure in our house. My cat has almost doubled his life expectancy of 2 yrs. I haven't used it for allergies but I know it claims to work for them.
Everyone with any animal with skin allergies….Please please feed your animals with tumeric. Add a half teaspoon to their food twice daily. My chow mix weighs 110 lbs This summer notice Max itching slot and both eyes were watering. Like everyone else we went straight to the vet. His entire stomach was red with sores and the sores were on his chin and also throughout his thick hair. The vet gave him medicine that was over a hundred dollars per script. We went through several scripts and had only partial results. I read about turmeric that also contained pepper. Within 3 days eyes were back to normal within 10 days almost all the rashes were cleared up I've since started making my own 500 ml. Capsules also adding 10% clove. It works unbelievable…I also have started taking them myself and have notice a HUGE improvement in my arthritis pain……..It works trust me everyone should at least try it on their pets….If u make your own capsules it only cost pennies to make. Amazon has the empty capsules cheap they r OO caps and the filling tool runs around $20 it takes me about 20 minutes to fill 50 caps….
Good Morning Jeffrey,
Could you please share the ratio of the turmeric and pepper you used? And can u share the brand of capsules? Thanks a bunch
Jeffrey, Please, please..I'm desperate here…Since I don't know if all tumeric is created equal, could you please give some more specifics? My 7 yr old blue nose that I just adopted has the same problems your pup had. Just ended the 2nd dose of prednisone with antihistime and 3 days later she is a mess. how much pepper??
This is about evening primrose and my dogs allergies
Hi,
i came across this site when I was looking for remedies to help my Staffordshire Bull terriers itching.
His allergies first came to our attention when we noticed a bald patch on his hind leg.He was very red on his belly, ears and eyes. Runny nose. We took him to the vet and through his insurance got him tested for everything. His main allergies are Dustmites, Storage mites( found in dry food ) wheat, and some seasonal grasses, and leaves. We started off on the prescribed vets tablets, but I thought there must be something better for my young dog. He was only 5-6 months at the time. I found this site and started him on Evening Primrose 1000mg plus Chlorphenamine ( antihistamine 4mg)with his food in the morning and 500mg Evebing Primrose and an anthistamine in his second meal. I stopped feeding my birds bread as he would happily eat the leftovers( wheat)got him on a raw food diet( natures menu frozen nuggets) wipe him with wipes after every walk to get any allergens off. Even sausage treats whilst training him were stopped as sausages have breadcrumbs in them. So really it's all trial and error, but he is 19months old now, And his symptoms are well and truly at bay and bald patches are no more!
So thankyou for the information on your site, it has changed my beautiful dogs life.
Nickyadams6, you are lucky. You got on your dogs problem so soon. Some people go for years before finding a solution to skin problems. You have to try something then if that dosen't work try something else. But a good place to start is always the diet and then the environment. Good luck for the future.
Nickyadams6, you are lucky you got on your dog's problem so soon. Some people go for years before finding a solution to skin problems, you have to try something then if that doesn't work, try something else, but a good place to start is always the diet and then the environment. Good luck for the future.
T's Skin Cleanse –
This recipe was created after reading through EC's pages paying particular attention to Ted's advice for skin issues in dogs. The basic recipe consists of hydrogen peroxide, borax, Epsom salt, and Milk of Magnesia.
Take one 16oz bottle of 3% drugstore hydrogen peroxide and dilute it with 32 oz of water to get a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide.
To this add 1 cup each of the borax, Epsom salt and Milk of Magnesia.
I will make up a vat of this at one time, filling a medium sized plastic storage tub with the solution, using up an entire box of borax, entire bag of the Epsom salt, 2-3 bottles of Milk of Magnesia and half a dozen bottles of hydrogen peroxide; when filling a bin/vat/tub I tend to add more water to bring the level up in the tub I am using. It helps to use HOT water to mix up the borax to get it to dissolve.
When the ingredients are all mixed and I have a nice, toasty dip for my pack, I wash each dog first, squeegy off excess water with my hands and then into the tub full of skin cleanse dip they go. I keep them there for at least 10 minutes and pour the solution over them constantly.
I use the solution in any skin folds, the male's prepuce, tight areas around the tail, and also inside the ears to flush out debris and cleanse the inside of the ears. After time is up I take them out of the tub and let them run around the bathroom wet while I dip the next dog. When you make up a big tub, it helps to do multiple dogs to get your money's worth.
If the solution gets cold, I pour some into a pot and put it on the stove and reheat it, and then mix it back into the big vat and on to the next dog. Having the dog standing in the solution, or for smaller dogs to be up to their chin in the solution, helps treat the entire skin and having them stand in the wet working solution for at least 10 minutes allows the active ingredients to really penetrate the dermis for a good deep cleaning. The solution has about a 24 hour 'working' life, and after that time I pour it down the drain.
I have found this skin cleanse dip to nip an allergy break out on the skin in the bud, and also relieve itching to boot. Because of the hydrogen peroxide this may not be the ideal solution for black show dogs, as it will bleach their black coat into a dull red.
I am caretaking my brother's Shih-Tzu, who is the sister of my own Shih-Tzu. I know that skin problems are genetic because I struggle with periodic scabs on my dog. However, My brother's dog has an absolutely horrible skin problem where she is bald in 30 percent of her body and the skin is sticky and smells horrendous. I too have assisted him and tried everything-yesterday I bought vetricin which was recommended by my groomer. Its safe to spray areas where the dog will lick. I just gave her her second bath in Miconazolle-type shampoo and let it sit on her for 15 minutes-then dried her and sprayed again with Vetricin. I shall keep you posted.
I wanted to mention-I see a lot of posts about changing the diet. I have a lab mix that was my husband's when we met. For the first 3 years that I've had her-she's had a chronic ear problem where gobs of gunk would come out of her left ear-everyday.
Finally her ear is better! After several vet appointments and ointments-washes-etc….a new vet suggested that she may have a food allergy and said that most of the time the allergy is CHICKEN!!
She hasn't had chicken in 2 years and her ear is clean as a whistle.
My dog had that smell combined with itching and it was a yeast infection. I gave her baths with tar shampoo for humans and rinsed her before she was finished with white vinegar. Also, added plain yogurt to her non-grain diet. Research earth clinic animal yeast infection for more details.
We have had Dilly, our rescue Lhasa Apso, for 9 months. She had been used for breeding then abandoned. She is about 4 years old and has had a very bad start she came with a very seriously dry red inflamed skin.
So far we have put her on a grain free diet give her mega 3 6 9 shampoo her in organic chemical free products keep her hair short give her cider vinegar … she is about 75% improved in the 9 months we have had her but she can't stop licking and scratching … I am unsure if she is getting a recurring mite as her skin will flare up look very red and angry then go very dry – she won't sleep on her own and is keeping us awake night after night. I just want to get her well as she can be.
Please can you help? I have booked to see a homeopathic vet in July earliest I can get photo how she was when she was found … how she was when we adopted her And how she is now when not flaring up.
Hello Merice,
You might try bathing her and using a vinegar rinse – or dipping her in a vat of vinegar solution; rinse or dip should be 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water- for topical use I use the white vinegar.
Also while you have changed the diet to grain free, you might consider changing protiens as some dogs do not tolerate beef while others do not tolerate poultry. So change it up and try feeding one bag [ie beef] and then when it runs out try a different bag [ie chicken] and keep a daily log to note any changes.
Merice, I would try probotics and here in aussie we can buy curash – its a powder for itchy skin its actually for babies. I have used it for my dogs and it has helped a lot. Maybe you can buy it there or something similar.
I have a puppy who was suffering terribly five years. she was seen by different vets and we couldn't seem to clear things up for her no matter what we did. She would chew on her front paws so her feet were swollen twice their normal size. The skin was bright red, then she started scratching her face and would scratch it until it bled. She also licked her genitals until they were ulcerated And would hide in my closet all day. I was at the end of my rope and one night I googled “canine yeast infections”. then I was led to the Great Dane Lady's site. I started my puppy on her recommended products on July 8th and I can tell you EVERYONE notices Molly's improvements. Her feet are normal size and no longer red, she her genitals are back to normal size and no longer ulcerated and she is with us constantly and no longer hiding in the closet. It cost $125. + shipping and duty from the USA but was the best money I ever spent. I am just now going to order more of some of the products as I'm starting to run low on some things but I can't tell you what an amazing difference these (all natural) products have made for my little Molly. People used to think she was an old dog when she was only 1 yr old. Now she's five and the lively, loving puppy she once was.
Ok no links or help for other here can you post anymore details on the products?
Hi, I have a Retriever/Shepherd mix that I adopted at approx. age 1. After a few months, he developed allergies. His scratching would keep us up at night and was very intense. His face would be ripped open, bleeding and raw. His vet practised both both traditional and holistic medicine.
It has taken about 6 months to get under control, but he has gone from 3 reactine tablets (which only eased, didn't eliminate the scratching) to being drug free and scratch free. What changed? I took him of his dog food, and changed to a high grade food called canisource, the Herring Flavor. Most food allergies in dogs result from chicken, beef, grains and dairy. This is why I choose a fish source protein. This food is expensive, but so are trips to the vet. I also mix in boiled vegtables that I mash together. I use sweet potato, carrots, turnip and green beens. I make big boilers and freeze containers.
The vet doctor also suggested that I give him Omega 3 (seal oil) capsules for the inflammation that his allergies cause. His ears and anal glands become inflammed. He gets 3 in his breakfast and 3 in his supper. MOST fruits and vegtables are okay. Stay away from tomatoes, grapes, onions and a couple more..These are simple foods with only one ingredient and allergy friendly. My dog has pineapple for a snack at lunch time and an apple before bed. He is strong, healthly and his coat gleams. I am so glad to have found a way to cure him of his allergies. It didn't happen overnight, it won't and his cells have to regenerate. It took 3-4 months. Now that his allergies are under control, I can introduce one food at a time in small, consistent amounts for a couple of weeks to see if the allergies reappear. I have done so with both chicken which caused pretty much immediate scratching and with beef, that started his scratching after building up in his system after about a week. These were removed from his diet again and he is allergy free again. Next I will try cheese or peanut butter. Hope this helps someone else out there that is struggling to help their furry friend.
Hi,
I have a four year old GSD and we have battled allergies her entire life. She has blown her undercoat and never really gotten it back. Her scratching typically requires antibiotics after she creates cuts and sores. She has been on Temeral-P which keeps her at bay, Prednisone, and other oral medications. We removed her from it all except Benadryl twice a day about two months ago.We have to cone her at night to stop her biting and scratching. From blood and skin testing her allergies are;
Cats, Fish and fish mix, poultry and poultry mix (duck, chicken), Kelp, Corn, Eggs, Brewers yeast, Oat, Soybean, all grasses except fescue, dust mites and others with lower reactivity.
We feed her Earthborn Holistic Meadow feast, her treats are dehydrated beef liver (only liver), celery, carrots, ice, beef bones, and I think that is it.
Currently we are supplementing her food with coconut oil twice a day, pumpkin with both meals.
I tried ACV and water 50:50 This resulted in a super soft coat but she continued scratching. PLEASE help us, we can't stand to see her miserable.
Try bee pollen.
Lynn; Try probiotics…. I have two I take one every other day and the other on the off day. It's cats claw and grape seed extract. Good Luck
Lynn, What are you feeding him? Let me know.
Robert Lovemyamber
Hi! Vernon,
It is no wonder this has been going on so long. The food you are feeding your dog is not species appropriate. Blueberry Fiber, Cranberry Fiber, Apples, Blueberries, Carrots, Spinach, Cranberries, are people food and are not dog food. They are indigestible to dogs and can cause allergies. STOP. The medicines you have been using, temeral-p , prednisone and antibiotics are immune system compromising and may seem to help in the short term but are harmful in the long run. STOP If you give your dog shots and flea & tick and heart worm meds. STOP. Supplements ? STOP. Feed your dog nothing but USDA approved human grade diversified RAW MEAT. You can get this at REEL RAW dog food co. delivered to your door. The premium diet costs a little more but it contains green tripe among other ingredients that will be very beneficial to your girl. If it seems expensive, think how much you will save on Vets. bills. You can find it on the internet. It is not usually chicken etc. she is allergic to it is the commercial dog food itself. NO KIBBLE, STOP Keep up with soothing dips you can find on this site, ask Theresa. No ACV where she is raw, it burns. I use peroxide for cuts. Don't give up, be patient and persevering, it will take a long time for her to get well but it will be so worth it. I went through it with my sweet Abby who even had seizures due to the flea & tick and heart worm poisons. Her seizures stopped and slowly things resolved themselves in spite of several Vets opposition who wanted sell me anti seizure and numerous other toxic cures and Prescription [ what a scam ] dog food. Switch your girls diet all at once, no tapering off . She may have diarrhea but don't worry it is the toxins being eliminated. She will go crazy over the food and get her energy and well being back and be more alive again. Like a car with a permanent oil change and tune up. Let me know in six months or so how she is doing. I really hope you see my message. Yours truly, Robert Lovemyamber
Hello Vernon, It's Robert again. Did I mention in my previous reply to STOP the treats also. Nothing in her diet but balanced raw meats and non-weight bearing uncooked raw meaty bones in proper proportion with her food and for treats. Do not expect overnight miracles, it will take time , be patient please. Lots of love, no stress and lots of exercise, along with the instructions in my previous reply, It is very important not to give in and give her something to make her happy , she will be happy being healthy again. So many people say , gee Ive been doing this for a couple weeks now and I don't see a change , here sweetie have a rawhide treat to make you happy. Don't do it. Concerned for her, Robert Lovemyamber
I have noticed that most vets insist on me giving my cats either reg. cat food or with no grain cat food.I rescued a cat at the of eleven years old/ some one found her eating out of the dumpster, I have tried many types of cat food & she still likes eating out of the trash.When she eats cat food no matter the type or brand she continues to throw up so I decided to cook nice fresh chicken for her, she has no problem with eating this & does well at keeping it down, If I slip in vit's. she refuses to eat, so it's obvious she was a picky dumpster diver. 🙂
Apologies if this has been mentioned already. There are so many pages and my concentration is terrible but while in here about one of my dogs heart issues I thought I should post my experience with my other dogs allergies. He is a cavalier King Charles spaniel who after being allergy tested is found to be allergic to too much to list but things like weeds, grass etc are the worst. He gets skin so itchy it ripples to the touch, flaky dandruff, hot spots etc. I tried so many remedies which failed but skin eze herbal supplement worked so well I stopped his anti inflammatory injections at the vets. I live in th UK and allergic pet.com are US based; however, they do ship here. It's quite expensive so I tend to order in bulk. I give my 24 lb Cav 2 capsules 4 times a day and increase the number of capsules as needed. He isn't cured, his skin still ripples and the dandruff is there but he doesn't drive himself so mad he yelps with the itching and howls in distress
If you are also in the UK and can't afford skin Eze or want to supplement it I have also found skin & itch by homeopet and allergy aid by phytopet to be good. Both are available on Amazon.co.uk.
I hope these help cos seeing your pet driven mad by itching is heartbreaking. Good luck.
What are the ingredients in skin eze? regards
our dog received a steroid shot for allergies…so far has severe panting, high heart rate.
Hey Judy!
This is typical for a steroid shot. Your dog will pant like crazy and have hot flashes -and will drink and drink and drink and then have to pee every 10 minutes. As the level of steroid in her system goes down, so will the symptoms you are seeing. Expect to see these intense symptoms for the first 2 weeks. The good thing is that the allergy itching will be better almost instantly.
Hey EC….Guys….This site has always been there for me and so because of this, I am so happy to share my two cents which hopefully will help someone who has to watch their dog suffer through allergies. I own a cockapoo who is 7 years old. He has been suffering from allergies since he turned 3, however, as he is getting older, it's starting to get worse….his paws are almost black even though he is white so go figure…the worse was when recently I noticed that he had developed a hematoma in his left ear…he was in so much pain…the vet said that was because of the constant shaking of his head when he eats something that he is allergic to….now what bothered me is that I buy the best food for him….you name it I tried it…Blue, Orijen, Wellness etc….nothing worked…until finally, I found a food called Acana limited ingredients dog food. It's a food that is made in Canada with only the freshest ingredients and what amazed me is the ingredient list….I waited for at least six weeks to write this post just to be sure….update…my dog still scratches but….rarely and I am beyond happy…his paws are almost white again with only traces of black so go figure….The type of food I buy is pork with butternut squash. Try it guys and let me know if it works….Thanks for hearing me out….
Don’t orajin make the acana? Which food exactly is it?
Why can't my cat walk after allergy shot?
Hey Deb!
You do not specify which sort of allergy shot your cat received so I will assume it was a steroid shot.
If the vet did not position the injection correctly and the injected steroid hit a nerve, it would cause temporary paralysis.
I have a question for Ted. I have a rescue with extreme allergies. She is allergic to every type of food except raw beef. The beef has to be untreated or her stomach will reject it. She also is allergic to something in ALL types of vitamins and supplements. I add unprocessed apple cider vinegar so she gets a, c and e. Sometimes she can tolerate black strap molasses for a source of b's and iron but usually her skin will break out. She needs omega 3 fatty acids but is allergic to fish and whatever would be in the casing for fish oil capsules. Do you have any suggestions for alternative omega 3 sources to treat her skin allergies that act up in spring, summer and fall?
Hey Adrienne! Not Ted responding, but in case he doesn’t visit this section I thought I would chime in.
The first thought that came to mind when reading your post was that your dog needs GI support in the form of probiotics and acidophilus. The next thought was that alkalizing would also help.
I have a number of allergy dogs and when whatever it is that blows in on the air/blooms in the molds and pollens and I start seeing my pack develop hives and get the itchies, I alkalize the water with baking soda. If every seems to have it I do crisis dose of 1 teaspoon into 1 liter of pure water – this for about a week; then I drop down to a maintenance dose of one half teaspoon into 1 liter of water. I may rotate this out with Epsom salt in the water or borax, especially if I feel a yeast component is involved.
And in the clearance bin at the grocery store I found a bottle of liquid Benadryl for topical use; I tried that on my one dog’s skin fold pyoderma at the base of her tail and it seemed to help greatly reduce the itch/irritation. It got me better results than the turmeric I had been applying, and the dog is comfortable so I have no problem using it topically.
And I know you have tried everything, but have you tried spirulina powder for vitamins for your dog?
Flaxseed oil is one alternative and likely least expensive to fish oil for omega 3s and it is sold in liquid form. Gelatin (derived from animal sources) is a cause of allergic reactions in humans often and is used to make pill capsules, so I think thats what you want to avoid. Capsules can be made from vegetable stearate I think and this might be fine for your pooch. You could try searching for vegan brands of chia seed oil and seaweeds as well or use walnut oil, sold in the standard grocery store. Seaweeds and algae should be used with caution since your dog has such severe disease and these can worsen some autoimmune conditions in humans (ask the vet). Organ meats like liver are great sources of b vitamins and iron. Its best to use grass fed beef for organ meat, since cows are not meant to eat corn, the livers of beef from industrial farms can be very unhealthy.
Have you tried the turmeric 3 x a day and evening primrose oil?
Regards
Hi. I take in rescues, rehabilitate them and rehome them to a loving home. Raven came to us last year, but was a mess (giardia, bladder infection, severe hair loss, sores all over his body, ear infection, 15 pounds underweight, diarrhea, etc, continued kenneling, allergies) & had been through a lot, so he stayed with us. We've had him for one year and cushing's has been a question. He is 9 years and 4mths. I am feeding him a no grain dog food, (potato & turkey), dasuquin (for athritis??), salmon oil, slippery elm powder. I give him Bach Flower remedies. Also, chamomile tea when need be. Last year in July, when I got him, I had his rabies vaccinations and started him on Revolution. In August, his allergies really started up. He couldn't go outside, the pollen, hayfever and goldenrod through him for a loop. Also, I wondered if the rabies vaccines & revolution were bothering him. It all made so much sense. But, living where we do, there are a lot of mosquitos and if I don't give him revolution, there is a chance of heartworm. Now, it's a year later and he's suffering again. He does itch a lot, (I bathe him with a nice african oatmeal item), I wash his laundry in non fragnant no chemical biodegradable soap or just baking soda or vinegar. Can anyone suggest an alternative to the Revolution and the Rabies? I really think that these are causing him problems and a lot of vets don't believe in holistic. Thank you so much. I really appreciate anyone and everyone's help. Raven is really a great guy, wonderful gentle soul and even through his horrific suffering, he wags his tail, gives kisses and is the most wonderful loving guy. I want to do what is best for him. The vet that we have is very good, but there is some controversy regarding the holistic treatment for rabies/revolution treatment.
With gratitude and in kindness,
Alison
You may be able to get a waiver from your vet for the rabies vaccination – that or make sure you get the 3 year instead of the annual. For heartworm try the daily oral tablet you may wish to consider Nemacide/Decacide [diethylcarbamazine aka DEC] – this only after a negative heatworm test. It's sure been a rough year for allergies 🙁
Diatomaceous earth and evening primrose oil and turmeric 1 tsp 3x a day….
Worth a go!
I have read that yew would help after vaccination but I found that out too late to use it on my dog. I adopted her when she was 8 so she probably had been given shots many times since our Animal Control requires them for licensing. But instead of rabies shots, I had titers done and her numbers were so high that Animal Control waived her rabies shots for the rest of her life. Titers were expensive but worth it to me, because she has terrible itching.
Hi everyone! I have emailed Ted during the week without a response so thought I may open it up to the rest of the community. My story is long (apologies! ) but the opposite to most peoples pet stories. Most people can elliminate most things with animals with proper diet: raw home-made food. Our story is different and we're at out wits end, happy for people to weigh in if they have a moment to read our story 🙂
We have an 18 month of Blue English Staffordshire Terrier female dog – Matilda – currently desexed (but we are not breeding her)
From day 1 we only fed her home made food. Grass-fed, organic beef including liver & kidney, kangaroo meat, organic cold pressed coconut oil, organic garlic, organic raw egg yolks, etc. Her diet was perfect – and all raw. Unfortunately at about 4months old she started having ear troubles, and we battled with yeasty, gunky, infections for months. Itchy feet also an issue, on and off – varying degrees of infection at different times. No chemicals in the house, bare minimal vaccine schedule given to her. The most natural puppy around! Lots of raw meaty bones, and diatamaceous earth in food incase of fleas but she never had them.
We tried different ear flushes (ACV, rubbing alcohol, aloe vera) and (h202 3%) and (Mix of Acetic Acid & Boric Acid). Sometimes ears were better than other times.
We played around with diet and went on first elmination diet: all the same food but slow cooked instead of raw (holistic vet said she was a 'hot, damp' dog and this was coughing infections in ears and feet. Not much difference. Then a proper elimination of boiled white rice and cottage cheese. Some difference, varying results, never stopped though.
She was given different chinese herbs along our time at the first Holistic vet – the issue progressed worse with unbearable rubbing ears on floor / head shaking that she ended up having an operation – Video otoscopy with deep ear flush – Myringotomy (incision to ear drum). Aural hematoma drained and skin on ear flap sutured to prevent refilling. It was very sad. She was put on steroids (internal and topical) and antibiotics (internal and external) – not what we wanted but we had run out of time, the situation had got so out of hand and there was no other options.
Over the next few months the situation was all under control because of conventional drugs. This has bought us some time. She is now off these and we have time again to look at natural therapies.
Her current elimination diet is Horse meat and sweet potato. She has been on this for 6 months since that operation. In the past we sent off for saliva tests done in the USA by Dr Jean Dodd for food allergies a panel of 20 foods were taken and only three things showed up as a moderate reaction – these were soy, turkey & millet <– we have never fed her any of these. This was at 8 months old, so we are having them re-done now to see if this has changed – also because some extra foods have been added to the panel. But hard to know if food is the reason.
The vets believe she has a combination of food & environmental allergies. She is currently seeing a different holistic vet who practices NAET – a natural allergy elimination technique. She has not improved so far, although her ears are still looking good, but as Spring approaches in Australia we are worried they will revert back like they did that time last year (and the only reason they cleared up is because of conventional medicine – so they *will* come back)
Current elimination diet: horse meat, sweet potato, brocolli. What we add to her food: Probiotic powder by Protexin, chinese herbs (Liu Jun Zi Wan, Si Miao San, Five Mushrooms) and we also give her a combination of flower essences. <– this is current treatment from new holistic vet. She has holistic vets baffled – no one understands whats wrong with her. Conventional vets just want to keep her on antibiotics, antihistimines, steroids.
She is only 11kg, very small and muscular, so happy and fit and loves life – her issues do not affect her spirit! But we are so concerned, we do everything natural and still have so much problems – right now the biggest issue is that she incessintly licks/chews her paws all the time.
Tiny from birth (she was born last in the litter – a day later than the others, that is why she is so tiny! ) She is now 18 months old and we are about to come into "allergy season". I read everything Ted writes on here. Because her food is very wet and it's winter, she does not drink much water. I have been putting ? teaspoon of baking soda per half litre of water in her bowls around the house for the last week, but she barely drinks water. Could I put the baking soda in her wet food instead? She will drink raw organic coconut water, could I put the baking soda in that? I have started adding a teaspoon of raw organic apple cider vinegar to her food twice a day for the last week – I am just starting to look into the alkalizing issue as per Teds advice.
We stopped giving our dog coconut oil since the elimination diet. I would like to reintroduce but our holistic vet doing NAET has identified this as one of the things she disagrees with. We would like to add fish oil / flaxseed oil to her food, but on the saliva IGA allergy testing panel they tested for Salmon and she came back 'Weak Reaction' so we werent sure if we should. I agree she needs fats in her diet though. She used to have them, we would regularly give her raw sardines and coconut oil.
I have not tried the borax/peroxide remedy – as I always read this in relation to mange – should we be putting this on her paws? or washing her with this? To be honest we dont really wash her with anything, she enjoys the beach, she is short haired and never smells, we give her an occasional bath with filtered water and use a bit of diluted Dr Bronners Soap.. so this is something we can work on.
All feedback welcome, thanks in advance for your time!
Hey there! A couple of things came to mind when I read your post. Chronic yeasty ears for sure indicate allergy, but vertebral subluxation is also a possibility. It may help to have your dog adjusted by a chiropractor. And, yeasty ears at 4 months: were any vaccinations given at that time? The puppy is teething and in the states here 4 months is when many get a rabies poke so double whammy to the immune system; it could be vaccinosis [lovely catch all term! ] Even if you have given excellent groceries all along, if the yeast overgrowth was never addressed you will now need to clear the yeast layer by layer; you may find using applied kinesiology helpful in choosing which probiotic to start with: after 2-3 weeks it likely will be necessary to switch probiotics. It may take 6-8 weeks or longer to get the yeast under control.
I have 'allergy' dogs also, utilize both holistic and western vets along with a doggy chiro, and while not perfect this is what works for me:
ZYMOX for funky ears. I have used home remedies for the ears and for normal dogs they work – but for allergy dogs they often just miss. Clean ears *frequently* during allergy season – you have to stay on top of them – Virbac ear cleaner from the vet works well for non-infected ears. Again, home remedies such as gentian violet or vinegar rinses sometimes just do not touch allergy ears and if that is the case then no shame in buying veterinary approved products.
Steroid shots/antibiotics – it can be a fact of life for allergy dogs; if your dog needs them, then your dog needs them. I've tried herbal nettle, herbal thuja, local honey to no avail and in my experience nothing halts a skin reaction quite like a steroid poke. Yes, its not ideal and they don't last forever and some seasons my dog may need 3-4 pokes. I have accepted that for my dog to be comfortable that occaisional steroids are needed.
That said, Ted's Mange dipping solution certainly can be used to help balance the PH of the skin:
Shake it up, the solution SHOULD be grainy. Bathe and rinse the dog, and then plug up the tub and pour the solution over the dog. I use a small sponge to soak up the solution from the bottom of the tub and squeeze out over the dog – do this for 15 minutes, 30 minutes is better. The key is to not rinse, do not towel off, and to let the dog air dry. This should bring some relief to itchy skin. If you suspect an infection of the skin Ted's recipe for Yeast/staph may help:
– mix it all up and then apply to a freshy bathed still damp dog and do not rinse -let air dry for however long it takes.
Licking and chewing feet sound like contact allergy to me – frequent bathing or a foot bath when she returns from out of doors may help. I don't trust the mixed up hydrogen peroxide solution to keep, but for frequent daily dipping a vinegar solution might work for rinsing the feet off when returning from outside and also help balance PH.
I mix up a big pitcher of baking soda water and fill all the bowls full and keep them full. Your dog may not drink much water, but I found mine tend to crave the baking soda water, so offer full bowls and your dog may gravitate to them.
I agree that fats are important in the diet – perhaps sunflower oil or other such cooking oils will suffice? I tend to cook for my dogs, meaning I cook with doggie left overs in mind, so I limit use of certain ingredients so I can turn any left overs into dog food. So if I roast a chicken, I don't use any onion – and the fat that is rendered from the chicken can then be fed to the dogs. Maybe you can see what you can use from your own meals to provide the needed fats?
You might also take a visit to this site from a canine nutritionist who has written extensively on how to nutritionally support dogs with myriad ailments: http://www.greatdanelady.com/index.html. Good luck, and keep us posted please!
Hi Theresa, Thank you for taking the time to read our story!
Vertebral subluxation I had never heard of, nor did I know there were veterinary chiropractors, found one where I live and we are going for an appointment tomorrow, would be great to rule something like that out as an over-arching hinderance on her immune system.
I understand your stance on conventional medication – for me its a path I don't want to go down again until I have to because I truly believe that there must be an underlying issue. Immune system, gut flora, acid-rich environment, etc – and the itching is just the symptom. To treat the symptom is something I want to do, but not at the expense of not discovering the cause. Of course sometimes we have to turn to conventional medicine to buy us time though 🙂 I hope I don’t have to again, I will try -everything-!
I will have a think and look at records re: vaccination, it's got me thinking – although we went for the smallest vaccine schedule possible through our holistic vet that shares the same views as us, and in the future we are doing teeter tests instead of annual boosters
The yeast was certainly cleared (layer by layer) with the operation and conventional drugs that followed. Her ears currently look/smell great but my worry is that we haven’t got to the root cause (or maybe we have, maybe the ears were in relation to a food allergy, and the reason they still look great is because she only eats horse/sweet potato now – maybe they wont turn gunky again as Spring comes) – but as she is still licking/biting her paws incessantly, it is clear there is still AN allergy present – whether it be food or environmental – and I believe the root cause is her immune system.
Thank you for posting the different solutions to use in layman’s terms, I will now order the products needed and start this treatment topically – its such a shame its winter here, I worry about soaking her daily for her to drip dry, its cold here!!
What do you think about putting 1/4 teaspoon of bicarb in 500ml coconut water? She will drink the whole lot, loves the stuff. Water, not so much but its in there incase she does have some! In summer she will certainly drink more water once its hot!
Thanks again, really appreciate your time and effort 🙂
Have you tried the above remedies of turmeric 3x a day and evening primrose oil?
Hey Aimee! You said: "The yeast was certainly cleared (layer by layer) with the operation and conventional drugs that followed. " This is NOT how clearing yeast works. While you may have cleaned infected gunk out of the ears, it doesn't touch the systemic yeast infection – the yeast overgrowth that is occurring in the GI tract – that is causing the symptoms to manifest in the ears in the first place. The conventional drugs that ensued only served to further depress the immune system, further reduce the healthy flora in the gut, address only the surface symptoms and not the root, and cause additional symptoms to manifest. Please search the link I provided for the Great Dane Lady's site for 'systemic yeast infection' -she has some programs laid out to get a grip on this sort of problem. My preference is to simply dose acidophillus, primadophillus, DDS with FOS and the like but the Great Dane Lady's system works.
And – while the immune system can be built up and supported, 'genetics' happens. What I mean is, you have a dilute dog; she would normally be a black dog except she has the dilution gene which makes her coat a pretty blue. Not sure about your dog's breeding/pedigree/breeder, but there certainly has been a craze of late for blue in many of the bull breeds. Unethical breeders are breeding dilute to dilute to get 100% blue puppies placing color above all else, including health. So unless the breeder took pains to assemble a healthy pedigree your dog might be a genetic lemon. It doesn't sound as if she has CDA – color dilution alopecia – but the dilution gene has been suspect in animals with chronic skin issues – particularly during color fad crazes. Have you consulted your dog's breeder? Are they experiencing issues with littermates or the sire or dam or other related dogs? At the very least the breeder should be informed of your dog's health issues so they can choose to avoid breeding those two parents together again.
Another aspect to consider is the thyroid; if the thyroid is out of whack for whatever reason, then steroids help balance it. Steroid does not automatically = bad. Low dose long term use doesn't automatically = bad. And as you say, it does buy you time.
As for the vaccine schedule, I used to go with single poke vaccines, different labels and the like, but what really works well IMHO is AK – applied kinesiology. So regardless of whether its a combo or single vaccine, you use AK to see if that particular vaccine is OK for your dog. Works for food too, so you can check to see if a particular diet or food item is right for your dog based on compatibility with her energy fields. Use this to find the most effective probiotic too – and keep in mind that as you clear yeast layers you will need to switch around on the probiotic for the next layer.
As for the borax dip – Ted suggested once a week; dip Matilda and then crate her without bedding in a room with a space heater, right? And then mix up a tub of white vinegar and water [1:10 ratio is enough] and have her walk through on her way into the house after going potty outside but you can towel the feet off as this solution is only for washing any contact allergens off her feet.
Good luck!
Thankyou Theresa, that has clarified a lot for me! I now understand what you mean about the systematic yeast infection and will research that.
I also did some research awhile back and found out about when two blues are bred, skin conditions run rife – unfortunately my research came after the fact, only wish we had done it prior to choosing a breed but yes, the breeders certainly were going for looks (and money, blues sell for more) and not health, and we are paying the price now 🙂 not that I would change anything, love our little girl more than anything! I feel like we were supposed to go through all this with her to prepare us for children in a few years haha. We have informed the breeder about all her allergies but they are not too interested which is a shame.
So this morning she had her appointment with the veterinary chiro, it went great, she did have some things to fix and straight away she is running straight! She never has, very interesting. He said he has no ideas if it will have an affect on her allergies but I'm so glad you mentioned it because its great to rule that out now and have her alligned properly 🙂
I have considered the thyroid – The place in California (Hemopet) where we sent off for the dog sensitivty food test (saliva – 20 panels of food) also does the Thyroid testing. I asked our holistic vet if she though it was worth us getting the test, and her words: "Don't think she is hypothyroid. The opposite condition, hyperthyroid dogs can be aggressive, lose weight, have vomiting, diarrhea, enlarged thyroid and drink a lot of water. It tends to be rare in dogs. I would be surprised if she had it."
I did my own research on common symptoms and would agree that Matilda has none of them. Would like your opinion on whether you still think its worth looking into though?
Our holistic vet who does NAET also does the AK – which is why we havent introduced coconut oil back into the diet, she confirmed that is doesn't work well with her at this stage, so we have kept it out. She goes over all the things we give to her on our monthly visits. I have an appointment this tuesday where I'll be taking along the new additions to her regime from the past few weeks: baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and Protexin probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies bulgaricus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus salvarius subspecies thermophilus. ) – once the borax and other things arrive (I ordered off the internet) i'll be able to take them on our next visit. So interested to hear what she says. I will do the research from the Great Dane ladys website prior to going so that I understand what you mean by the changing up of probiotic powders..
I have a spray bottle of 50/50 ACV/Water that I've been spraying on her feet after her runs, she licks it off immediately, but is this sufficient or is the white vinegar 1:10 water "soak" better? She spends her days going between the backyard and inside the house so I'll have to think of a good way to go about that.
You are so kind to give so much great advice 🙂
Hey Aimee! Aren't doggy chiro's fun? I like to get my litters adjusted before going to their new homes – its a small thing to do, but can make such a big impact. You might think adjusting a tiny puppy isn't warranted, but the natural birthing process involves so much… Squishing and compression, so yes – the spines can be pushed out of wack and this can have life long influence if not corrected. The reason why I thought a subluxation was present and an adjustment was indicated was the ears; in human infants chronic ear conditions have been linked to the C1 vertebra [the one right at the base of the skull] being subluxated, often due to delivery with the use of forceps. Once these babies get the C1 adjusted their chronic ear problems are resolved -no tubes needed, no more infections. Your doggy chiro would have checked the C1 and adjusted it if it were an issue, and its all good to be moving and gaiting correctly, as having a shoulder or patella out of wack long term can lead to arthritis in that joint.
Now, the 1:10 white vinegar solution is merely a foot bath and not intended for a lengthy soak. If Matilda is allergic to grasses and grass pollens, then the simplest and most direct way to help remove the contact allergens is to bathe her. And since you don't want to have to bathe the entire dog 6 or more times a day, having her step into a dish tub of the vinegar solution and then walk onto a towel and then into the house sounds like a workable plan. JMHO.
And, because you are using a vet who practices NAET, try gathering some allergens to bring to the vet for allergy elimination. Go outside first thing in the morning and run a jar over the morning dew in the grass – get up as much dew as you can; this is the stuff that Matilda is reacting to, so bring in for elimination. If you have a yard full of dirt and no grass to collect dew, bring a sample of the soil in for testing. You should also set out a pan of distilled pure water and leave it out over night or for a few days if you have the time; pour this into a jar and bring this to the vet for elimination [the water will collect any airborne pollens et al].
The thyroid can show normal on tests yet still be out of wack in my experience. Not saying your vet is a quack or that sending a sample to Hemopet wouldn't be money well spent, just saying that tests are not perfect nor often sensitive to the ideal degree. You have an allergy dog so the thyroid should always be considered; it wouldn't hurt to bring some kelp to the vet and see if kelp/iodine is indicated for Matilda via AK.
My experience with clearing layers of yeast is that all probiotics are not identical. Some blends work better in the winter season while some blends tend to be more indicated in the summer season. Depending on how long the condition has gone on, starting the DDS with FOS, 1 capsule am and pm for 3 weeks wouldn't be amiss; DDS is the probiotic and the FOS helps the bacteria populate. Follow up next with Primadophillus for 3 weeks am and pm. And then finally follow up with PB8 for 2-3 weeks, same dosing program. While these are all probiotics with overlapping strains, they each bring something different to the table… Or the gut as it were. If you do not get any indications as to which probiotic to use from your vet, the above wouldn't steer you off course. Usually if its the right remedy you know right away – in a matter of days.
Good luck, and please keep me posted!
Thanks, hope you don't mind I just want to confirm the explanation of the Ted's Mange dipping solution for this weekend as we have everything now but I think I'm missing something as this would be a very expensive exercise to do regularly.
"can be used to help balance the PH of the skin:
Shake it up, the solution SHOULD be grainy. Bathe and rinse the dog, and then plug up the tub and pour the solution over the dog. I use a small sponge to soak up the solution from the bottom of the tub and squeeze out over the dog – do this for 15 minutes, 30 minutes is better. The key is to not rinse, do not towel off, and to let the dog air dry"
So here in Australia, you can buy a bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide in the pharmacy/supermarket and its $5 for 100ml. So 16oz=500ml ($25) and I read online that this stuff was full of fillers and wasn't pure, but anyways I could order online (ebay) a 500ml of pure 3% and have it delivered for $27. The solution above seems to use all 16oz(500ml) in the one go. Borax isn't sold in pharmacies/supermarkets over here anymore but found an 11kg tub online, delivered $60, so I'd assume a cup will only work out to about 50c – but still, for each time it to cost $25 I feel like I must have something wrong – either that or h202 is so much cheaper in USA.
The other option is that awhile back I purchased online a bottle of 35% Food Grade h2o2 – cant remember how much that cost but probably around $50 – so if I can dilute a small amount of this and still get the same affect that would probably be more cost effective? I haven’t looked into the diluting calculations but just considered 3% v 35% I believe it would.
Anyways if you could clear this up for me I'd really appreciate it 🙂
Hey Aimee!
I can buy 16oz of 3% hydrogen peroxide for 99 cents here in the USA, and the borax is $5. 50 a box – so super CHEAP on my end.
There are dilution forumlas all over this website, but this is a quick dilution chart:
https://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/peroxide-dilution-chart.html
In a nutshell: To make a 3% solution from your 35% the dilution is 1:11 – so 1 part 35% add to that 11 parts water= 3% solution. Ted's remedy uses a 1% solution, so you would then take your 3% solution and dilute it even further by adding 2 parts water for every 1 part of your 3% solution.
Clear as mud?
If you search in the REMEDIES section under Hydrogen Peroxide and also Borax, sources are listed for how to purchase these ingredients in areas where they are not commonly sold.
Hi Theresa! Hope you have been well, just thought I'd shoot through an udpate and ask a few more questions if you don't mind!
Firstly, thank you so much for pointing me in the direction of the greatdanelady website as I have learnt a lot (was also saddened to hear of her recent passing). I have taken all recommendations from the Systemic Yeast article and ordered:
Kit# 30 + K9 Ear Solutions
Kit #34 – Skin and Coat Repair
Kit ParaBe-Gone PET WORMER
I am excited to start this regime as I really believe this is exactly what she is suffering from that is coming out in the form of allergies such as gunky ears and paw licking.
I have been making small batches of the Teds Mange treatment up. Just 1/2 teaspoon of 35% h2o2, diluted down to 1% and then adding some borax and just soaking in cotton wool and bathing her paws. Its the best I can do to keep it cheap and the rest of her coat is fine.
Since removing the sweet potato from her elimination diet last week and replacing with pearled barley as per suggstion from greatdanlady website we have noticed a remarkably less paw licking, so whether its to be attributed to the borax solultion or new diet, either way we are so pleased!
I have a question in regards to the fact we would like to get her nudered, but still have not yet. First, as recommended by our holistic doctor, we were waiting for her first cycle. Once that came we were going to get her fixed in between the two cycles, however that was the same time her ears got out of control and she underwent surgery for them. As we didn't want her going udner general anesthetic too close together, we waiting and 2 months ago she went on heat again. Now, next month is when we were hoping to go through with the procedure, but wanted your opinion on whether we do it or not while starting on this program to rid of the yeast. Whether we should start this AFTER she has been fixed, or before and put off her operation, or any advice would be really helpful!
Thanks!
Hey Aimee!
In an ideal world you would wait until the yeast situation was resolved before you stressed your dog with a spay surgery.
That said, being intact may be causing some of the issues she is experiencing as the shifting hormones from going in and out of heat are very stressful for some dogs [you just never know].
If your dog were having reproductive issues – goofy heat cycles, cystic ovary, etc. – then yes, wait until that is resolved as spaying will only cause the symptoms to manifest elsewhere in the body.
But given the health advantages that spaying provides [reduced chance of breast cancer, remove the chance of pymetra] if this were my pet, I would opt to spay now. What does your vet say? I would be inclined to follow the vet's advice and if the vet says wait it out then do keep exact records of when your dog starts her cycle and when she ends it as this info is important to have until the gets spayed.
If you are still seeing the doggy chiro, getting your dog adjusted after the spay surgery is a wise idea as when under anesthesia the dog is abnormally relaxed and when they wake up from this deep state of relaxation the bones don't always go back to the correct position! So its a good idea to get her adjusted after she has healed up from the sugery.
The anesthetic can do goofy things – your holistic vet may wish to prescribe bentonite clay or charcoal or some other detoxifier and liver support such as Milk Thistle. In addition to detoxing from the anesthetic, you may find her skin will become dry and flaky [this seems to happen to my dogs when they go under] so you may want to supplement with evening primrose oil or flaxseed oil or some such for a couple of weeks while the anesthetic works its way out of her system.
Good morning Theresa! I hope you are well today 🙂
Just thought I would give you our current update and ask a few more questions if you don't mind!
So I read an article on the greatdanelady website which states to NEVER spay a female during any of her estrus period and as our pup is just 2 months from finishing her heat cycle I decided to cancel the appointment I had to go through with it last week. Her nipples are still slightly swollen and I want to ensure it really is in the middle of her cycles and not too close to the last one. We are on holiday for 2 weeks in the middle of October so dont want to do it too close to that so she's booked in for 31st October – its as close to the ideal world as we can get under the circumstances 🙂 Once she's recovered we will certainly take her back to the doggy chiro, thanks for that great advice! I have purchased Milk Thistle and will do research on bentonite clay, charcoal & primrose oil (my holistic vet isn't up to speed on this stuff, I've been to two holistic vets, the dermatology ward and the advice you have given me and led me down the path of is the first time I've seen a noticeable change in her! )
So our order from 1st choice naturals arrived yesterday so we now have all the kits I mentioned about to start conquering the yeast. Are you familiar with the program on the greatdanelady website? I know you suggested an alternative protocol but I have purchased this kit and when I asked the company for some advice, I havent had a reply (the lady running the show now is understandably very overwhelmed since the passing of Linda)
So the protocol on the website is the following steps:
1) Thyroid test – 5 panel
2) Change diet
3) Herbal Wormer
4) Start Skin Recovery Kit #30
So yesterday we went to a regular vet who took her blood and is sending the blood serum off to USA for testing – so it is going to be a little while before we hear back on that. We have already changed her diet from sweet potato to pearl barley and my gut instinct is that is the reason for the huge improvement we've seen in her paw licking. The herbal wormer we now have, however the product (PBG-51) WILL kill heartworms and could be a problem if the dog is heartworm positive. Although it is very rare in our area, the vet from yesterday also has sent off to check that, and I wont get those results for another few days. My question is – do you think we can start immediately with the the skin recovery kit for yeast removal and then once we find out regarding the heartworm, we can treat that, and then once we get the results about the thyroid, we can deal with it (if its negative) – all vets I've spoken to believe there's no way she has thyroid issues but all the advice on the greatdanelady websites says to get this test done first, so I'm glad I'm doing it, best to just know.
Maybe you can help me with these questions I have, maybe not but worth an opinion 🙂
So the diet guidelines from greatdanelady are to feed meat + whole ground quality grains (oat, barley, millet). As I'm in Australia the recommended brands aren't available here so we make our own food.
So it says: Use a Holistic food with a quality whole ground grain such as oats, brown rice, barley, millet, quinoa, amaranth as the carbohydrate component. Contrary to what you read about grains being bad – whole ground, human grade grains are not bad to feed (as a carbohydrate component to a diet) even for yeast situations, because they have their fiber intact, which changes the glycemic index (rate of burn).
The confusion I'm having is that I'm using Pearled Barley – Pearled barley is produced from whole seeds that have been scoured to remove the seed hull and bran. An excellent choice for specialized obesity and diabetic pet diets due to its unique nutritional makeup, modest amounts of slowly digested starch and the soluble fiber ?glucan.
Does this mean I'm not feeding an acceptable grain? Because the fiber is not longer intact because its hulled? And if so do I ned to get hold of Cracked Barley? I would love your thoughts on this. I've googled until the cows come home and I just can't get a straight answer.
Also, as part of the yeast removal protocol – Oxy-Drops are given in water. As I may have mentioned to you before, as its currently winter here, (actually Spring but you wouldnt know it! ) our dog really just doesnt drink water. However, she would drink raw milk (kefir) or coconut water. The easiest option for me if the coconut water – its raw, organic, and nothing added – now I could putt he drops in there and be sure then that she was getting them instead of putting it in water and not knowing if she even touches it, HOWEVER I'm unsure if coconut water would feed the yeast, as the protocol also says no fruit for the first 2 weeks – again, thoughts?
Thankyou thankyou thankyou 🙂
Hey Aimee! You asked:
"The confusion I'm having is that I'm using Pearled Barley… Does this mean I'm not feeding an acceptable grain? Because the fiber is not longer intact because its hulled? "
I too googled about and tried to find an answer to your question. What I found was that the nutrient information listed for barley – chock full of all kinds of good stuff! – is always for *pearled* barley; they don't list the nutrient value of whole barley – not that I could find anyway.
I say use what you already have on hand – sounds like you are getting results, kudos! – but do try to find barley groats or pot barley as the hulled [but not polished] barley will have more nutrients and fiber. Look into buying barley groats in bulk – should be cheaper and healthier in the long run.
As for question #2 – From the website, re: Ox-E drops:
"Give the pet 1 drop per 20 lbs. Of body weight “internally” twice daily. [ So 3 drops a. M. And p. M. For your beast. ] Add the drops to a little water and pour over food OR if you free feed you can add drops to a small amount of water and bring up into a syringe (no needle) or eye dropper and squirt along the outside of the pet’s teeth line. Do not squirt the fluid directly down the throat as the pet could choke!! Do this twice a day."
The simplest way would be to add the drops to your raw food/home made food. If she turns her nose up, then you can mix with a little water and use a syringe to get it down – just tip her head back and pull her lip/flew out at the corner of her mouth and put the syringe there and gently depress the plunger; most dogs will just start swallowing. If she reacts like it tastes beyond foul, add more water. I have also used size #1 gelatin capsules – I buy the blanks at the pharmacy, but I have also taken capsules of acidophillus apart, sprinkled the power on the food and then reused the gel cap. Just take the drops and put it into the capsule and push it together again – and then hide it in a ball of raw meat, or whatever.
I'm curious as to why your dog doesn't drink water. What kind of water do you give her? Straight from the tap? Filtered? Bottled? If its tap water does it taste funny? Do you drink it and can you taste anything? I know that dogs fed a RAW diet tend to drink *less* because they get their water in the form of their raw food – but they still drink water from the bowl. So why is your dog such a limited drinker? Is your home made diet the consistency of soup? Or is there something about the water itself that deters her from drinking? Again, curious about this.
And again kudos for being persistent and working with all those vets! A good holistic vet understands that you are not only a client – but a potential teacher as well.
Thanks!
Hey Theresa!! Thanks so much for your wonderful loyal replies!! Is there a way we could swap email addresses without posting them for the world to see? I wanted to grab your address and send you a little thankyou something
So the barley issue – thanks for your input – once I also looked it up from a different angle I realised pearled barley is the refined grain and not considered 'whole grain' so I have just ordered 5kg of organic unhulled barley – perfect, that should last us awhile!!
Ox-E drops – perfect, I understand now – I thought that I had to mix them with water only but that makes more sense. Although just to clarify, Matilda is only 26lbs so I'll give her 2 drops, AM & PM. Or maybe 2 drops AM & 1 drop PM as she's at the lower end of the next drop bracket.
I'm not too sure why Matilda doesn't drink much water! I think because she gets wet food morning and night when we're around, maybe we just dont see her drinking a bit throughout the day, but the waterbowls around the house never seem to lower too much as we are always refilling them – maybe thats why, maybe throughout the day when we're at work, she has a bit of a drink. She is only a small dog, and as soon as she runs in the house after a big exercise and is knackered she goes straight to slurp at her water. I know she drinks a lot more in summer when its hot but as its currently winter I just dont see her drinking much – she only gets reverse osmosis filtered water and it tastes great, we both drink it. She does drink water, just not enough for me to know that if I was putting 2 drops in her bowl, that it would end up in her system, as she doesnt drink a bowl of water a day. Does that make sense? I've never been too worried about it!
She is our world – I will never give up on her and I am feeling so positive about our current journey – all thanks to you!
Thanks again 🙂
Hey Aimee! I forgot – Matilda is a Stafford – not Staff! She is a small, handy size, isn't she? I raised APBT a dozen years ago, and just recently said goodbye to my 12 year old OFRN Ruby, who now runs in heaven with her mother and littermates. All the bully breeds are dear to my heart, but the pit bulls will own it forever. Thanks!
Thanks Theresa 🙂
We have started Matilda on the program that the greatdanelady recommends – supplementing with probiotics, digestive enzymes, ox-e drops, and tincture of black-leaf. However, as we are in Australia and they have to send the 'human' equivilent products due to import laws, and due to high rates of shipping, I have already realised I will have to make another order of the probiotics soon as they will run out after 45 days, and it is a 3 months (minimum program) – which is getting so expensive, therefore, I would like more information on your preference "to dose acidophillus, primadophillus, DDS with FOS and the like"
What you wrote earlier:
"My experience with clearing layers of yeast is that all probiotics are not identical. Some blends work better in the winter season while some blends tend to be more indicated in the summer season. Depending on how long the condition has gone on, starting the DDS with FOS, 1 capsule am and pm for 3 weeks wouldn't be amiss; DDS is the probiotic and the FOS helps the bacteria populate. Follow up next with Primadophillus for 3 weeks am and pm. And then finally follow up with PB8 for 2-3 weeks, same dosing program. While these are all probiotics with overlapping strains, they each bring something different to the table… Or the gut as it were. If you do not get any indications as to which probiotic to use from your vet, the above wouldn't steer you off course. Usually if its the right remedy you know right away – in a matter of days."
So, without much knowledge at all about probiotics I am trying to figure this out. The current probiotic she is on is:
https://www.nzymes.com/store/pc/articles.asp?article_id=50&type=&condition_id=&product_id=&panel=5
Does this fall into any of your above catagories? 'acidopholos' is in the description.. This one has 2. 1billion probiotic microorganisms per capsule so if I do change probiotics to one I can get within Australia and therefore keep shipping down, I would want it to be of this calibre.
The pro-biotic we have at home is Bio-Kult: this is cheaper and available in Australia
https://www.bio-kult.com/about-bio-kult/319/bio-kult
Also approx 2billion probiotic microorganisms per capsule, its description says it is a multi-strain so unsure what above this catagory falls in?
We also have another probiotic at home – its the powder we had Matilda on prior to starting this program –
https://www.animalhealthstore.com.au/protexin-multi-strain-probiotic.html
made by the same company as above but is the one for dogs. Protexin Green Label is an in feed formula containing 60 million CFU/gram. I'm unsure how many grams she was getting in her food but it was 2 small scoops, probably only 6-8 grabs so the calibre was no where enar as strong as the two above. Also multi-strain so not sure where that fits on.
I have googled DDS & FOS but am still confused about what I can buy to ensure its enough and works within this program. Also because I know I have candida and would love to do the same program on myself at some point I'd really love to figure this all out with your help! Thankyou!!
Oh! I forgot I also still have a bottle of Dr mercola's probiotic at home:
https://probiotics.mercola.com/probiotics.html
From reading the description is sounds like this is the DDS one, and has FOS?? From reading its 30 billion per capsule so sounding like a stand-out compared to the others.
Hey Aimee!
The first probiotic combo you are currently giving to Matilda contains 4 specific strains of bacteria:
Lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium thermophilum, bifidobacterium longum, enterococcus faecium
The other probiotic combos you linked have many, many more – but they don't include the same 4 strains.
I think you should stay the course with the current therapy you are using for Matilda, so if the Nzymes are going to be too pricey, perhaps one of these formulas are available to you and more affordable:
This product has the 4 strains plus 1 additional strain of bacteria –
https://houndgatos.com/hgsprobioticblend-dogs.aspx
This is another option to consider:
https://www.davincilabs.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=200836060
I'm not saying that other formulas aren't good – but I think its important to stay on the current therapy until its finished. After that, hit the discount bin for your digestive probiotics and I say the more strains the merrier! I like switching them up so as to keep the strains constantly changing.
Now, YOU having candida – Ted's remedies are the best! https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/candida14.html#ted
Thanks again – I understand now! It was an either/or – not a both at the same time 🙂 I will remain with the current protocol for the 3 months period and then take it from there! Once we transition into a maintenance period, we will be sure to incorporate probiotics/digestive enzymes in her daily regime, and switch them up monthly to ensure different strains / layers are effective.
We just got the 5 panel Thyroid test back and her Thyroid levels are excellent. The very high T3 and free T3 results likely reflect a tissue metabolic response to increased metabolic demand (from yeast infection?).
We will get the food panel results back shortly, but we are so happy to rule out any medical issue/damage and now focus solely on the yeast!
My nine-year-old corgi has had terrible allergy problems since we moved to Texas. They seem to get worse as he gets older.
I have switched his diet from premium dog food to raw and cooked. I have tried Benedryl and a daily dose of Zyrtec. The antihistamines helped a bit.
While researching ways to increase immunity in dogs, I happened upon information about colostrum. I ordered a goat's milk colostrum for dogs from Amazon.
I noticed a difference the first day I added the colostrum to his food. Even with the other allergy medications, his eyes watered like crazy. It's been five days now, and his eyes are dry. He is only making little, dry eye boogies like normal dogs do. He is not licking his paws like he usually does.
Next week, I plan to ween him off his daily Zyrtec. I'm sure in the days and weeks to come I will notice other health benefits from the colostrum. I'm hoping they help his seizures also.
Correction: The colostrum I purchased is bovine (cow), not goat.
I know the potential side effects of cortisone shots and steriods, but I must say our 5yr old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has CHRONIC severe food and environmental allergies (ear infections, flaking skin, open sores, watery eyes, lethargy) and we have literally tried EVERYTHING and spent a small fortune doing so… Including organic exotic ingredient diets like: raw rabbit, kangaroo & lentils, garbanzo beans etc. We have seen every type of specialist & tried every kind of medicinal/homeopathic therapy including: Atopica, Enzyme (yeast-decreasing) therapy, predisone, allergy shots… You name it~ we’ve tried it! The ONLY thing that has ever proven to give him instant relief and comfort have been Cortisone Shots. We don’t do antibiotics or oral steriods anymore, and we keep him on the highest quality exotic protein (limited ingredient) diets because we would love for his immune system to rebound and have a fighting chance… But when the allergies spiral out of control every 4 months or so~ Cortisone injection is our saving grace. He’s better within 24 hrs~ skin returns to a normal healthy color, ears improve dramatically, and he’s running around like a happy puppy again! I know there are horror stories out there and I’m all about natural healing (I’m an (all organic) vegetarian who has never had a flu in her life), but everyone should be informed of the benefits to Cortisone injections when weighing their options. Every creature’s biological makeup is so very different, so what may spark miracles in some- could very well wreak havoc in others. Consider your options carefully.
Hi Ted, the house. I have dogs with Walking Dandruff how do you treat them and do you suggest giving them 1/4 teaspoon of Borax which I have purchased in their water per litre. Thanks.
I have 7 lhasa apso's they came down with scaibes mange
i have put revolution on them but they are scratching my one little guy has lost all her coat. he had more hair when he was born and basically no hair now, my dogs age range fron 15 1/2 to 5 yrs
can you use a hair dryer after you put the solution on them since they are long hair dogs and since I put revolution on them is this ok to do
I am dealing with yeast with our 10 yr old mixed breed, (german shepherd, lab) he is 130 lbs and is miserable. He also suffers from seasonal allergies, food allergies, and hair loss. I am a follower of a holistic vet from Il. She has a wonderful website and offers natural treatment, verses medications. Recently, I gave him a Tea Tree oil shampoo, followed by a rinse of 1 gallon water, 1 cup of vinegar, and 1 cup of Hydogren Peroxide. After his rinse, I just patted him dry. He is soooo much more comfortable. He was on antibiotics, steroids and Diflucan, but nothing really helped, and made him worse. I made the mistake of giving him watermelon, in hopes of trying different snacks, but soon reailized watermelon is too sugary, and feeds the yeast. He now takes Probiotics; and I use Witch Hazel for his ears with cotton balls. I feed him Instinct Raw Duck, and Instinct kibble Duck. He loves raw food and transitioned perfectly. I really didn’t have any problems, until I gave him the watermelon. Be careful when choosing snacks for your allergy and yeasty pets, since diet is sooooo controllable and an easy solution in keeping them healthy and comfy.
Dietary changes for dog…………….
I have a Shihtzu, that also had a bad yeast/allergy problem. After doing much research, I discovered that the vet, was actually making my baby worse! The steroids and antibiotics ‘feed’ the yeast. So, I stopped them completely. I ONLY feed raw meat now. Some vegetables contain sugars. So, I would stop, all, kibble.
After the tea tree shampoo. Rinse well. Mix, half white vinegar/half water and pour over your dog and allow to dry. You can also make this solution and put it in a spray bottle, to use daily on any areas that need it. It can also be used to clean the ears. I squirt half a syringe full, in both ears. Massage under the ear and then the dog will shake it’s head. Wipe away any ‘muck’ with the same solution. Probiotics are needed to recover from the anti-biotics. A probiotic yogurt is a good option. I also, give half a clove of garlic every day. Once a week, I give 1 raw egg. And, once a week, I give a tin of tuna in oil, drained, to replace a meat meal. My dog is a 100% better, doing this. Think about what wolves eat? I also, only give filtered water to drink. Regards, Debbie. Brighton. UK.
I found that all meats bought in most leading stores have already been experimented on and being introduced to antibiotics. I just read where a cow has aids & being treated with antibiotics. For me meat is out of the question for humans and my pets. Here is a web site used for giving all cattle antibiotics, but the plus side is we can buy these for our pets; but in smaller doses per body weight, I use this site for my cat that has upper resp. issues. I would never feed my pet raw food. Animals in the wild eat untouched animals by the government yet…. I tried using vaseline on my cat to smother mange/mites as suggested and its a total nightmare getting it off my cat, I would say its not very good for animals ingesting this greasy blob and bad for the system, if any thing the mites increased more;here is the site of antibiotics used on our meats!! ….. https://www.jefferslivestock.com/search.asp?camid=LIV&ss=antibiotics for cattle&search-submit=GO.
We use oatmeal bath for my dogs allergies, she is a Boston Terrier and loves rolling in the grass but she is allergic. The oatmeal bath helps relieve the redness and itching. Now just gotta try the ACV to get rid of fleas.
I have a dog that's been scratching almost obsessively since he was a puppy and after 2 years of wearing a cone, we narrowed down the possibilities from diet, exercise, anything the vet could think of.
We have gone through maybe 4 vets and so much medication and it's not right for anyone to be taking so much medication because of liver or kidney damage in the long term.
We did an allergens test to detect ALL the possible allergens our dog was prone to and found out he was allergic to pollen, the poor thing.
So it's worth talking to a good vet and really monitoring your pet. We now give our dog evening primrose oil about 3 times a week and it has helped tremendously. There were other treatments such as injecting him with a pollen vaccination everyday for a year but we didn't find that too humane.
Good luck and I hope you find a solution 🙂
How much Evening Primrose oil for an 8 pound Yorkie? Can I put it on the itchy spot as well as in her food?
Hey Aurelia!
You can try 1 capsule 2-3 times a day with food.
My computer is glitching up right now and my internet is about to konk out, else I would do this search for you – but you can search the site for Ted's replies in the allergy and mange sections as he does mention use of evening primrose for dry skin.
Good luck!
We have a 60 pound golden puppy…scratching like mad…how much primrose oil for his size??
Hey Don!
For a dog that size I would start off with the human dosage as indicated on the bottle.
My 2 year old Jack Russell has been on steroids for most of her life now due to allergies and is losing her coat to the extent I will have to have her wear a coat all the time. Can anyone tell me if evening primrose will help her and will it help her coat grow again. I would appreciate any and all suggestions as the vet is at a loss. Lynn
Dear Lyn,
Please read Earth Clinic's pages on yeast infections and allergies for suggestions about dietary changes. One of my dogs was having a lot of skin issues for several years and losing all his fur and I insisted the vet run a thyroid panel on him. She then ran an additional T-4 test to verify he was hypothyroid. After a month on the lowest dosage of thyroid medications, his energy returned and his fur grew in thicker and more beautiful than ever. I also put both him on a raw food diet and that has helped his allergies immensely.
Lynn, go with your primrose oil but there are so many things to try: vit c echinacea, garlic, coconut oil, Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother internally and externally and definitely probiotics, I believe you have to look after the immune system to clear this up so therefore I would look at the diet so give the healthiest diet you can stay away from grain a lot of dry has this remember not a overnight cure try for a couple of weeks then try something else get back if none of these are working we can always look at something else ………good luck
I have a rescue westie who is 8 and came to me with black skin, itching and ear infections. The vet said allergies. I know she has had a poor diet and poor care so I have put her on the California westie diet that is vitamin E, barley, missing link, dream coat xtra c. Mix with lamb and rice food. Has anyone tried this diet with your westie ? It’s been a week noticed a little difference but still rubbing her face and scratching some. Any advice ? I have another westie who has never had any skin issues. Thanks.
I “inherited” a giant schnauzer 6 years ago. He was 3 at the time. He came to me with ears swollen and black inside, bleeding, scratching, etc. He’s been a mess for years. We’ve done the allergy thing, the shampoos, the diet change, etc. After much research I determined his problem was a SEVERE yeast infection. My vet reluctantly prescribed him an oral anti-fungal.
I also started him on a RAW diet of venison, hardboiled egges, organic brown rice, and organic yogurt. He’s like a different dog. I can’t believe what has happened to him. He doesn’t smell anymore, he doesn’t itch, his ears aren’t bothering him. When I bathe him – which is down from 2 x per week to once every 2 weeks – he doesn’t have that nasty crusty black stuff on him. I’d recommend a raw diet to anyone. Just be careful of what you put in it. Stay away from anything starchy. I use organic brown rice so as to not put any gluten in his system. It’s amazing.
I am interested in contacting Sharon from Panama City, FL as I live in the area and have a rescue Westie also who is 5 with skin problems we’re working on. If you could give her my email address and see if she will contact me. Thanks.
Hi Teri- My 12 lb Cock-a-poo female (Sasha Marie) had terrible skin allergies. It got so bad that she scratched herself until she had bald spots. Thankfully her vet knew exactly what to do about it. I was instructed to add 1 tablespoon plain vegetable oil to her food at every feeding, until I noticed a difference. After that, I was to add the oil once per day. I was amazed at the results. Within two weeks she stopped scratching completely. Within a month her coat became soft and silky, and the bald spots were unnoticeable. This is a quick, cheap fix for a problem that can cause your pet a lot of discomfort, if left untreated.
Good luck, and Merry Christmas to all!!!
Carol Ann
Thank you sooo much. Exactly same thing happening to our new 6mo old Cockapoo. After many searches this seemed to fit!! I have to spend a fortune to bring her to vet we’d so he can tell me what chewing bald spots occurring making her beautiful fur disappear. I put neosporim and seemed to sooth but veg oil is the ticket we think. Thanks so much, Judy in San Jose, CA
Hello,
My dogs had horrible allergies with nasty ear infections that would not go away. My poor dogs suffered for so long. I switched to numerous “holistic dog foods” trying to help them. My research showed that all the preservatives in dog food was causing all these problems. I finally switched to a species appropriate diet which consists of feeding my dogs like wolves eat – whole prey. I found out that there are thousands of people feeding this way. We all feed our dogs a diet that is 80% raw meat, 10% edible raw bone and 10% raw organs. After just a few weeks, the ear infections that my dogs suffered with for 4 years disappeared!!! All the itching all over their bodies disappeared!! Their coats are shinier than they have ever been, they have more energy and all the tarter is gone from their teeth too! I have now been feeding this way for 3 years and my vets can’t believe how healthy my dogs are. we also no longer vaccinate. We had titers done on my dogs and they have enough antibodies in their system, from the previous vaccinations they have had, to last them the rest of their lives. 🙂
Does your state require a rabies vaccination in order to get a dog license? What kind of bones do you feed?
Raw Food Diet,
How do you prepare it and how much do you feed the dog, mine is a shepard with allergies, she weighs around 70 lbs
Hey Laura,
Try googling ‘bones and raw food’ or ‘raw food diet for dogs’ – you will find many hits.
I know this is an old post. 2.5% of the animals body weight. Also pending on the activity level of the animal and their metabolism.
Aloha,
I hope some of you can share experience & wisdom. I have taken in a severely allergic dog to board and although I am a certified herbalist and have many years in kennels, I would appreciate feedback on this situation :-). This is the tropics, so pathogens live year round.
1st: 1/2 pitbull & 1/2 lab; 85 lbs; current food: 4-Health Lamb & Rice Puppy – there are 3 young dogs boarding with me and they all get this. His owner said he was doing okay until finances forced them to a lower quality food – they just got him back up on 4-H 3 weeks ago.
Additionals: MAJOR recent flea infestation. Owners treated environment with orange oil, neem and diatomaceous earth (DE). Got fleas knocked back [yes, they wormed for tapeworms] and he is now out of that environment boarding here. I insisted they clear that up before the dogs got here yesterday, 10/19.
Now: I think maybe DE irritation, so rinsed his poor eyes with simple saline solution [sensitive eyes] and homeopathic similisan [sp?] Dogs eyes are a mess – yellow pus, so today I upgraded to veterinary Tri-antibiotic-optic just to knock out an obvious infection. Keep in mind, staph is endemic here everywhere. Poor big baby rubs his face and rolls in grass to relieve itching – we think there may be additional allergies to grass!
Hot spots on skin, some open sores, both treated topically with witch hazel w/aloe and goldenseal.
I have initiated an experiment with owners permission:
Liver: burdock. Kidneys: cranberry and cornsilk. Skin: Bioastin and fish oil. This to try and clear his liver and kidneys and support his skin. Next step milk thistle. TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Any additional ideas?
Mahalo – Thank you
Hi Zango,
I have a golden retriever that had severe allergies that came about when he was 2. He was thought to have various disorders like Cushings and Addisons but the tests proved he didn’t and no matter what we did he was getting worse to the point where he could no longer move and wouldn’t eat.
I found a book called “The Holistic Guide to A Healthy Dog” by Wendy Volhard and followed the instructions for a cleansing diet to rid my dogs body of toxins and allergies.
He was COMPLETELY better within 12 hours. Running around like a puppy, normal stools etc. I proceeded with the natural diet that is outlined in the book and he has led an amazing life since. When people see him walking down the street they ask how old my “puppy” is. The transformation is remarkable. He is now 8 and his only vet trips in the last five years have been to weigh in and make sure I am balancing his vitamins properly.
I highly recommend this book even if a dog doesn’t have issues but just to give it back the life dogs are meant to live.
The diet takes a while for humans to get used to… A bit more work than we are accustomed, but it’s worth it!
Also in the appendix are herbal, holistic, mineral and vitamin remedies for all kinds of ailments and issues. You may find it very interesting as well because of what you do for a living.
Take care and good luck!
Alison
Zango, I would add a pinch of milled flax seed for the cleaning of the colon. Hope this helps.
I am a Dog Behaviorist and have had dogs my whole life. I have seen allergies, skin problems, yeast issues devestate many families with dogs and having 4 French Bulldogs of my own gives me tons of experience with this area as well. My one little girl has had an awful time with “allergies” and skin issues… After thousands of dollars in useless tests, damaging steroids and other prescriptions I discovered the amazing healing abilities of feeding my dogs a Natural, Species Appropriate or RAW Diet aka B.A.R.F Diet.
Dr Richard Pitcairn DVM wrote an excellent book on caring and feeding your pets naturally and now my allergy/yeast prone dog is happily living symptom free! I urge all pet owners to consider this way of feeding.
Hi Everyone: I’m grateful to have found this page, and if HALF of what I’m hearing about ACV is true, my life and my Yorkies will change. Lily is 10. She was my mothers, who passed away 4 years ago so I adopted her. She is a precious gift that came with lots of skin issues. Lily has had “allergies” since she was very little and has been on more doses of anti-biotics and steroids than you can imagine. Living in South Florida she was not only allergic to grass and mold, but chicken. We changed her diet to Venison and Sweet Potato or brown rice but se is still chewing her feet, shaking her ears, goopy eyes, stuffy breathing. To make matters worse, when my mother passed, we now take her between our Idaho home and our Florida home so she is exposed to lots more airborne things and she is misrable.
Between me and my mother, we have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on her but how can you not. She has to be comfortable. We’ve been in Idaho since April and I’ve probably spent 3 thousand dollars on vet visits, medicine and cultures because nothing seems to be working. The last culture indicated she had a bacteria that was resistant to all traditional anti-biotics because she had been on them so many times that they don’t work any more.
She is now on Chloramphenical oral and topical (which is so bad for humans that I have to wear gloves when handeling it. Very scary) Atopica, Fluconazole, Temeral P, topical steroids for her feet because she chews and eye stuff for the goop, AND NOTHING IS WORKING. She has pustules which the doctor said was common with Atopic Dermitis and her belly skin is turning black with darker patches, which he said was due to age, but maybe not. I have to stop this madness for both of us. I am going to change her food again and her treats because they have oats. I’ll give her Coconut Oil and use Ted’s solution to bath her and use the ACV for the eyes and feet. I cannot see her this way and it’s making me crazy.
I’ll keep you posted. Just started today.
Thanks for all the postings. We love our animals and need to keep them comfortable.
We bought a tiny toy poodle that from day one has cost us thousands of dollars. He had vomiting and diarrhea for 2 or 3 years. Switched him to ZD dog food, hypoallergenic. Was fine with occassional allergies. Then took him to TN for vacation. Allergies never went away. Plus we had BP oil spill and burning oil in air. He gets yeast in ears. Been cleaning with diluted apple cider vinegar. Coat is dry. Constantly scratches ears, and licks feet. No hair loss or wounds. Starting a raw diet and have started adding flaxseed oil to his food. See bark website. Natural vet gives list of supplements that can be added to their food to help allergies. Acidophillus is one. Don’t want to continue to give him benadryl (taking twice a day) because it just knocks him out. Don’t want to give him steroids because of the possibility of muscle necrosis, as well as long term use can cause cushings disease.
Our six year old mutt eats a raw meaty bone diet (“RMB”, a combo of raw meat, raw bone and organs), and many health concerns other owners face have disappeared. She used to have eye infections and bad breath. We haven’t seen an infection or cold in years, and her breath is absolutely neutral. Her teeth gleam. People mistake her for a younger dog. And never once has she had to have her glands expressed. I believe many of the skin problems people report here will disappear with this species-appropriate diet. Many allergies are due to grain found in kibble. Even grain-free kibble is highly processed. Feeding raw also provides our pup with the extreme satisfaction of ripping and gnawing. There are several books out there to learn about this diet, which can be frightening to many folks. It takes a little practice, and a freezer certainly helps. By getting familiar with cuts of meat I’d never heard of (tripe, turkey necks), we feed her for under $2/day. I was scared at first, but wouldn’t dream of feeding any other way now. Best of luck to all!
One of my German Shepherds had an awful time with gooey ears, crusty lips & itching/scabs on her lower back & neck. Once I placed her on raw meat & bone diet all symptoms disappeared. It took about 3 months for her skin to heal. Suppose it took that long for the grains to get out of her system.
I have even tried grain-free food but, the crusty lips & ears start up again after one serving.
RMB diet works.
Also, food-grade DE is not harmful if mixed in food. I use it several times a year to clear intestinal parasites in my dogs. In fac, t I add it to my own smoothies. It's silica. Food-grade DE is used in the midwest to treat cows & hogs for parasites. It is perfectly safe. One has to take precaution not to allow the powder to enter the eyes or breath it in. Add to moist food or broadcast in the yard & lightly water into soil.
Use common sense when using DE.
I adopted a 22 lb. peekapoo in September 09. He had terrible skin allergies. Constantly scratching and licking his paws. The shelter where we adopted him from fed him store bought kibble. The main ingredient in this kibble was corn. I totally changed his diet to raw and also premium kibble (without, wheat, corn, soy or dairy). His allergies are about 85% better on this diet. I buy him raw frozen food (chicken or lamb medallions)at a pet supply store. I give him 3 medallions in the morning (with a little of the high quality kibble) and the same amount in the evening. It basically adds up to 1/2 cup morning and evening. I also add 1/4 tsp of organic aloe vera juice and 1/2 capsule of food enzymes for dogs to each meal because he also has a sensitive stomach. He is doing very well. The diet change has been going on for about 6 months. It takes patience and it is well worth seeing him so happy and healthy.
My blue pit bull started to get really bad skin allergies when he turned 3 y/o. It would drive him nuts, he would itch so badly and try to lick/bite everywhere whining and in pain. It would keep him (and us) up at night. He would get “hot spots” and hives that would get as big as marbles under his skin and they would ooze. We took him to the vets who in turn gave him a steroid shot, perscribed antibiotics and charged us a ton of money to do so. It would last a few weeks, then it would come back. I decided to look into pet food. Before I would get Costco’s Kirkland brand food. I went to a family owned pet store and spoke to one of the guys that worked there. He told me that vets only get 6 months of training in regards to pet nutrition and mostly get comission to sell brands like pedigree/etc. He introduced me to hypo-allergenic dog food which was hollistic. Also he told me I could give him a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to mix in the food every time I fed him. In addition we tried to keep him out of the sun and in our air conditioned house (in the summer). He was completely cured. I also made sure not to feed him any “treats” that were commercially made. His “treats” consisted of baby carrots, ice, pieces of fresh fruit and veggies. He was as healthy and happy as could be, and so was our lhasa apso who also had to go on a diet. I recommend this to anyone whose dogs have skin allergies!
Mange
I am in rescue & with 8-9 dogs most of the time I run into all kinds of problems. I have had serious side effects from meds so- I have mostly gone natural.
My Benji got ringworm 4 years ago & then mange & bacteria infection. Got rid of the RW but for 4 years the mange & bacteria has come & gone every few month. Yes I tried the borax 7etc & it works but he kept getting it back. Finally I insisted on an allergy test.The vet said no way is that the problem but i INSISTED!!!!!!
Sure enough he had lots of allergies & mostly foods. I had him on a really good holistic dog food. BUT His allergies were beef-fish-barley oats- potatoes – sweet potatoes- lamb – grass- dust mites to name a few.
I immediately changed foods. He now gets chicken & rice only – no perservatives & no treats unless they are chicken. Guess what he has been great for 6 months – back to his old self. Yes he has scars & always will as he had it so bad he bleed all the time from the sores. But this was the culprit. So if you have skin problems check for allergies – ivemectin & antibotics for 4 years without stop. That’s not good.
I also sprayed him with collidal silver & it also works.
Thanks for your post. I am having a horrible time with food allergies and environment with my Maltese. Can you please let me know the name of the allergy test that you had done. I want to request it for my dog when I travel to Canada next month. I am suspecting most of the same allergies, also. Knowing what to serve her would be a great help in solving her problems.
I have a large German Shepherd, that was eating his backside and legs off. This has been going on for two years, I have to give him something to sleep atnight so we both could sleep. To wake up to hair all over the floor that he has pulled out. On Nov.17th I started with the plain yorgurt (1/4cup),1 Acidophilus, 2 8000 I.U.Vit.A tablets twice a day. Was still using his Anthisamine at night to get him to sleep. Last night he didn’t have to have it. He sleeps all night, can lay in the livingroom floor for hours and not scratch. His skin looks good hair is growing back,still has some minor problems but it is 75% better. For less than ten dollars and two weeks I have my dog back. I gave this to my small dog and her shedding has stopped, no more hair on my sofas.
YEAST INFECTIONS: I’ve only found ONE over-the-counter homeopathic that actually works for YEAST INFECTIONS (cats/dogs/people/etc.) – *Hyland’s Vaginitis* – one of the ingredients is homeopathic Candida Albicans 30X which is why it works. Will stop itching, hair loss, leaking from any body part that can leak, and so on.
Drop ONE tablet in ONE ounce of purified water and mix, then administer 3ml orally with a feeding syringe or plastic eye dropper THREE times per day (cat/dog). Non-toxic, affordable, available at health food stores or online. Will see positive results quickly. Really!
FOOD ALLERGIES: The best dry food I’ve found was at a rural feed store [old man owner knows more about animal nutrition than any vet] called *Diamond Naturals* – it has NO soy, NO wheat, NO corn, NO by-products, NO preservatives, NO artifical colors, NO artifical flavors, the first ingredient is MEAT. My pet’s bowel movements STOPPED STINKING after he switched over to this food. It is very affordable, about half the price of anything you’ll find at Whole Foods. Feed stores can order wet food, the best one I have found thus far is *Precise* – next best thing to home cooking pet meals – and cheaper than what you’ll pay at Whole Foods or Vet office.
Also, *bioAllers* liquid homeopathic “Wheat/Grain Allergies” will greatly reduce symptoms as your pet changes to a healthy hypo-allergenic diet. The best I’ve found so far. Affordable, and it works quickly!
NOTE TO CAT GUARDIANS: The CORN cat litters will cause horrific syptoms if your feline is allergic to corn [think “corn dust in eyes”]. The best allergy-free litter is UNSCENTED CLAY LOW-DUST litter (NOT “clumping” litter as it can cause intestinal blockages if your kitty nibbles it).
CLEAR GLASS *Pyrex* BOWLS for food and water (plastic harbors bacteria, metal retains radiation, ceramic leaches lead). Purified water for all pets, lots of home purifier choices at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes.
DETOX BATHS FOR CATS AND DOGS: Unscented mild baby *Pure Castile Liquid Soap – Dr Bronners* gently cleans the largest eliminative organ – skin – and will quickly reduce all allergy symptoms. *Rescue Remedy* is good to use [orally – diluted] before/after bath to reduce stress and trauma of bathing [especially cats].
NOTE TO CAT GUARDIANS: If you TRIM and FILE SMOOTH all the REAR FEET NAILS of your feline, it will reduce damage and injury lesions when they SCRATCH AT THEIR FACE/EYES. [Easier to accomplish when kitty is asleep]
After hundred of hours of research, and thousands of dollars in vet bills [conventional and holistic] and products that DON’T WORK, I am offering this information to EASE THE SUFFERING of our companion animals. I only mention brand names because it makes NO SENSE to allow our pets to suffer while wasting valuable time and resources guessing which products I am referring to. By the time a desperate and weary pet guardian reads this, it is probably the middle of the night and all are exhausted, stressed, worried, scared, drained, and suffering – really now, time is of the essence, is it not?
THANK YOU ALL FOR CARING FOR YOUR PETS ENOUGH TO FIND THIS WEBSITE. This is a clearing house for helpful information. Sometimes it is NECESSARY to mention brand names. We all want the best for our pets, and while sometimes veterinarians are necessary, they are still very pricey and in this economy, most cannot afford repeat visits with no results. I hope Earth Clinic will allow the brand names I mentioned. All products mentioned are affordable and my only intention is to EASE SUFFERING as suffering serves no one!
Thank you so much for all of the great information. I’ve been dealing with a yeast problem with my dog for years. I have tried EVERYTHING. I’m going to order the Hyland’s product that you recommend and follow your instructions. Thanks again.
I have a beautiful Old English Bulldog named Matilda. She was not so good looking for the longest time, she had bad yeast infections and various allergies. Me and my husband spent money on vets and meds, til one day I was fed up. I found out that if you supplement with fish oil (about 2 table spoons for large dog) and a holistic dog food (Blue) her skin cleared up and has remained clear!
Please make sure you are adding at least 40IU of vit E daily, otherwise the fish oil with spoil in the gut. Reasearch it.
i have an 8 year old cat. about 2 years ago she developed sores and itching. and had several bald spots on her all over. the vets gave her injections to get rid of it but it was only temporay and they eventually came back. i decided to try fish oil capsules on her . i poked a hole in one twice a day and she loved the taste of the oil and soon all her sores and itching went away her fur grew back soft and full. it has been several months now and no more itching or sores.
Hi, I was wondering what kind of fish oil Carol used and the dosage! My kitty is soooo itchy! She is on a grain-free diet but I believe has seasonal allergies. I hope this helps!
Hi, great site here and very helpfull. I have an american rothweiller and have just lost her mate who she had since she was 8 weeks old and she is now 6 years old. She started getting like a light dandruff and then constant itching on her back legs, now on her rump just above her tail. Vets said it was fleas and she is on flea control, tried aloveen oatmeal shampoo and ointment, also flucort domoso roll-on. Cream seemed to make it worse, roll-on though expensive did not work, but the shampoo did. Because it is winter over here have only bathed her once a month. I have her on omega 3 1000mg in her evening feed and also a tablespoon of good olive oil is the dose too high? I rub olive oil into where she has the scabs and it seems to stop her itching. I have shaved the hair around the part that is itching and I will try the tea bags on her. I am changing her diet to fresh chicken and rice with fresh vegs. since her mate died she has been clingy and won’t leave my side she is fretting and I try to spend all my time with her. She lives inside and is hardly ever outside. I will try and spend more time playing and walking her and see if all this helps.
I am also trying 2 tablespoons of ___ APV with the mother mixed with rain water in a spray and in her drinking water. The vet thought it was a grass alergy but she is hardly ever outside. She gets regular sun baths on our back verandah but as I said she sticks close to me. I hope all this sees an improvement in her will let you know. And thank you all for your comments.
Please try Rescue Remedy for any stressed or grieving pet. Such a small addition with noticeable improvements.
My pug, 3 yrs old, has had skin problems (itchy, scaly, smelly) since day 1. The other day I thought, maybe it’s a digestion issue. Got her some digestive enzymes at the chain pet store, after one dose, I can see a difference! She’s not eating herself alive!!
I have a (2) yr old long hair dachshund named Austin. Last year he developed these red bumps and itched all the time. The vet said it was allergies and gave prednisone, shampoo and gel caps contain Omega-3 Fatty Acids and vitamins A, D, and E. I also was told to give him 25mg of bennadryl. I changed his food to high protein, evo and when the fall came he was better. During the spring I changed his food to a different brand b/c of wt gain.
This spring it came back in Full force and was worse than the yr before. My poor little guy was suffering so much. I spent many times crying and trying to comfort him. Put him back on high protein, bennadryl, oatmeal shampoos,omega oil, sprays etc..
He was losing hair and licked his armpits raw and red, little bumps all over. I had to cone him to stop him from more damage. I was looking for something to help other than the costly vet visits I did last yr. Used your advise:
2cups 3% hydrogen peroxide, 4cups warm water, 3Tbs of borax, found in grocery store
Gave him a oatmeal bath, partially toweled dried him and put on rinse. Sponged on face.. away frm eyes, took him for a walk to air dry. TWO days later noticed a big change. Redness down and itching faded. Have done this three times now and he is a different dog.His hair is already starting to grow back!
I did have to take him to vet b/c he started itching ears again, but his bumps were almost gone. Vet gave him antibiotic and prednisone (gave him 2doses and stopped, don’t like it) b/c of staph infection on skin. I continued with his rinse once a week.
He is so much better I KNOW this helped him. Thank you Thank you Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!
Can someone tell me what the correct doseage would be of asodopholus for a 4lb 9oz Yorkie?
Not sure but I have 25 lb. Shih Tzu’s & I give them 1/4 to 1/3 of a tablet of “1 Billion Organisms per caplet at time of manufacture” Acidophilus Dietary Supplement.
I guesstimated the dosage based on other internet stuff I read on what people gave their dogs. It’s good to help the healthy bacteria in the gut flourish & fight yeast infections… like my dog gets in his ear.
I was putting it in cheese, but I think I will switch to those “pill pockets” or peanut butter cuz of my dog’s constant ear infection… I think from the dairy he gets now–I’ve been putting his meds in string cheese.
Hopefully it will help someone…
Hello everyone,
There are a few general food companies I would recommend. First, cats and dogs should be eating wet food, not dry. The food should be holistic, human-grade and meat based too. I recommend Evo, Innova and Wellness. All lines have grain free, meat based and age related formulas.
If your cat has severe crystals or UTI problems, I recommend Wysong Uretic, which is specifically for urinary tract and crystal formation support.
My dog is a 4yr old husky and pit mix has a very bad scratching problem. He does not have fleas nor ticks. We pay good money to prevent that. But the thing with his scratching is that as soon as I let him outside to take care of business before he takes care of business he will drag his stomach all across the grass. Sometimes he does this from the front of the yard to the back of the yard. It can be a bit much for me to watch him go through this. He has scratched so much he does have a few abrasions and hot spots. So I hoping the ACV remedy will help. At one pet the vet gave me some meds to an extent they were helping but not enough in my eyes. I dont want him to be on meds the rest of his life either. Well I really do appreciate earth clinic for there chat boards. I hope this will help my dog.
I don’t know what you feed your beloved pet, but I venture to say that his diet is most likely the cause of his issues. The following links can provide some insight. At the first link, download the Rex Healthy foods happy dogs (or all of them as I have). Veeeery interesting [EC: Link/website no longer exists]. Gets down to the nitty gritty-valuable information.
https://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawpetfood.html
Look up Grape Seed extract and you will find that it is a good for allergies, also diet plays a big part in illness.
Can you tell me more about the primrose oil? How do you give it to your dog, I have a shitz about 6yrs and has terrible skin problems and stinks, spent thousands at vets and meds…..
I feel so bad for her all my vets think it’s allergy. They have had the allergy test, mine is pollen, grass, certain grass and trees. I think its more.
Any info is worth thanks.
If you decide to go with the pill pockets, check the ingredients–we have two Aussie brothers plagued with the itchies their entire lives. I don't give them anything that even hints at chicken of any kind in the ingredients. I had been giving them the peanut butter flavor pill pockets thinking those were a good alternative but read the ingredients list one day and discovered that chicken is #1–in peanut butter??? I changed them to the hypoallergenic pill pockets (duck and pea) immediately.
Totally agree! I was giving my dogs meds in beef flavored pill pockets and noticed an increase in scratching towards armpits. When I realized the pill pockets might be causing an allergy, I hid the pills in their food instead and scratching stopped!
Season's Greetings everyone here at EarthClinic!!! Much Love to YOU ALL 🙂 I had to join this forum because this is the MOST informative site on pet issues I've ever researched! God Bless you for creating this wealth of information for our furry family members XOXOX
My story begins below,
I wasn't able to find a specific thread to post my pets issues, so I'll start here since she has been ridden with allergies and worst, skin, digestion, and now hip Dysplasia! I have a soon to be 10 year old female Jack Russell Terrier named Xena.
Xena received a series of vaccine injections and within 24 hours, woke me up crying and running around at 4 am. I got up to check her to see what the problem was. To my shocking disbelief, Xena's face was like a pugs face, since her coat is white, I couldn't believe how red her body was! She was rubbing all over the floor and even ran to the bathroom and jumped into the tub! I kid you not! She had all these grape sized bumps all over her body, shaking uncontrollably, wheezing and howling. I had to rush her to the animal hospital where the doctor gave her Cortisone and Benadryl. This occurred 5 years ago and she hasn't been the same since. The Vet denies that those vaccines had anything to do with what has, and still is happening to her.
It continues with the shaking of the head, which nearly developed cauliflower syndrome in her right ear, terrible yeast infections in both ears, as well as under her armpits, stomach and private area, butt scooting, if she drank water or ate her food, she would vomit that all up.
So here we are today, and believe me, I've done so much research to help Xena. I've changed her diet to raw and homemade meals. I've learned about carrageenan, chicken meal, corn, wheat, grains, oatmeal, soy, Ethosyquin, etc. Anything I fed her either made her itch, scratch, scoot, and shed like crazy.
So as of the past two weeks, Xena has a terrible yeast infection in the inner fold of her right thigh. Her nose is stuffy, mucus and very dry, her eyes are runny as well! within three days of this infection, I noticed her wobbling and even lose her balance to collapsing if she had to go to relieve herself. Most times, she can't even get up and urinates on herself… another bath!!! This week alone, I had to bathe her three times this week! I'm not getting any sleep, up at different ours of the night when she starts whining. I haven't even been able to have a real meal for myself!!! I'm exhausted and she's hurting miserably! And I'm very low on funds 🙁 I can't even get my chores done.
I am looking at the treatments for the yeast infection (BATH), I bought the milk of magnesia and the Borax. The terrible pain she is in; what can I give her for this? Vitamin C, Ester brand, Colloidal Silver? God help us please!!!!!!
I also have a male Yorkie, Zeus. He will be eleven years old. He has a cataract in his right eye! I tell you, these pets are human. I don't ever want to take them to another vet ever! The most recent vet I had, I told her about Xena's condition, and that I didn't have the full amount of money to bring her in. The vet told me "What do you think I'm running here a free clinic" I was so hurt and devastated by her remark! It's not like I've never paid for my dogs to be seen.
PLEASE, ANY POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS ARE NEEDED.
XOXO
Konamisan
Hello Konamisan, You are to commended for your dedicated care of Xena! I am glad you found the RAW diets and are researching her diet – so very important – kudos! For my own pack, what often helps when they have skin break outs is to alkalize with baking soda in the water. Per Ted "The addition of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in one half liter of drinking water may also help, will reduce the problem skin in a matter of hours. This is used only when there is a skin problem, a longer term maintenance issue is the 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per liter of water. " What I do is fill a 3.5 liter pitcher with water and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to start, as the dogs sometimes look at me funny when they first taste it. After a few days when they are used to it, I up the dose gradually until I get to 1 teaspoon per liter. I do this for 3-7 days. During this time I also take the baking soda water myself. After 7 days – sometimes less if I see results quickly – I gradually back the dose down to 1/2 teaspoon or even 1/4 teaspoon.
Another cost effective and beneficial water treatment is borax in the drinking water.
Ted's Borax Protocol for Dogs
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 12/12/2014 "The borax dose is the same regardless of the weight of dogs. In the end small dogs drink less than large dogs. The only difference is the sex of dogs which the female dog requires half the dosages male dogs. So a female dog is always 1/8 teaspoon per liter dose. And male dogs is 1/4 teaspoon per liter water. Weight is irrelevant. Timing: Borax dosage for 1 week. Then 1/2 dosage in week 2. Stop for 1 week. Resume. Or Borax dosage for 4 days, then no borax/water for 3 to 4 days. Continue on/off schedule until ailment clears. Some reduce the dosage depending on weight of dog to prevent side effects but just know that beneficial effects will also take more time to see results when you reduce the dose. This is most common dosages, just use common sense. Yes borax can be use for many unexplained conditions of dogs and human for simple reason that most unexplained conditions that cannot be cured with bacteria in majority of cases is fungus or parasites which borax does well but also is essential nutrient for the bones and hormones in mammals."
Additionally you can use a topical solution to treat the skin – try one cup of milk of magnesia and add to that 2-4 tablespoons of epsom salts. You may need to heat it a bit to get the epsom salts to fully dissolve. Use this as a topical to apply to the skin folds. I would caution you to NOT rub the solution into the skin, rather gently dab or paint it on and make sure it is given time to absorb into the skin. Start with these tips and please report back!
Happy New Year to ALL!
Hi Theresa,
Thank YOU! So much for reaching out with your suggestions for helping Xena 🙂
I forgot to mention that I have Xena on (TCM) recently order and began giving it to her 12/01/2016 (3/4) tsp. three times a day to help with her hip; along with Hyaluronic Acid + NAG +MSM for Joints two times a day. At first she wouldn't take it, lovingly talking to her and telling her its to help her heal and be back to her better self again, she is eating all her food now! HOOOOOOOOO RAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH Xena! I know healing takes time, and giving her much of a concoction, I need her to be well again and I'm scared to lose her. I was told, "if I thought of putting her down"????? NO!!! If my girl is ready to go, she'll do it on her own!!! Her Herbalist said I could give her the vitamin C and buffered aspirin for pain, which I'm not able to purchase because I bought the "Arnica 30 by Borion" which was less expensive 15 minutes before I feed her, I give her 5 of the little pellets. So far, I gave it to her 3 times yesterday and twice so far today.
Since 12/29/2016, and my first post, here is what I am still experiencing with Xena;
Her nose is still stuffy with mucus; snorting all night and morning trying to breathe and I, not getting much sleep.
I had to give her a bath last night at 4 am, in the morning, Happy New Year Mama Human. She urinated on herself again 🙁 I allowed the bathroom to be steamy so she could get some relief as I had her soaking. I added one half cup of Epsom Salt for the stiffness with a little Hydrogen Peroxide for the yeast infection, which looks a little better and less redness. She still doesn't like when I try to get in the fold of that area; growling at me and in so much pain. I bought the "COLLOIDAL SLIVER 50 PPM" coming back to this forum, and reading again about the type and color, I bought the one that was AMBER COLOR 🙁 So I have to go back and see if they sell a clear, no additive CS.
She's still not getting up to walk, MY TRUE MAIN CONCERN. I have to carry her from room to room.
Again, my funds are really low right now, but I'm doing my very best to help Xena to HEAL.
I bought the vitamin C crystal form L-absorbic Acid 4500mg. I took this tiny spoon you get when you buy a dog supplement and just put a very tiny amount and put it in her food this morning. No problems, she ate all her food consisting of home cooked chicken, chicken stock, a tad bit of garlic, parsley, cilantro, broth from carrots and celery, chicken hearts and liver, 1 tbsp of organic plain probiotic yogurt, 1 tbsp of virgin organic cold pressed coconut oil no sugar, plus her TCM Herbs and Hyaluronic supplement! SHE ATE IT ALL!!!!! LICKED THE BOWL CLEAN!!! That's my girl 🙂
So What I want most again, 1. Is for Xena to walk again! No, she didn't break her leg, nor did she fall from any high place. I bought her the 3 stair step, and she learned how to climb it showing her how to get up and down the very first time! JRT's are so smart. Zeus is afraid of the steps. Won't even try to climb it.
2. To heal that nasty yeast infection! Darn thing has been around tooooo long!
3. This now stuffy nose and runny eyes! I've looked at her eyes and they don't look the same bright happy eyes she had!
IN TEARS RIGHT NOW AND PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE HELP ME PLEASE FOR MY XENA'S SAKE PLEASE.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL
Konamisan XOXOXOXOXOX
Hey Konamisan, My thought after reading your update is that Xena may benefit from turmeric added to her diet – this to combat inflammation in her joints. There is another product – Yucca Intensive – from the health food store that also helps with inflammation and must be fed with food. The colloidal silver can be taken both internally and applied externally on the skin fold. Also when you do soak her for her itchy skin consider adding borax to the soak water. Sending healing prayers to you both!
Hi Theresa 🙂
God Bless YOU and thank YOU for your posts.
This is an update; After a much long day at work, I thanked God for helping me get through a very emotional day. I thought about Xena and miss how She and Zeus would greet me when I get home. To a very needed surprise, I walked into my apartment . Zeus was waiting at the door as always. He was much more excited than usual and was barking. Which is not like him to do when I get home. I walked over to the living room, and there was XENA!!!!!!!!!!! LYING RIGHT THERE WHERE I LEAVE HER WATER DISH!!!!!!! I was astonished to see her, and very much excited. I asked her how did you get out here? since she couldn't stand up on her own!!! She must have crawled out to the living room. Zeus barked again. He was trying to tell me Xena was out of the bedroom!!! Thank YOU Zeus! So that was a blessing for us all. She was whining and crawling around and she crawled all the way to the wee wee pad. She had to go relieve herself, and it was difficult for her to stand up. She let me hold her so she could go, since I can't take her out to walk her. That was a relief for her and me as well.
1. I've been giving her the Borax water solution for four days on, then stopped as of yesterday.
2. She is eating, but I still have to feed her by hand. I have added a 1/8 teaspoon of ginger & Ceylon cinnamon, 1 tbsp of organic coconut oil, and probiotic plain yogurt to give her. She loves it! I sill have to give her water from a baby syringe, which she doesn't fight me anymore to take.
3. I went to the health food store, which I have to travel a distance to purchase the Colloidal Silver 50 PPM. One bought I didn't open and took it back, because it was amber in color. The gentleman at the store said it didn't make a difference??? I did receive my money back and purchased another brand by "Source Naturals" Is this a fluke as well!!!!! The ingredients in this bottle is as follows; "Potassium Alginate, Distilled Water, and EDTA" THE COLOR STILL HAD A YELLOW TINGE TO IT!!! Arrrrrrrg!
4. I wanted to make the Turmeric, Coconut Oil, Black Pepper, and Organic Ceylon Cinnamon paste for the inflammation for Xena. But the Black Pepper, and Turmeric said Organic, but it was manufactured in the same facility where soy, milk, nuts, peanuts, wheat, are processed!!!!! What the heck 🙁
5. I did give her the bath recommended by Ted! Guess what EVERYBODY!!! 🙂 THE REDNESS IS GONE on her inner skin fold!!! I used the Borax and Milk of Magnesia! I only did it once this week, I will give her another. I did wash her first with "Chlorhexidine 2%", with a 1/2 cup of Epsom Salt to get that kink out of that right hip. I'm just sooooooooooooo exhausted trying to get some sleep and not be late for work!!! I play my "Stress Relief Isochronic" music on a loop for Zeus & Xena when I'm not home, and I play it as well at my job, on a low volume. Xena is back in the room on her bed. Last night, she slept right through the night!!!!! 🙂 I gave her the "Arnica 30" I know it says 5, but I gave her 6 of them and I let her sleep with me 🙂 I want her to walk again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have HOPE & FAITH, that Xena will BE WELL AGAIN. WHEN YOU SAY GIVE 2000 MG OF VITAMIN C, I have the powder, which is 4500 mg. How much of that in spoons do I give her and Zeus??? 1/8,1/4,1/2 etc???? If I am able to afford and purchase the Colloidal Silver, how much of that do I giver her as well???
Love YOU ALL :* XOXOXOXOXOX
Hey Konamisan, I was advised by breeder friends for dosing Vitamin C – you can start out with 1/4 teaspoon of ground / crushed Vitamin C and increase UNTIL 1/4 tsp per meal Xena gets the runs; when she gets the runs it means it is too much, so then step it back to the last dose. I cannot advise on the colloidal silver, but since you are getting great results with the Mange remedy you might just omit that at this time. I would advise Rescue Remedy for all your family – you and the fur kids alike.
Good Afternoon Theresa,
Again, thank you for the quick response. I actually look forward hearing from You and others concerned about my experiences I'm having with Xena.
I thought of the colloidal silver due also to the yeast infection that she gets in her ears as well, and wanting to detox her body and researching, this would be helpful. She still has the stuffy nose, I can't buy a humidifier at the this time. Her eyes aren't looking to good in the last two days. That hip has caused her a lot of pain and suffering. I want to help her heal! I don't want to think the worst.
Thank you for your suggestions and support for Xena, WE BOTH Appreciate it for all you and this forum have been able to help us with.
If you have any other information that can help especially for the pain on the hip and for her to walk, I'm listening.
Namaste Love & Light
Hi there, I have a 1.5 year old labradoodle. He's constantly scratching and has some red rashes, sores and bald spots. I've been told he has allergies. He was on steroids and it completely stopped everything, but we don't want him on steroids again. I would really like to try these products, but how do I find out how much to give him? Do I put him on all four? He's about 85 pounds. We really need to find something to offer him relief. Thanks!
Hey Konamisan,
I am late to reply – sorry! If you are still reading, consider one of the many joint supplements for dogs – Flexpet has a product, and there are many glocosamine/chondroitin products out there. They work once they build up in the system and stop working if not taken regularly.
Hi there, I have a 1.5 year old labradoodle. He's constantly scratching and has some red rashes, sores and bald spots. I've been told he has allergies. He was on steroids and it completely stopped everything, but we don't want him on steroids again. I would really like to try these products, but how do I find out how much to give him? Do I put him on all four? He's about 85 pounds. We really need to find something to offer him relief. Thanks!
Hey Valerie,
What products are you asking about for doses?
'Allergies' is a catch all phrase that packs a mean punch. What is your dog allergic to? If your vet could not give you a clear answer, and to be fair a clear answer would require extensive testing that is very costly, you might first look at the ingredients in the diet you feed. Very often skin issues are caused by a grain based diet. So read the label and if you see corn and grains in the first 10 ingredients a grocery upgrade is in order, and may go a long ways in improving your dog's hot spots and skin issues. The next thing I would consider is a dip in Ted's Mange remedy to help calm the skin. I would also look at alkalizing his drinking water with baking soda, and even use a water rotation schedule of baking soda water, Ted's Borax protocol for dogs, and plain water. Treating the water can be very effective in stopping a break out in its tracks.
Hi Theresa,
It's nice hearing from you, and thank you for responding.
Still, Xena isn't walking, her eyes have mucus in them and am still researching to find a remedy to keep her eyes clean, the yeast infection has subsided and not as irritated as before. I can't find buffered 250 mg of vitamin C! I did purchase DGP, and she has been on it now 1 week. Giving her now as recommended by Harmony 1/2 tablet 3 times a day because she has been able to tolerate it. I've looked at the you tube video for the turmeric paste for the inflammation, but its so hard to find a good quality of turmeric; I've found the it is recommended to give 2500 mg of turmeric in tablet form, but is this the right dosage???
She is eating and drinking water, but again, I have to do it by hand, baby syringe. more water on the pads than in her mouth, but I am making sure she stays hydrated.
I get maybe, 3 to 4 hours of sleep. Everyone tells me that I should just put her down. I'm not being selfish, I know she is in pain, but she is such a fighter! I believe she wants to LIVE!!!!!!!
I don't know what else I could do. A vet will charge me $2,750. to give her antibiotics and is recommending Hills Science diet food. To stop the raw and home cooked meals for her!
If there is any place that I can find the buffered vitamin C 250 mg, an all around excellent brand eye solution, or home remedy eye wash, ALL EXPERIENCED TENDER LOVING CARE WOULD DEEPLY BE APPRECIATED! 🙂
NAMASTE,
Konamisan
Hi Theresa,
I wanted to let you know that my Xena expired at 10:00 am this morning Sunday January 29th.😢 She is definitely my 😇 . As I'm writing this to you, I tell you that I can hear her. She was crying all throughout the evening into this morning. I did a Reike cleansing prayer over her entire body. After that, I picked her up and held her in my arms. She moved her bowls for the last time as she laid in my arms. I told her that I love her very much. I really didn't think that this was the last time I would hold her. I had playing an isochronic tune for unconditional love for her. I laid her down on my bed and at that moment, she laid down and her legs started to move as though she was running. I told her Xena, are you chasing the Angels 😇
I told her I was going to make her some parsley tea and I will be right back. I swear I wasn't gone that long. I came back to the room
The first thing I always look at is her stomach to see if she was breathing. She wasn't 😣 My BABY IS HONE TO HEAVEN I LOVE YOU XENA ALWAYS AND FOREVER YOU'RE AT PEACE NOW XOXO.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT.
KONAMISAN
Konamisan,
Thank you for sharing your Xena story. I have a feeling she waited for you to leave to make tea before she herself left – she knew the depth of your love for her and did not want you to see her leaving; your connection was that powerful, to keep her here on this earth. When our hearts are touched so deeply, love does not die. I am sure you are hearing her barking to let you know she is safe. Please light a candle and let her know she truly does have your permission to leave. She is an old soul, with much work yet to do. What an honor and a blessing to have had her in your world.
Thank You, Thank You, Thank YOU so much Theresa,
Thank you for the reminder of lighting a candle. I burned some sage as well. Yes, I can give her permission to journey to a new life where she will continue to be a best friend, and to bring love and LIGHT wherever she is destined to be and live a Faaaaaaboooooo life! She has the gift to being joy to the world.
God Bless YOU and Our Earth Clinic Family… XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Konamisan
Hi Theresa,
I was referring to the acidophilus, evening primrose oil and Omega-3 fats listed above. I did see a dosage for the Omega-3 fats when I bought it. I'm not sure about the other two. The acidophilus is a powder which my dog isn't loving on his food. I've been putting the evening primrose oil on his sore spots twice a day. For the allergies, my vet said a lot of times the allergies are environmental that you can't do much about. We will re-visit allergy testing if your suggestions don't work. I will definitely check his food as well. We're not sure if these allergies started at the same time as we switched his food. Next, I will have a look at Ted's Mange remedy, Ted's Borax protocol and the suggestions you made for water. Thank you so much for the suggestions. Our poor puppy is so itchy we have to find something to help him.
Thanks so much Theresa!
Hey Valerie,
I just use the human dose for my dogs and dose 2x day, am and pm meals. The evening primrose should be taken internally – are you seeing any improvement with the external application? If not I would discontinue the external application. You might also add colostrum to the list of oral supplements – they do make one specially for dogs although the human one can be used too. I dose pills in cream cheese – it is soft enough to thoroughly coat the pills and can be spread thinly. If I have a dog that is pill shy, I feed three cream cheese balls – the first with no pill, followed quickly by the loaded ball, and then followed quickly by another plain ball of cheese. The rapid succession of feeding the balls of cheese one right after the other gets the greedy instinct to kick in and they usually do not figure out the second ball has the pill in it. I find one dip in the mange remedy is a good start and many itchy dogs feel relief right away.
Hi Theresa, I really appreciate your help with this. No, I'm not really seeing any improvement from the evening primrose oil. I will switch to giving it to him orally. He seems to like the taste, so it shouldn't be an issue for him. In terms of the mange remedy, I'm not sure he has mange, would it still help? Our vet seemed confident it was allergies, but we didn't have much of a conversation whether it could be something else. If it would be okay to give him the mange remedy, I will definitely try it. I feel so bad for him.
I really appreciate your advice.
Valerie
Hey Valerie,
I use the Mange Remedy from time to time when my pack gets the skin itchies. Some will develop hives and itchy spots due to seasonal changes/pollens/molds and sometimes from eating bad people food. My 'go to' plan of action is to alkalize their drinking water with baking soda, and to give everyone a dip. The dip does cure mange, but it also is just a good skin cleanser and helps prevent the hives from getting infected and seems to calm itchy skin immediately. The effects tend to last about 24 hours or so – so it will help give your dog a break and allow you to sleep through the night. If used long term on a every other day basis will cause the skin to dry out – so be aware of that, though the primrose oil should help.
Valerie,
I have been making dogfood from ground turkey and cruciferous veggies only and coconut oil (this is to fight yeast) – after a TON of natural remedies, coconut oil probiotics, primrose, silver etc.—In this last week I have seen a HUGE change – my husband has been adding a raw egg to Stellas food once a day. I have a new dog – scratching less, ears are not inflamed, she doesn't stink (yeast) anymore AND her little permanent red "goggle eyes" are almost GONE!!!!
I would definitely find an alternative to steroids. Using too much steroids can lead to Cushings Disease later in life. No cure for it.
rub 70% DMSO on your dog's hip.
So sorry for your loss.
It truly does hurt as they take a piece of you with them. I am in tears reading your last post.
Love to you and your furbaby angel x
I found your journey and ongoing love and persistence with your beloved dog very moving and was so sad to hear that she had died. But it was her time to leave and even though it is so very sad for you it must be a blessed relief for her. And what a truly wonderful job you did caring for her so lovingly. Your grief will fade a little but you will never forget her or stop loving her. What a wonderful human being you are.
Hi! I have had these same allergy problems with my two Wheatens. What I found to work: Give a grain free food with an uncommon protein. Taste of the Wild Venison and Lentil is a good one. Another is Earthborn Coastal Catch. Dipping paws in a little bowl of water, apple cider vinegar and enough betadine (get it in grocery stove or pharmacy) to make the water the color of ice tea. Hold each paw in the bowl for a 30 second count. Rinse paws off with a hose after walks. And give organic coconut oil a couple times a week. I just put some on a Tbsp and they lick it off for a treat. Buy some ZYMOX drops for ears and put a few drops in if ears smell like fritos. Dont feed table food. Just carrots, apples, blueberries and earthborn grain free treats. Also Zymox makes a great shampoo/conditioner. Amazing product. Good Luck!!
Where do you get your evening primrose oil? Have you been giving orally? Just got test results back on our GSD, and he’s allergic to pollen, grasses, trees, dust mites…Trying to find a more natural (and affordable) aid than the injections.
Hi everyone at EC! I am very glad to have found this site. I am an unemployed single mother who took in a rescue dog about 3 weeks ago. May 29th to be exact. Funds are very limited these days and trying to avoid having to go back and forth to the vet. The first weekend I brought Mondo home, an 8 year old female Yorkshire Terrier Mix, she started to sneeze, the next day she started making these hacking/coughing sounds which at first would startle me everytime she had these cough attacks. The shelter said she had Kettle Cough whic is normal of rescue dogs. They gave her these antibiotic pills to take for 10 days. Which worked two weeks later. After the cough was over I decided to take Mondo for a Vet check-up to make sure there was nothing else wrong with her. Another reason was because I noticed she would lick her paws and she scratch her ears a lot, she had lots of green goop coming from both eyes all day long. Even after wiping. She was always very smelly, even right after a bath. And day after day she would smell worse. By day three I wouldnt let her sleep in my room cause she smelled so bad. So she was taking baths with regular shampoo bought from the pet store every two days. She had also started scooting two days before Vet appt. At the Vet’s I was told that Mondo had Allergies, either from Food or environmental. She had an eye infection, ear infection, yeast infection on her skin, she was overweight, she weighs 16 lbs and should be no more then 12 lbs. Oh, Mondo also needed her anal glands expelled, which they did at the office. They also cleaned her ears and plucked the excess hair in the ears. Since finding Earth Clinic, before spending money on the list of things recommended by the vet, i decided to try the holistic route.
– For her ears, i have been cleaning her ears with 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, just pouring some in there and letting it foam. I rub the excess off with a cotton ball and clean off wax with a q-tip. I then add the mixture of 50/50 H20 and ACV into the ear and wipe off with cotton ball. She does not like this very much. Face and ears turn very red and keeps shaking her head to remove the ACV. Walks around the whole house shaking and scathing her ear until it stops burning. One ear is all better, and the other is coming along very well, after a week of treatment. I will keep doing the same for both ears until both ears are healed. She only goes crazy now ith the one ear.
– For her eyes I rub ACV at the back of her neck, just soak a cotton ball with ACV and rub. It clears the eyes of redness after a few minutes, but did not go away totally. So also started using Collodiol Silver, I add a couple drops per eyes twice times a day. Since this does not burn, she stays pretty still for that. I will keep on until its gone.
– For the Skin Yeast Infection, I have been giving her a bath with the ACV / Water Mixture baths and soaking her feet in White Distilled Vinegar during the baths. Then I would follow-up with the Head & Shoulders shampoo that the Vet recommended for her dry flaky skin.
– For her breath I just started adding 8% food grade Hydrogen Peroxide to her water. I see if that works.
– I also give her 2 tablets of a probiotic Acidophilus that was recommended on EC in other post. I crush into a powder and mix in 1 tablespoon of plain natural lowfat yogurt. She really doesnt like it very much. I have to force her to eat it. She also wont drink her water when I add 1 tablespoon of ACV to it. But she does lick it off her face during baths.
– She was slowly weened off the Chicken and Beef packets in sauces and now only eats an all natural / holistic brand of food. She drinks lots of water sans the ACV.
Everything was looking very good until i noticed these red spots appear on her belly last night during her belly rub. I quickly rubbed ACV all over her belly and a few hours later the redness was all gone. Today after her bath, while dyring her hair I noticed all these small red bumps all over her back and belly again. I stopped drying her hair and began rubbing just ACV all over her skin with cotton balls until she was practically soaked with it. I then blow dried her without rinsing. I am not sure what all these red bumps mean and if I should be alarmed? does she have something contagious to humans or is it her allergies flaring up. I must say that yesturday my 9 yr old daughter did give her two chewy chicken drumstick flavored doggie snacks that Mondo loves. Actually the only thing she gets excited for. We had stopped giving her these snacks for the past three weeks. and today before Mondo’s bath I did giver her two more snacks. I didnt really think much about it until now. Could this be an allergic reaction to the snack or is this something more serious? She doesnt scratch very much, licks her paws everytime she comes back in from her walks or stepping on the grass. Sleeps a lot. Eats her holistic food thruout the day until its gone. No hair loss. Ive been searching the web for info before taking her back to the vet. I don’t think its Mange as there is no hair loss, no excessive scratching and chewing. Do you have any advice as to what should be the next step for her if the ACV does not work because I am seriously considering returning her back to the shelter. I think that i may be in for more then I bargained for with Mondo.
Thanking you in advance for any advice you may have for me. Thankx!!
goji berries for allergies: My terrier mix has suffered from chronic allergies as long as I have had her. I have spent so much money and been offered nothing but steroids for relief. I started doing some research on holistic options, changed her diet to a fish and potato diet with additional fish oils, garlic, and plain organic yogurt. I felt like it helped a bit, but I continued to research for other options. I read up on goji berries and started adding a handful of dried goji berries bought in bulk at a health food store in the mix of her dry food/yogurt combo. I really started noticing a significant decrease in itching and a better quality to her coat after I added goji berries to her food.
Allergies: My French Bulldog, 26 lbs, was given Ketoconazole for a large sore on her muzzle several years ago, like a cold sore. I stopped using it as soon as she became sick. I then used lemon balm ointment from Whole Foods, which my daughter uses for cold sores. The lemon balm works wonderfully. I also wash my dog down weekly with a little vinegar in water (no soap) and wash her face daily in diluted hydrogen peroxide.
She is now 5 years old and extremely healthy, no more sores, no itching and scratching in the summer. Also, she no longer gets shots or vaccinations.
Dogs chewing and biting skin:
Hi, I own two Sher Pai’s, one which chewed her skin to such a degree that the vet wanted to put her down. I have discovered that the Sher Pai’s, Husky, and the Chow need fish oils and vegies in thier diet. By cooking up a pot of carrots, pumpkin, green beans, garlic and fish, I was able to make enough for three to four meals, which they ate daily for about two months. Now they eat this concoction twice a week. The difference in thier coats is unbelievable.
My 14 month old Tibetan Terrier is finally doing great after months & months of digestive problems, diahrea, vomiting, etc. All the vets would give us were antibiotics which made him sicker. After trying EVERYTHING, we now feed him organic kibbles (no corn/no wheat) and mix it with an organic home cooked mixture I prepare mysefl of meat, mixed organic veggies & sweet potatoes & a tsp. of olive oil. Dessert is stalks of lettuce leaves and carrots to clean his teeth. He LOVES it and no more tummy problems! He is even bathed with natural shampoos and skin lotions. So after all this, it pains me to give him Heartguard and Frontline!! I started sprinkling dietomaceous earth around the house and on him for flea prevention, but my husband turned out to be allergic to it. I dont know of any other natural remedy. They are so, so toxic. I am about to try a tiny dose of garlic to prevents fleas, but I am very nervous about hurting him. Just dont know what to do. He’s doing so well, but this awful Frontline.
Hi, I refuse to use flea treatments such as frontline and advocate. Full of poisons. Same goes for wormers. Ivermectin is killing Collie and Collie cross breeds. The best natural treatment is sprinkling Cayenne pepper and Tumeric into my dogs food, no ticks or fleas. Another of God’s little miracles.
How much cayenne or turmeric do you add to food?
My one and half yr old westie/border terrier mix, has developed a growth on his front gums over his incision tooth. The doctor wants to do a biopsy. I want to try a holistic remedy first. what do you suggest. Thanks Doris
We've been using Pet Protector Disc. No pesticides. the size of a license. If your dog isn't infested with fleas to begin with, this will work. We have used it for almost 6 years. No fleas. 4 year protection…used to be 2 yrs. Through their website it is up to $75 for one tag, but if you think about it..how much do you spend on the pesticides in one years time. If you check on ebay you might get one for closer to $50. I got one for my new 7yr old rescue blue nose girl. Haven't seen a flea yet. follow instructions. The only time I saw a tick was when I removed our other dog's collar during a bath for 1/2 a day, then took her to a tick prone area. Sure enough she got 1tick. The tag needs to stay in contact with dog or close..even during bathtime. I'm sold on it, even though some reviews are negative. good luck
I have a German Shepherd that has auto immune problems. I would highly recommend that any dog with allergies be fed a “Limited Ingredient Food”, which means it only has 1 protein and 1 carb in it, ie: duck & sweet potatoe, venison & potato, etc. Give them a protein that they have never had before. I also find that they can become allergic to a food after about a year thus having to change to a new protein combination. Be sure to stay away from anything with wheat, corn and soy in it. Hope this helps with the food issues.
Who would have ever thought dogs can be allergic to CHICKEN? Our Jack Russell had skin condition due to allergies and it took years to discover he could not tolerate chicken. He seemed better in the cooler months, can’t explain, but true. Problems began in the spring with his feet, they began itching. It continued until his entire body was itching to the point, he chewed hair off huge portions of his body, one entire side was bald. It was suggested to remove chicken from his diet, he began improving. It worked! The poor dog has suffered enough. Finally, he is normal for the first time in his life. I regret it took me so long to find the answer. If you’ve tried everything, and I mean everything, remove chicken from the diet and hopefully it works for your pet.
Thanks Sharon I have a Russel/Beagle that shares a very similiar seasonal allergy experience as yours and has now extended into winter which it had never did before. Thanks for the tips. Think I wil try Halo brand Lamb Recipe food and see how its works & sprinkle some ground flaxseeds on it(natural source of omega-3). I’m also giving him a colloidal oatmeal bath(ground up oats to bath water for a soak after I wash him with a natural shampoo, & a natural oil in the rinse water like glycerin or sweet almond oil.. and no it doesn’t build up on his coat if anyone’s wonders).
Thanks again for your tips. I truly believe fixing our pets from the inside out will help & lesson the need for harsh meds…
Can anyone tell me a cure for nasal discharge in dogs . They are eating and drinking well . Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .
Sincerely ~ Kim Arellano
Tea Tree Oil Toxic for Jack Russell: I foolishly poured straight Tea Tree Oil on my Jack Russell Terrier’s back thinking it may help sooth an itching problem he had. Within a few hours he was paralyzed. He could only lay on his side, and fell over if I tried to help him stand. The Pet Poison Hot Line told me immediately that Tea Tree Oil was a neurotoxin to dogs. They said there was nothing that could be done, it would have to work itself out and he “might” live. For two days my dog layed on his side while I fed him with an eye dropper checking back with the poison hot line. A different representative told us to take him to the vet for fluids, which we did. They kept him a couple days, pumping him full of fluids and he pulled through. From that day on, our JRT immediately shied away from anything that had even the slightest scent of tea tree oil as an ingredient.
I researched this because I have used tea tree oil on my dogs a number of times over the years without any problems. There’s a rumor that some of these side effects reported on tea tree oil for dogs are faked. I came across a very similar post recently on another web site about paralysis. Not to say it can’t be true, but if they’re posting fake reports all over the internet about the dangers of giving garlic to dogs (which has been used for centuries), I imagine it could be the same for tea tree oil.
Just wanted to comment on this: We experienced exactly the same problem with tea tree oil. We have a 108 lbs Newfoundland (big dog) who has skin problems. Several months ago I had the bright idea of applying some tea tree oil on his skin, without doing any further research. Trust me that was not smart and a very scary experience. I applied maybe 7 or 8 drops of tea tree oil to a cotton ball and rubbed it on the spots that bothered him. Within an hour our big boy had trouble getting up and walking. He literally walked like a drunk and very soon did not want to walk or get up at all. After calling the emergency vet and they did not know anything about tea tree oil, one of the vet techs recommended to wash him with dawn dishwashing liquid to get the oil out of his coat (makes sense, they do the same for birds that are covered in oil). So we did – it helped but it took a total of at least 24 hours for our dog to be back on his feet.
I did look this problem up online afterwards and yes it is a neurotoxin to dogs, so be very careful with it. Some dogs may be ok but I would never ever try this again on any of my animals. So just because something works on humans does not mean it has the same effect on animals, and I usually trust tea tree oil.
Just an FYI: Tea Tree Oil in pure form is toxic to humans as well. I was foolish enough to experiment with a couple drops on my big toe trying to kill fungus and the surrounding skin was burned which took weeks to heal. It must be diluted if it's going to be used on skin otherwise it's a great product.
I have a 2 1/2 year old chichuachua with a bad case of pet dandruff and I dont’t know if it’s mites orjust dry skin because I notice that it’s considered walking dandruff if it moves and I’ve never seen it move can anybody help me with this question it’s mainly close to his tail
Cheap, 100% Cure for Mange/Fleas
The following is a copy of email recently sent to the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the American Veterinary Association.
I filled out the form on your website. I could not copy the below email and paste it into your “comments” window…so here it is if you want to use it. I think it is important as it is a simple cure that I have now found sucessful on another dog other than mine also.
Hello to all my Vet friends,
When all else fails…..!!!
I came upon this purely by accident. This cure will not make you any money, but it sure will make you lots of friends with your clients.
I am no casual pet owner. I have shown, field trialed and hunted champion German Shorthair Pointers for 45 years, plus being owned by an assortment of mixed breeds, cats and an assortment of other exotic critters. In the 1970’s I was one of the first to breed large falcons in captivity.
My present dog, a mixed breed, short-haired medium-sized (Tamarindo Purebred…) had severe skin problems since he was around nine months old. His full brother/litter-mate is neighbor and enjoys the same, virtually identical environment, so I know the dog’s living situation was not the problem.
He developed a severe rash on his “hot spot.” To which he continually chewed, and then started chewing his tail to the point of its having no hair at all, and other parts of his rear anatomy. He had a severe flea problem. End result was a neurotic dog with no hair on his tail and rump, constantly chewing and biting himself there and other parts of his body. He was loosing skin in nasty dried chunks and flakes like a huge case of human dandruff. I tried several local vets who provided a variety of creams, soaps and lotions. None worked. I tried human skin products from the local pharmacies. None worked…after considerable financial expenditure. His neighbor brother remained unaffected. I was seriously considering putting him down.
Then, I remembered that when I applied vegetable oil on my sunburn (I now live in the very hot and dry tropics of NW Costa Rica) it immediately soothed it and no peeling of my skin occurred. I tanned nicely, despite the severe sunburn.
So, I looked around the house and found a 1-inch paint brush I had been using for a “meat baster” in the kitchen. I also found a stiff laundry brush. I then brushed him from back to rump and gently on tail to remove loose skin. Then I put some cheap cooking oil in a small plastic tub. Using the paint brush, I gently massaged the oil onto the affected parts.
He immediately stopped biting himself. Within a day, I could see the redness in the skin start to dissipate. I continued bathing him with a flea/tick soap.
Soon, the redness disappeared altogether. I continued this treatment nightly. Within a week the amount of dead skin started to ease up. New hair started to appear. I also scrubbed oil (with the soft paint brush) into the hair and skin in all areas where I saw fleas…mostly under the tail around the lower rump. Within a couple hours, there is no oily feel to the hair…it has been absorbed by then into the skin.
Today, just over a month of daily treatment, all his hair is back. His tail now does not look like a rat’s. He is completely flea free. He chews no more and his coat is glossy. He was also very skinny. Now, he has put on many pounds and is in the pink of health.
My Conclusion: I think the veggie oil acted as a systemic. It penetrated the skin and suffocated the mites under it that were eating the hair follicles and roots. It also did the same for his skin as it did for mine. The oil also suffocated the fleas to the point they now no longer exist.
Correct me if I am wrong. I would love any input. I thought this treatment was of significant importance that you folks should know. Maybe you do already. However, try this next time on one of your client’s dog.
This experience might make a useful entry for your newsletter.
Regards,
Tom Knight
Tamarindo, Costa Rica
hello Tom, responding to your input of veggie oil for dog with skin allergies, my little shi tzu has an awful itch problem, started from flea bites, ice ever had a flea issue and now I have to use flea mess and I don't like that stuff, Ben the shi tzu is miserable. Is it veggie oil or would you think coconut oil would do the same? I'm am going to do this for him today, also the itch seems to be every where do I just rub oil all over….kind of messy.
For those of you whose cats are scratching and biting themselves, I'm told the source of the problem is usually the cat food. Find a natural pet food store (they're popping up everywhere these days) and put your cat on some natural pet food WITHOUT GRAINS, CORN OR WHEAT in it. Ask the clerk to make sure the natural pet food you buy doesn't have either of those 3 things. The scratching is due to an allergy to the ingredients in store-bought pet food, or to the grains, corns, or wheat your current pet food contains. I was told this by a knowledgeable source, passed it on to a neighbor whose cat was bleeding because it was scratching itself so much, and she reports the change in food cleared the problem up in the one month she's been doing it. She also commented on how little the natural cat food cost – she had been prepared for a big increase in her pet food bill, but it was negligible.
Last winter each morning I would wake up to find greyish goop in each of our dogs’ eyes. Our elder dog Max had it the worst, and I had to clean out his eyes 4-5 times a day. I finally put two and two together and realized that their eye problems probably had to do with what was coming out of our air ducts when the heater was on. So last summer we had all the vents and air ducts cleaned out by a company I found on Angie’s list that had high ratings. Finally last week we turned the heat back on when it hit the low 30s during the night and I got to test my theory. I am happy to report that the dogs have no more eye gunk problems! We’ve only lived in this house for a couple of years, but the previous owners did a lot of construction in order to get the house ready to sell. Most of what came out of our air ducts was construction material.
We took our Scottie to the vet because she was itching so badly. The vet put her on antibiotics and a steroid spray which caused her to go deaf for weeks. (Not to mention the cost!) After that, the vet said she had a food allergy, so we bought an expensive brand of anti-allergen dog food. No luck with that either. Then I saw your website and decided to try the ACV. This caused her to sting and begin scratching wildly. She also howled in pain. I diluted it to half and half with the same result. She started avoiding me when she saw me coming. I then tried baking soda and water paste. That didn’t work either. I decided to go to Walmart and ask the pharmicist what he had for an itching dog and he suggested Solarcaine Cool Aloe Gel. This gel has lidodcaine (which relieved the itching) and aloe vera (which cools the skin). It worked like a charm. I highly recommend this for your itching dog!
My golden retriever had constant hot spots and skin allergies. Tried a cheap product called Missing Link. It has omega-3 salmon oil in it and you just sprinkle a tablespoon on their food daily. What a lifesaver. Her skin is great, her hair is silky, overall health is good. No more biting at her skin and being miserable, or hot spots! My vet doesn’t sell it, but they recommend it to all their pet owners now due to my dog’s results. They tell everyone about my dog and her results and everyone runs to pet her when she comes in cause of her silkiness. Good luck.
I adopted my english pointer, Rio, last christmas from a shelter who had him in very bad condition! Rio was 7 months old and nearly died from kennel cough! It took tons of vet bills and almost 2 months to get him healthy again! Ever since then I have constantly had to take Rio in to the vet for various reasons! Taking him in was not a problem since I work at a vet clinic anyways what is frusterating me is neither I nor my docter (who is very highly educated) can figure out the source of Rio’s problem! Just recently Rio has developed rashes and very red (hot pink really) irritated skin on his feet, up his legs, in between his back legs all over his genitals and is now spreading to his chest! He was even starting to develope tiny little scabs that looked like little ant bites! But he never ever licks or chews on his irritated skin! I took Rio in right away! We found out that my poor Rio is allergic to grass so every time he comes in from being outside I have to wipe his paws, legs and tummy down with a hypoallergenic baby wipe and spray his skin with a gynosyn allergy spray! The spray has helped some and Rio no longer has little scabs but the red skin will just not go away!! I started to think that maybe it had something to do with his diet since I noticed that Rio has a very sensitive stomach and would have diarhea at least every other bowl movement! So to avoid that high cost of allergy test I cut out the 3 major ingredients in his food that most dogs have allergies to. Rio no longer eats corn, soy or wheat! He is on a food with no perservatives (as well as his treats) and is strictly made from natural ingredients! I’ve even gone as far as to only give him filtered water to drink! Tough this has done wonders for his stomach it still doesnt seem to have helped with his skin at all. I have not tried any of the ACV remedies simply because I have read not to try that on dogs with food allergies! (which I am about 110% sure he has) If anyone has any ideas Rio & I would really appreciate it!! I really have no idea what could be going on now…
Hi Laura. Apple cider vinegar will not harm your dog, either internally or externally. Just use it wisely and avoid getting any in his eyes.
This is in response to your dog having a rash & irritated skin. Someone just told me today that they use Aloe Vera Gel on their dog for this.
This is the only thing they have found that works well. It’s worth a try anyway..I wish you the best.
Dear Christina from Brevard, N. Carolia..
I am very interested in this aloe vera treatment you suggested! So how would I apply the aloe? Just a thin layer over irritated skin? I want to make sure I do this right! Also, if Rio were to lick his skin and lick the aloe off would that be harmful? If you can let me know more about out it that would be awesome!! Thank you for your help!
re: Dog won’t lick aloe off
EC, I thought it’s interesting you mentioned that fresh aloe tastes so bitter that dogs won’t lick it. My 3-yr-old toy poodle actually goes crazy for freshly cut aloe! I slice off the green outer layer, then rinse the inner ‘jelly’ thoroughly with filtered water, and he eats it like that. He just loves it. LOL. I also use it for wounds he has around his lips (it really works), and he keeps licking the aloe on my hand. Speaking of which, I gave my husband some fresh aloe to eat last night (he was curious what the aloe tasted like since our dog loves it so much :>). I asked him if it was bitter, and he said not at all. I’m now wondering if the aloe here tastes different.???
Hi, Laura, although your vet may have great credentials he maybe of the opinion that only drugs etc are the answer. In my opinion, your English Pointer needs his immune system boosting. Avoid booster jabs, wormers and flea treatments, these are just poisons your dog cannot cope with. Your food sounds good but try adding tumeric, cayenne pepper, ground flax seed (organic)@1tsp per cup of food, organic coconut oil, ester [email protected] per 10lbs body weight(non acidic vit. C)and natural vit e @100 per 10lbs body weight also add a good probiotic all these will reduce the inflamation in autoimmune disease. No carciogenic airfreshers and sprays and try washing his bedding in natural soap ie. Soapnuts. Bathing your dog use an oatmeal shampoo and if hot spots occur brew a strong cup of tea and dissolve an aspirin dab on skin 3-5 times a day. This old fashioned remedy dries and disinfects. Then try Aloe or calendula cream. Hope this helps.
Hi Julie, you are right wormers flea treatments are just poisons for the animals. I just dealing with hot spots and massive hear loss with my two golden retriever! Every thing looks great and in a day or two they get very bad, especially the old boy – 11 years. Bathing ACV with some borax hidrogene peroxyde. With Herbal shampoo give them big bath, with 15/20 min. Living with shampoo.. After the bath even worse! Then I go to the vet and buy Advocate from Bayer – flea and fam. killers! So I make down my dogs for couple of days especually the old one! I fill very bad! I stop to consult vet’s ( in Thailand where I live now, no holistic vet or some who accept RAW food ) for least two years. Just week or two two dogs was in excellent shape, skin and overal health was pretty good! Appreciate any help! Thank you and god bless
I have a 3 yr old golden retriever who is suffering from severe hot spots.. Just when I get one under control another appears. Very frustrated and feel so bad for him. He seems to be worse after coming from grooming so I am wondering if he’s allergic to something they are using. I also like the sounds of a RAW diet. What exactly do you feed your golden? I have him on fish oil and a probiotic. He was recently diagnosed with hypo thyroidism and takes a pill for it… today I just decided to give him some aloe vera juice with his food as I heard it can help the skin internally as well as externally.
I’ve use the sodium perborate three times in one week on my Rough Collie. Let’s just say it has been over 24 hrs since I had to use benedryl which he’s been on for over a month. He is still biting but to a minimal. I also placed him on Pinnacle fish and sweet potatoes diet and I put a fourth cup of raw meat for protein. We also spray 30 sprays of Collodial Silver into his food 1x daily. along w/some vitamins. I hope this progress continues and I’ll keep all of you updated. Thank you, Carol St Martin.
For those of you who have dogs with skin problems, skin allergies, please consider a raw diet. This is something that is becoming more well known and is growing in popularity. Commercial dog foods are the cause of so many health problems in pets. My three dogs and one cat have been eating a raw diet for two years now. Raw meaty bones, some organ meat, and then a couple times a week, a few supplements like fish oil, yogurt, raw egg, kale. It’s similar to something called the BARF diet for pets, but a simplified version. Two books by Tom Lonsdale, Raw Meaty Bones, and Work Wonders, are a good place to start reading about the diet. There are web sites and yahoogroups as well. My dogs teeth are super clean and white (even my 9yr old lab) because they’re eating like their ancestors did; ripping the meat off bones, chomping on bone (raw bones only — cooked bones are a choking hazard). Sicne starting this diet, besides being overall healthier pets, other benefits: clear anal glands because the poop is a bit harder, healthier skin and coat, no dog smell or doggy breath, much less poop because no fillers, etc., as in dry food I never have to clean up poop in my yard! Natural diet means natural poop; in a few days, it turns white and crumbles away. Also, my dogs are happier. They love the raw diet. I had one very stubborn cat who I just couldn’t get to transition to a raw diet, so I fed her Evo, the more natural dry food. That did help her allergies, but I still would rather she went raw.
Allergies almost killed my purebred GSD. At only 7 months old my vet gave her 2-3 more years (Yet she looked fairly normal except thin to the average observer except her blackish skin). As I started doing research on line, I discovered the horrors of commercial Dog food. Finding out that it was equivelent to feeding your kid fast food every meal. Many talked about the benifits of the Raw diet, and I was convinced. Problem is it was nearly impossible to do where I live. Needless to say I found several non commercial Kibbles that have turned my dog into a healthy, beautiful dog. Last bloodwork was perfect and she NEVER smells, has fleas, and ears and eyes are bright and clean. Her skin is bright pink.
I also started to use ACV and garlic in her food. I feed her Flint River Ranch (lamb has garlic) for a cheaper alternative (shipped to you) and supplement it with more expensive brands like Origen 6 fish and Wellness Core.
If you want Raw alternative, the Honest Kitchen sells dehydrated raw food that smells like home cooking. I also plan on starting her on H2o2 drops in her water. Hope this helps people who can’t use Raw where they live.
My dog has had allergies for several years now. Not only does his stomach get bright red, his ears and around his eyes get red. He is also prone to ear infections. The vet prescribes steroids, but he can only be on them so long and has to come off. I’ve been adding ACV to his water daily, and it has helped, but I have realized that he also probably has a food allergy (there is corn gluten in his food). I’ve been doing a lot of research and found that most allergies are caused by their food. I researched dog food brands and purchased a small bag of Blue Buffalo Chicken and Brown Rice today to start mixing with his food. The reviews on this food are outstanding, as it does not contain any by-products, fillers, etc. It is natural/holistic and is as close as you can get to homemade. I’m hoping this helps!
Yes I agree, raw diet does wonders. My dog also gets severe itching twice per year due to allergies. I have paid hundreds of dollars and the only solution they could offer after trying various other things were steroids?. I hate the way it affects her. Constant urinating, weird eyes, real hungry & thirsty. I was sick of seeing her like that. Then she was put on a raw meat diet (seventy percent ground chicken (neck, wing tips), turkey, also lamb, goat mixed with some beef heart and thirty percent ground veg.(not gassy variety). This is mixed with half human dose of antibiotic. We also started to give her half human does fish oil. She’s a different dog. Allergies are completely, utterly no scratching, she’s calm, has a beautiful coat and I am so relieved after all these years. The dehydrated dog food you see in pet food stores which says “raw” is not raw, its dehydrated. I mean raw organic. I was shocked that it was not nearly as expensive as I expected. My medium size dog only eats about a 1216oz per day. Oh also, no vaccinations or heart worn/flea meds. for at least 3 years. I wish you the peace of mind we have found from these diet changes.
I've cured hundreds of dogs and cats by switching their owners to raw feeding. Cheaper and pets live 25-30 years old with no issues.
80% flesh, 10% raw bone, 10% organs as a rough diet plan.
Have had great problem removing flea allergy dermatitis from my poodle and he has constantly itched and has had open wet sores above and around his tail.Have used many natural remedies with some improvement but would soon recur.I recently found a natural recipe from the net and now there is no sign of fleas at all and no rashes or sores at all. He is much happier and relaxed and so am I. The solution is 2 ozs of pure Neem oil, a little olive or coconut oil and tea tree oil,one tablespoon of Goldenseal extract,then make up to 16 ozs with organic apple cider vinegar. Fantastic results immediately.Use daily(spray on)as needed.I also added some lemon lotion but this is not essential.
Thanks for your post. Just wanted to make sure I understand the recipe correctly. Where you said: The solution is 2 ozs of pure Neem oil, a little olive or coconut oil and tea tree oil, one tablespoon of Goldenseal extract, then make up to 16 ozs with organic apple cider vinegar” — does that mean I would add 14 oz of organic apple cider vinegar to these ingredients (2 oz of which is oil so then 14 oz to make it a total of 16 oz) or do I add 16 oz apple cider vinegar? Thanks!
Tea tree oil is toxic for cats.
After a year of constant yeast infections and allergies in my lab/aussie mix, someone told me to check the label on her dog food. Come to find out, Brewer’s yeast was one of the number 1 ingredients. It seemed that the added yeast was making the problem worse. I switched dog foods to a product that did not list Brewer’s yeast and have not had a yeast infection since. I don’t know if this will work for everyone, but for anyone with animals prone to yeast infections, it’s worth looking into.
My short hair dog had a terrible oder due to flaky skin. I tried giving her oatmeal baths, oils nothing seemed to work and only made it worse. Then I started giving her a raw egg with her food every other day. Not only did she think it was a treat her skin issues are a thing of the past and she smells great. Also I started using coconut oil on her tender and red belly, worked like a charm and if she licks it no worries because it helps her doggy breath.
My pet recipe: Neem Seed Oil (100% pure only). I use it on everything, when our pets have itching, they scratch constantly and inflict wounds on themselves. If they have tics in their ears, they might inflict a wound somewhere by constantly scratching on the outside.
Neem Seed Oil is against parasites, mites and tics and fleas. It is also anti-bacterial. I used it on little turtles, chickens and cats. These are our only animals. I am so confident with this. I have solved problems, the vet said, were psychological. In one case, it truly was. Our cat was not stopping to scratch herself and inflicted wounds on herself because we had been away for some time and she was traumatized. I solved this problem by using Neem Seed Oil on her wounds first and then I put a little dog-shirt on her (like a T-shirt for tiny doggies you can buy). She was so estranged about the funny thing on her body that she forgot about her licking and couldn’t anyway. After a few days, she got it off herself and had all forgotten her obsessive licking. When I use Neem Seed Oil, I put it on my hands, and oil the animals generously on all the spots necessary. They hate it – but usually one or two treatments are enough.
I tried the 1 oz Neem oil with 8 oz. vinegar in a spray bottle. It is working fantastic. I have 3 cats and are having a bad time with fleas this season. This spray has worked wonderful on them. They are enjoying not scratching and playing around more. Thanks so much for this web site. Keep up the great ideas.
Neem Seed oil for itchy skin!
I just went out and purchased pure Neem Seed oil with dropper for my West Highland Terrier–who has been scratching relentlessly for the past five or six days. I don’t think it’s fleas, but we took him for a hike a few days ago and he seems to have been bitten by *some*thing that caused slight welts all around. I pretty much confirmed that those welts corresponded to the areas he has been scratching…it’s actually been keeping him up nights (and me unfortunately!). I tried to give him one over-the-counter antihistimine caplet before bed, but that didn’t seem to help. I’ve also wiped down the areas most affected with Apple Cider Vinegar, but he is unaffected by the taste/smell.
Well, I went thru his coat and applied a drop of Neem Seed Oil (rubbing it in with my fingers) to every single welt I could find. Some of the welts have already scabbed over, but I still applied the oil to those areas too because he seemed to still be bothered by them.
This was about an hour ago and I gave him a bone treat to distract him right after (so that he wouldn’t be too interested in licking the oil). I’ve seen MARKED improvement already (and he’s been done with the bone for about 15 minutes now). It’s a miracle! I’ll post here again if I see any adverse reactions or problems, but so far it works like a charm.
Thank you for all your comments!
My dog had an itching problem and she was losing her fur. I took her to the vet they did a scraping for mites, ringworm and checked for fleas the test came back negative for all. They gave her medication for jock itch, I tried it. Well…sometimes the docs think they know, but they don't. The itching continued. I have tried Teds mange recipe and use it also. I have since found neem oil. I put a generous amount of neem oil on each crusted welt. I put neem oil in her shampoo and try to bath her once a week. All of this has helped. I will continue until its gone. This is a slow process.
After years of pills from the vet for my Westie to control horrible skin problems I tried a sunbath. I saw on TV that a new report was out saying a deficit of Vit D causes a weakened immune system in humans so a bell went off in my head when my Westie turned over on his back and stretched out in the sun on one of his trips out to the side yard.I started taking him out for thirty minutes a day and just let him stretch out in the sun. This in addition to his walks and play time. I have been able to cut his medication back (Atopicia)to twice a week rather than once a day and completely eliminate the anti itch pill. Took about six weeks. I recently had to leave him at the vet for a week and they sprayed his feet with flea spray everytime he came in from outside. He came home with bloody itchy feet. I am now trying the ACV to see if I can get it under control. When he went in the sun yesterday he stretched out on his stomach and all four paws were in the sun. I think he is letting me know that what I am doing makes him feel better. Since allergies are a sign of a compromised immune system, so I have been told by the vet, and if the immune system can be made stronger by Vit D. The natural Vit D from the sun can’t hurt. Thanks.
I think this website is wonderful! It’s finally getting people to wake up & start using all natural remedies instead of giving their pet’s harmful drugs! I hope that everyone who has these type of problems, ear nfections, paw & tail biting, hot spots, flea infestations (poor immunity from poor nutrition), & scratching are all due to FOOD ALLERGIES. Not only should you change your pet’s diet to a all natural holistic food, but also their treats, chews, bones & no more tap water either. Also No annual shots after the first year of booster shots, it’s one reason why our pet’s are dying of cancer! Another is all the flea products, they all have warnings on them (poison, for you too)! If you feed a NON commercial Holistic Natural food & treats your pet will have a healthy immune system & there won’t be any fleas! (Fleas are parasites & they go after anything with a unhealthy immune system) I feed & highly reccomend Blue as a breeder for many years now! Look at the ingredients and compare them, you’ll never feed a commercial food again! Do really want to know what is in your pet’s food? Go to AnimalProtectionInstitute.com, click on “what is really in pet food?” warning not for sqeemish stomachs! Have a question? I will be happy to help your pet naturally!
Dear readers: My silky terrier has been ill all of his life with itchy chewed and scratched bloody skin. Loss of hair and just misery. I tried EVERYTHING. Pred, allergy pills special diets $$$$ and no cure not even a break. I have no idea what made me do this but about one week ago I bathed him with oatmeal shampoo then I poured a lot of hydrogen peroxide all over him. First on my hand then to his skin as it is very cold to the touch. I patted it in his skin all over his belly between his toes everywhere. Rinsed him and the Gods honest truth he has not scratched but maybe 2 times since. His hair is bright his eyes are amazingly beautiful. I do not know what happened but he is staying with it. Also his ears have been so attacked with yeast infections that he is practically deaf. Anyone know if some hydrogen peroxide would help his ears ? I love him and would do anything to make him healthy. All of this time and money at the vet and a 50 cent bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Go figure.
I know this post is really old but this may help others – my dog has yeast infections in his ear and was 99% deaf – I had been giving him biscuits for treats – turns out he was allergic to the wheat/grains – about two weeks after I removed these from his diet the infection was gone and his hearing had returned to normal.
My dog gets severe itching 2x per year due to allergies. I usually take her to the vet to refill her prenizone?. I hate the way it affects her. Constant urinating, weird eyes, always real hungry & thirsty. I was sick of seeing her like that. I search the internet for a natural remedy. FLAXSEED OIL!!! It is a natural anti inflamitory. I gave it a shot. 1 tbls 2-3x per day in 1/2 cup of cottage cheese. Her allergy was gone in 2 days, (opposed to 1 week with the meds) & she had more energy. Please search the internet for more information on this all natural oil. You wont beleive it. Both for you and your pets. PS I’m trying the apple cider vinegar diet I found on this site, I will keep you posted on my progress. Thank You for this wonderful website.
Wow, this is part of the budwig diet, kept my dog going with severe cancer and dying, vomiting alive for a year till he got chicken bones out of the rubbish.
3x a day I mixed cottage cheese and flax oil and ground flax and ground tumeric whip up for 2 mins to release the chemical reaction and feed him. Loads of energy and he started barking again. Stopped vomiting etc.
Haven’t tried it for my puppy’s allergies but I will do Budwig diet flax and quark or flax and cottage cheese has bought people back from terminal cancer when the doctors have sent them home to die!!!♥️
Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer reduces the allergens in a cat or dog’s dander and saliva. ‘I just thought you guys would be interested in this cure. I have 6 cats (all of which I’m allergic to), and bathing them in a solution of Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer and water (one tablespoon to a cup of water) helps reduce my allergic reaction to them considerably. You just wipe each animal in your home down entirely (paws, tail and tummy included) with a towel dampened with the solution, and then dry them. You can do it once every one to three weeks, depending on the severity of your allergies. This cure was actually suggested to me by a veterinarian, and it works great!