Dog Skin Problems – 10 Remedies To Help Alleviate An Itchy Dog

94 Comments

1. Are you worried about your dog or your grass?

2. I have a pit bull who right now has bad allergies vet gave antibiotics ear drops an eye drop but still rash itchy I changed his food to crave an the refrigerator chicken gonna see how that is.

3. What kind..i have a 12 week old pit who was on blue Buffalo puppy food and now hes itching with spots and chews..it sucks..i thought that Was supposed to be good food..thank you!

4. Grain free food working well for my pitbull very well.
   usually pit bulls are very hypo allergic. The Grain free food diet helps my dog well .

5. Organic coconut oil refined seems to work very well the fish oil good idea it doesn’t really work

6. Hey I have a female gotti that has skin problems as well. The thing I’ve used the most and it’s always been in my family and is very effective.. get a jar of real mayo helmans or dukes preferably and get hand fulls at a time and thoroughly wipe it all over him and massage it down to his skin. Put him on a short chain to prevent him from licking it off let it stay for 30 to 45 min.. after this wash him with a shampoo that has oatmill in it they sell it at petco or pet’s smart it also has a conditioner with oatmill.. I personally use well&good soothing itch shampoo.. with the matching conditioner. Make sure to rinse very well. After he drys completely mix some Apple cider vinegar with water about 60/40 on the mix with Apple cider vinegar being 60% And let this air dry on him.. I normally do they mayo and Apple cider vinegar in the spring and fall when my dog Harley has her biggest flair ups.. wash him atleast twice a month with the shampoo I recommended and this works wonders. Hope everything works out for you

7. I use Malaseb medicated shampoo by Bayer for my dog. You can get it at from your vet or on Amazon.

8. We have 2 issues. One dog constantly licks the wood floors. She has been tested and has no illness. Whst can we do to stop this. Also is there any allergy meds that do not cause dead spots on the grass. We have one dog that is ruining the lawn and we are constantly trying to fix it

9. My Yorkiepoo is only 8 pounds and has skin issues ever since we moved to Florida 5yrs ago.
   We have tried many different medications to no avail. During these 5yrs we have lived in homes with rugs and ones without and have vacuumed and mopped both floors endlessly hoping that this would make a difference but it never did. What has made a difference for her has been putting her in an infant onesie. I have the kind that has snaps in the front, only I put it on her backward and snap it up in the back so that her tail will stick out. As soon as I take it off her she goes back to scratching. I guess her condition my be environmental. Her worst times are in the morning and 4pm till 9:30pm. She still licks or sometimes bites her paws but if I catch her and tell her to stop she does. I don’t like to cover her paws because she could get hurt walking or jumping around. I hope maybe this will help someone with a small dog. I discovered this method by accident and it maybe worth a try.

10. My cocker is almost 11 years old. He has always had skin issues and I went through the exact veterinary steps as you. He was eating Innova dog food until there were issues with contamination. I switched Chips to Blue Buffalo Freedom for seniors and his skin issues are completely gone. Freedom is grain-free. Give it a try.

11. You should have your Labrador checked out by a veterinarian.

12. My pet is labrodar….It is facing the problem of skin alergy and some weired thing is also coming from its paw and it is unable walk..its ear became black and belly also …its hair colour is black and now it is changing into white. Already 40% of its hair became ..please suggest me what to do . Suggest me through my mail id pleaseeee , my id is vkrishna878@gmail.com…please …please. ..

13. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

14. Has any one tried making bone broth from home. I have 2 furr baby with sevier allergies and one furr baby that was diagnosed with auto immune hemaoglobin animia I read about it on line and the health benefits are amazing I started making it for all five of my furr kids and has really helped I also is weekly vinager baths to kill an repel flees an tick and raw ground pumpkin seeds for international perisits and have had no problem with unwanted pests one I have 2 pitts a walker hound a German shepherd and a 7 pound eat terier mix and the vinegar bath dose not hurt my Pitt bulls I also use vitamin e oil capcules and vitamin c pills because 2 off my baby’s are allergic to fish

15. Yes, I could see the benefits of steroids outweighing the drawbacks. It did wonders for Stetson for a short period. We’re lucky Stetson hasn’t had many issues with allergies over the past few years. Hopefully Bella is doing well with her allergies and treatments.

16. I feel your pain! Our Bella has allergies to everything. Her perfect food would be pork and oatmeal but I can’t find anyone who makes that type of kibble. And since she is also allergic to grass, ants, bees and wasps, cats and sheep and more it sees useless to make her food. We tried imunotherapy (allergy shots) without great success. We’ve settled on many of the same strategies you mention in your article. Steroids have been wonderful! The benefits outweigh the drawbacks for us. Though she’s only 8 years old between the allergies and steroids she is closer to 10 years old in her physical appearance and ability. Though its aged her she’s been more comfortable since we’ve started steroids (aprox. 5 years ago).

17. Dear Vicki — Some clinics and services will provide vet care on a sliding fee scale (including free) for people who qualify. Being disabled may qualify you. Do a google search for free vet care in your area, or check with your local humane society to see if they have some options. Also, I don’t know how old Pocket is, or how trainable he is, but if you can get a “prescription” for a service dog and if pocket is trainable, you might be able to qualify for some form of support to keep him. Look into it, anyway. Finally, look at some of the suggestions here, and also do a search for veterinary home remedies. There are a surprising number of sites. So many people cannot afford vet care that these sites are popping up all over. Remember — your dog will appreciate living with you, his family, even if you can’t afford vet care, much more than being surrendered. You and Pocket are in my thoughts. Best of luck to both of you.

18. Thank you for sharing your story. When Stetson had his red, sore paws I would have tried anything as well. I will definitely keep this in mind for the future and I’m sure it will help someone searching the internet.

19. We went thru much distress last summer with our Catahoula. She got a severe, severe allergy to grass. Her paws were red and raw. The vet tried everything. We ended with 1.5 pills of Claritin twice a day, wipe her paws when she came in, & this expensive antibiotic on her paws every night (which we had to cover with booties for 30mins so she couldn’t eat). We also changed to a grain free diet. We were barely holding even. Next step was a new dog allergy medicine that was newly out of testing. While googling I came across the red cider vinegar option and thought what the heck, why not. It was amazing with in 3 days all the redness was gone. We were able to quit the expensive antibiotic. Using Claritin, vinegar spray, & wipes, we finished the summer. We prayed it was a one year blimp – no such luck. This summer started and it all began again. This year at her yearly checkup, we got one of the senior (original) vets in the practice. I told him about the red cider vinegar. His response was he knows it does help many dogs and, just as important, won’t hurt them. He couldn’t give me a good reason why it works, but told me if it does help my girl (& it does) keep using it. He would rather not keep her on constant prescription topologic antibiotic or the new medicine, if he didn’t have to. Hope this helps someone.

20. Hi! i have two yorkies both with seasonal allergies, im about to try probiotics to see if it helps, i was reading about it and they recommend it specially for dogs with bowel movement problems and also allergies, you can try Nzymes.com or another cheaper brand in amazon. I haven’t tried yet so i can’t vouche for it. But you probably try it. Good luck!

21. I feel for you..these vets make me want to puke, ive been to 3 supposedly the best in our two horse town and I believe their clueless and over a thousand later and hours on the internet I’ve decided to change diet #1 what I read high protein no grain dry foods..I’ve found a no grain food she doesn’t like it because it doesn’t have cheese. but guess what cheese is high protein and she gets cheese chunks for snacks, she is getting fresh foods eggs are really high in protein along with barely cooked ground turkey with barley or sweet potatos.and sardines (bad for gas violent) but she likes it and its full of omega 3 fatty acid…she has huge sores from some thing in the environment..lately although she gets sores not as many and they heal quicker…flea control is a must I use trifexis again now, she was off of it for about a year and all this stuff started with the cheap stuff, I believe parasites are a big problem with older dogs, as well as dry skin..so she gets omega 3 fish oil once a day for dry skin, and benadryl (50mg) twice a day for itching, and now if read older dogs need vitamin c so some of that too, along with more often baths every 3-5 days I use antibacterial NON scented or head and shoulders instead of all thet $30.00 stuff the vet sells, there are a lot of choices out there the stuff used to scent is very allergic causing..she is pretty much itch free..i think it takes both diet and the OTC medicines, and baths…there is plenty of foods that are good for them and they will like it..just spend time searching the internet and people will help you through their experiences…VETS are about the money..i was spending $90.00 a month on apaoquil and to find out its very bad for them..I now read cider vinegar baths are good too, along with Epsom salt baths…get the boy some food there are plenty of variations for him that will work…, mines about gone at almost 14 years old, and I won’t have another..her boyfriend was put to sleep last year at 14-1/2 years old lived together their whole lives and he never had any health problems..im thinking parasites and bad food in my case..best of luck to you, and sorry I rambled one so much Dan

22. My Dog was put on a new drug, called Apoquil. She is a senior. It worked, but she became incontinent. It work’s for many dog’s though.

23. One thing we did with Stetson is got the advice of more than one veterinarian. In fact we visited 3 different veterinarians who all had different ways for treating him. In the end the thing that worked best for Stetson was a change in environment (we moved from our condo to a house). Perhaps something changed in your environment that is causing these issues?

24. My pit bull is ALWAYS itching all over his body. He gets red sores on his belly and his chin/nose area seem to bother him as well. He always rubs his nose on the carpet – I assume to itch it. Lately he hasn’t been eating either resulting in a 7 lb weight loss in 3 weeks. He seems to have a hard time having bowel movement too. $750 later in vet bills and xrays revealed nothing. Do you have any suggestions for me? He’s 9 years old and up until a month of two ago was a healthy guy. Now he’s just withering away and itching all the time. HELP! I am not ready to lose my best friend. I’m already crying writing this. Any suggestions would help. He used to eat a lot of table scraps and now that I try not to give him those, he flat refuses to eat his dog food. So I end up giving him our food again and I know this is the worst thing – but his bones are sticking out and I want him to gain weight. Thank you!

25. Hopefully you can figure out something other then steroids that will help your Bella with her itchy skin. Thanks for stopping by.

26. hi guys!
    my girl bella has an awful skin allergy. she will chew the hair off her back in straight lines on either side of her spine up to a point I don’t even know how she reaches that high up her back! she’s always itching and biting at herself. she chews herself raw on basically anywhere she can reach! we have tried everything but the only thing that seems to help is steroids with an antibiotic. this concerns me just because I don’t think its very good (for people as well) to be on a steroid your whole life. this thread is great and im hoping some of these will help bella!

27. I was told by a Vet.,oatmeal shampoo is not good to use on pets with allergies!

28. If your dog has skin problem please DO NOT give them any cortisone, this causes Cushings and other organ failure. ( do not trust your vet blindly it’s all money making business.) Also too much antibiotic can rot your dog’s teeth, disease. Please eliminate any wheat from their diet or any grains ( rice is ok ). We give our dog boil chicken and rice and boil eggs. Do not give them anything with sugar like sweet potatoes or normal potatoes. Don’t give them anything with yeast in it. ( do not give them anything from China. Give them yoghurt. Wash their skin with malesab shampoo ( little only or their skin will burn ). DO NOT bathe them with any oatmeal shampoo or the yeast will feed on it. Please go around spreading this message because this will help save many dogs. Take care of your dog internally not just from the outside.

29. Hopefully the change in food helps your Morkie. As I’ve mentioned in other comments we’re lucky that moving to a new home has solved Stetson’s skin allergy problem.

30. I’ve been feeding Acana grasslands formula to my Morkie & Shiba Inu and they have done amazingly well with the food. It’s expensive but to not have them scratching constantly is sooo worth it. I have four dogs but two mentioned above have, apparently, chicken allergies. I read the labels on everything I buy them to make sure there is no chicken included. Hope you can find a remedy for your Morkie!

31. After another sleepless night (not in Seattle 🙂 , just finished reading every single comment, Colby. Began to feed our 7 year old Morkie Honest Kitchen last evening (Beef) variety suggested by owner of shop. Benedryl does nothing for Daisy. There were clumps of her coat all over the bedroom carpeting this a.m. That’s new! .Been through same routine with Vet as most of your followers have mentioned. Hoping change of food quality to dehydrated will help her.

32. Hopefully Annie is feeling better. Unfortunately, this is not a solution for everyone, but it seems that moving to a new home has done wonders for Stetson’s allergies. Ever since we moved 2 years ago his skin allergies have all but cleared up. So that means that Stetson’s allergies were pretty much environmental. Hopefully you find something that works for Annie. Let us know if the apple cider vinegar and new kibble works.

33. Thank you all for your comments and advice! I have a cc guide dog, Annie, who was withdrawn because of allergies. She scratches pretty much all the time and goes through stages of red pussy spots and dry flaky skin. She had a skin biopsy which identified food allergies. At the moment she is on Eukanuba Dermatosis and Cortavance, which is a corticosteroid spray, which is better than oral steroids. I need to bath her twice a month but she really hates it and I won’t send her to the parlour as she will come home with fleas. I’m definitely going to try apple cider vinegar and investigate moving her off kibble.

34. Hopefully one of the tips helps. Good luck!

35. I have a shar pie who is pretty much allergic to himself.
    Grass
    Seasonal allergies
    Foods-dog food

    I’m going to try these tips out on him and see if they work.
    He tears up his skin by itching or bitting. His skin also smells really bad to the point of gagging. Lol

36. Thank you for sharing your experience. I’m glad you found something that helped your Morkie with his itching.

37. I’m sorry to hear about your dog. Hopefully you can find something that helps with the itching. Let us know if you find a remedy that works for your dog.

38. I just wanted to let you all know that two of my four dogs scratched constantly. My Morkie scratched to the point of having no hair. Last year I switched to a higher end dog food which did not contain any chicken product. After two weeks both dogs (diff breeds) stopped their scratching. Now that we have our heat turned on I will incorporate coconut oil to feedings to ensure their skin doesn’t get dry. It’s a pain but check the ingredients of your kibble – some that state “beef” still incorporate some form of chicken so be diligent!

39. Thank you all for writing concerning your dogs problems , I am worried sick about my little dog , I’m on a fixed income and can no longer afford to take him to the vet , I used too every 6 months for 8 years until I became disabled . He’s my best friend and companion and all he does is itch all the time , I use oatmeal flea soap on him , don’t see no fleas but he digs himself all the time and he has very small scab looking rash on his belly especially around his private areas , I don’t know what to do cause I’m not sure what it is , he scratches other places too until he makes himself sore , I tried antibiotic cream on the sores and the oatmeal bath , the benydril , I have prednisone here but it’s human strength and I have fish oil caps here also , I’m so worried , I cry sometimes cause I know he must be so miserable , he’s all I got ! It upset me that for about 8 years I took him to the same vet , paid every time in cash and now when I need him to be seen , they won’t let me pay for it in payments ! When I was working I was able to afford to take him regular but it’s so hard to now on this income , in fact , I remember the first time that I took him , the vet smiled and told me in all his years of practice , he had never had a POCKET in his practice , ya see , that’s his name ,,,POCKET , someone threw him out along the road when he was just a little pup and I found him and he was small enough that I put him in my pocket cause he was cold and shivering and from that day on,,,,,he’s been my Pocket ! But God bless you all , I will try all of these home remedies and suggestions , thank you , and from both Pocket and I , we send you all love ! Bless you !

40. Hi Jenni, thank you for telling us about your experiences with your dog’s skin allergies. Stetson is doing much better with his allergies. In fact I think part of the problem may have been the grass in our yard. Since the drought restrictions began the lawn has died and at the same time Stetson’s skin seems much less irritated. However, I did change a lot of things at the same time so it could be any one or combination of things. I’m just happy that Stetson feels comfortable in his skin again 🙂

41. I have a Shih Tzu with severe skin allergies am am still trying to find natural remedies to help him. Otherwise he is on Benedryl through the winter, spring, and summer months and has to be moved to prescription allergy, itch, and steroid medications through the fall. One thing we found helpful was using a good quality, soap free, oatmeal shampoo, like mentioned above. While it calms my baby boy’s skin a little, it greatly helps the other small dogs who have much more minor skin allergies. Their are 2 others and they do not require medication when we regularly bathe them. There are also leave in products to help with skin itches and irritation.

    Good Luck!!
    Jenni

42. I can vouch 100% of the incredible and FAST results from using natural remedies like ACV ( Apple Cider Vinegar).
    I encourage you not to use thus and remedies like it as a last resort but as a FIRST.
    Your animals will thank you and you’ll add quality to their lives as well as potentially longevity. ACV has a plethora of additional benefits. I encourage you to READ UP ON THEM. Here’s why: not only is ACV amazing for various dog itch culprits, it adds other benefits without side effects. The meds you prescribed as your “first resort” add side effects AND tax the dog’s immune system. That’s the last thing needed when an animal is suffering. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves.

43. Hi Bridget, sorry for the late response. Did you find anything that worked. Stetson is actually doing much better. I was always told by the vet that it was probably something environmental and ever since we moved he’s doing much better (although not perfect). I hope you pup is doing well.

44. Hey there,

    I was reading through your post because I was looking for natural alternatives to help my service dog with his scratching. As you probably know, scratching in public is a big NO-NO with service dogs, so Im trying everything… My boy gets both Fish Oil & Vita E capsules daily, benedryl every 4-6 hours & ACV rub-downs, but because of hsi breed (australian kelpie) baths are limited to once a year because he gets worse after a bath (it breaks his natural oils down)… I havent gone grain-free yet, but that may be the next step. I just want the “itchy & scratchy show” to stop, but want to do it as natural as possible…

45. Thanks for sharing! Lucky for us Stetson has been doing much better with his allergies. We moved to a new home about a year ago and that seems to be the thing that relieved his skin allergies. Now that I look back I’m thinking it must have been something environmental that was causing his allergies. Possibly something our association was putting in the grass? Just speculation…

46. I have read up on this because my dog (12yrs old) has become sick n started getting red , blister like bumps on her belly, they aren’t itchy but look terrible.Anyway I am trying different things and one of them was a baby oatmeal/epsom salt bath which seemed to relieve her. I am adding a site for apple cider vinegar wipes (home made) that might help you. Good Luckhttp://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/homemade-doggy-wipes-apple-cider-vinegar-5474.html

47. Hi Tiffany,

    We haven’t tried the allergy shots. Stetson is doing 10x times better since we moved. Now I’m guessing that there was something in the environment near our old house that was causing the issues. We did switch him over to Wellness Core Grain Free and our next step was going to be to try the Wellness Core Ocean (basically fish/seafood) Grain Free, but since he seems to have cleared up since the move we’ve stuck with the regular Wellness.

    Thanks for posting about the food! We put Stetson on fish oil supplements a couple years ago too.

    Hopefully the food change and fish oil help your dog. I totally agree our vet bills were also getting out of hand.

    Take care,
    Colby

48. You were asking about different types of food for your dog.. Our family is in the same
    Boat as you are. Our Boxer has severe allergies. Recently we have switched dogs foods and we were advised to try ” Taste of the Wild” it’s all Fish & grain free. We were advised dogs are usually allergic to chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef. Rarely are dogs allergic to fish!! So far that is helping along with home making his treats and making sure nothing has grain in it. It’s definitely frustrating and we have had him on steroids a lot in the past but are now trying to avoid them because of the side effect. So just an idea food wise!! Try an all fish grain free.. Also I feed my dogs “fish oil supplements. The vet bills were getting outrageous too!!! Have you started the allergy shots yet? What’s your thought on that?

    Thank you

49. Thanks. I’ve been feeding one of my dogs Honest Kitchen for the past few months to see if it helps his allergies.

50. I will just add that if your not able to cook for your pet, consider Dr. Harvey’s or the Honest Kitchen – both are dehydrated raw foods that are affordable and convenient sources for a healthy diet and include the vitamins that all pups need. I feed my dogs Veg-to-Bowl and add a protein source which you can vary so they don’t get tired of their meals (i do mine cooked though – although raw is an option I’m sure.

51. Limited ingredient diet food is what you want. We use natural balance whitefish and sweet potatoe. Also I’d be careful with using wipes on paws, our guy is also allergic to fragrance so those wipes or shampoos that aren’t fragrance free can cause more harm than good. Allergy testing is a good idea!

52. While kind of off-topic on allergies, I feel a responsibility to include this addendum to my previous post where I mentioned vaccinations: please read this Q&A by Dr Schultz. It will answer many questions about vaccinating. He does insist you should vaccinate, but not OVER vaccinate. http://www.maddiesfund.org/Documents/Resource%20Library/Titer%20Testing%20Q%20and%20A.pdf

53. My Lab also has allergies, to what we don’t know. I’ve written on this page before, so I won’t go into details except to say that feeding a totally raw diet (no kibble at all) has had fantastic results. I don’t buy the raw food all prepared and minced up. I just feed him whole chicken carcasses, raw meaty pork bones, chicken necks, wings, livers, pork ribs, lamb mince, tripe, raw eggs, plain yoghurt, raw veg, raw fruit, garlic, chondroitin/glucosamine green mussel powder (for cartilage), and also add omega 3/salmon oil, and lately evening primrose oil and tissue salts with sulphur (tiny dose) which seem to have had a great effect.

    But why I’m writing now is that I’ve been researching vaccines and allergies, and it seems that vaccines might be causing all these allergies. Read the research by this vet, Ronald Schultz: http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/people/ronald%20d%20schultz/. And then try to remember when your dog started his/her allergies. Mine started immediately after his shots at 3 months.

54. Sophie have you tried Atopica? It’s a prescription med from the vet. We recently put our morgue on it and she is handling it just okay right now – we are trying to find a happy medium with the dosage but the scratching hasn’t started up (we had her on a small dose steroid to get it under control then switched to the Atopoca).

55. Hey, thanks for this post! I see that there are so many of us out here who are at the end of our ropes with sleepless nights and constant infections/vet bills. I know that my dog has allergies, but I’m not sure I believe I should take her to the vet for testing. I read an article saying that even if allergies are identified (which is questionable because there are many false positives and false negatives), the allergens cannot necessarily be eliminated (say, your dog has a grass allergy). Also, I read that only a fraction of people who give their dog those desensitizing shots actually see results. I know a human who tried this once and it actually made her allergies WORSE, nearly putting her in the hospital. Let us not forget the cost! Why put ourselves through this?

    My Shih Tzu has been on a 100% raw diet for two months now, a regimen that is costing us $80/month (Nature’s Variety) and doesn’t seem to be working in the slightest. This is clearly more than a food allergy. The food stinks and is a pain to prepare because due to its raw state, extra precautions have to be taken. She has been suffering from allergies for nearly 3 years (her entire life). I first noticed her scratching the day I brought her home at 10 weeks. She is on fish oil, vitamin E and takes Benadryl at night so that she (and we) can sleep. She is currently also on an antibiotic because when her allergies get especially bad (like now) she mysteriously also gets bladder infections. I saw blood in her urine 2 days ago so we’re back on the meds. I also now have to pay attention to her ears because the antibiotics usually cause yeast infections in them. I bathe her with medicated shampoo and conditioner every 3ish days. Her scratching, due to allergies, also caused a puncture of her right cornea, resulting in $3,500.00 eye surgery.

    It is a never-ending vicious cycle, something from which we have tried desperately to escape.

    There just has to be something else out there. We are physically tired from getting no sleep at night. I will do anything for my girl, but to be honest, the constant bathing is a huge pain and it only gives her minimal relief. We are physically, emotionally and financially exhausted. The sad part is that veterinarians, pharmaceutical companies and high-end dog food companies benefit from our dogs’ misery. I hate to say this, but after my experience with this dog, I do not trust those people to do what is in the best interest of the animal because a sick animal is seen as a cash cow. The longer they are sick, the more money the vet/pharm/food company can pocket.

    I do have a question. Has anyone noticed if there is a difference between generic fish oil and pure salmon oil? I am considering making a change there and before I spend another $20, I’d like to know if I have a good chance of it working.

    Please, HELP! I cannot go another night without sleep!

56. My Lhasa Apso is 2.5 yrs old and this month she started for the first time to get these pinkish, puss blisters that turn into dry,flaky scabs. Vet said it’s due to allergens either food or envionmental. They gave her anti-baterial medicine, Claravox, anti-bacterial shampoo Vibrac and I put her on Honest Kitchen food, Force which she loves and licks the bowl and it’s Grain-free and Glutten free.I have been wiping her paws and her privates with baby wipes since I’ve had her @ 3 months. Her old marks disappearred. However, I stopped taking the meds and these marks are coming back. Adding to it, it’s 90 degree weather in NY, I’ve taken her to the park with grass watching nephew playing soccer even though Vet told me to stay away from grass and Vet recommended benedryl which I haven’t gone that route yet as well as I haven’ t given her her her flea medication which I’m suppose to. It’s my fault that I’m not consistent and therefore I am not able to pin point what’s causing these annoying marks. I realize I have to buckle down to cure my baby girl.

57. Why can’t pitbulls have ACV

58. Apple Cider Vinegar is the greatest! I use it on my dog’s ears, feet, and any hotspots that appear. Been using it full strength for years with NO adverse effects other than the smell untill it dries. It’s a wonder product!

59. I have been seeing several articles of late making a connection between vaccinations and allergies, and the danger of over vaccinating. I also believe that the American Vet Assoc has reviewed and changed its vaccination protocol to less frequent vaccinations.

60. Oh boy, we are all in the same boat aren’t we? We have three french bulls and a boston . Two of the french bulls have allergies. We changed their food last fall when we started going to the dermatologist veterinarian. We started with the food trial. We believe food was part of the problem but we also believe there are environmental allergies as well. Stella has done well. She used to rub her face in the carpet constantly as well as lick her paws constantly. Both have subsided greatly. Izzie on the other hand is a mess. She has been on so many antibiotics and steroids form bumps all over her. We thought they looked like hives. They were raised and pink. She didn’t really scratch them though. Everytime we took her to the vet it was the same thing, she would take a scraping and said she had both a bacterial and fungal infection. They would clear up after her round of antibiotics and or steroids and then come back again. Dogs are supposed to be treated for fleas monthly which we haven’t done because we did not want to do one more thing that might exacerbate her issues. I believe we are going to have to go the allergy testing route. A friend of mine did that with her Bichon and when they realized what he was allergic to the made up that antigen and she injected into him and for her it worked. I am praying the same thing happens for us. It’s horrible, isn’t it?

61. Hi Sherry,

    I’m sorry to hear about your dog. Hopefully you can find something that helps his allergies. It so frustrating to see our dogs itching and not being able to help. Have you had a chance to consult with your veterinarian? Let us know if you find something that helps stop the itching.

    Good luck with your dog!
    Colby

62. Hi Susan,

    We usually notice more scratching in the Spring. When he was about 2 years old (he’s now 6) he started getting allergies. He would itch and lick his paws and during the bad months he’d get little scabs on his belly.

    Hopefully you can get your Morkie’s itching under control.

    Good luck,
    Colby

63. Ugghhh! I hate fleas. We had some issues with fleas a few years ago, but luckily haven’t had any problems since. Stetson has been doing well with his allergies and I think it coincided changing his diet. Right now I’m feeding him Wellness Core and Honest Kitchen which seems to be helping. He is also taking Salmon Oil and we tried pretty much everything else on this list, but since we did them all at once I’m not sure which one helped the most. Right now we’re actively doing #6 – Grain Free Food, #7 – Fish Oil, and #9 Keeping the house clean. Stetson’s skin allergies usually get worse in the spring so we’ll see how things go.

    I hope you get everything under control with the fleas. I can’t stand to see my pup’s itch.

64. Hi there…
    I have a white Maltese/Shih-tzu mix and his back and tummy has been awful. He scratches and chews incessantly. I tried Fromms grain-free food and the first few weeks his skin cleared up wonderfully. But, the allergies are back, even though he is still on the same food. Also, the food is expensive. It runs about $70 for a 26lb bag. ($7.00 of that is tax). I think I am going to try the vinegar and water solution after bathing. That seems more natural than all the medications. I’ll let you know if it helps at all.

65. Hi Colby –

    Did Stetson’s allergies start “out of the blue”? We have a 1 year old Morkie – she began scratching/biting when we turned the heat on in December and just assumed she was reacting to the warm air. She has managed to scratch off a great deal of her hair and now bites. We took her to the vet and she is currently on a prescript antihistamine – not Benadryl due to her size. We changed her food but she started the scratching prior so we know it was brought on with the food change (Blue Buffalo, Duck Formula). My other three dogs are not experiencing the same issue. Vet is thinking allergies because we tried fish oil for two weeks with no change at all in her scratching (just a softer coat – at least what’s left of her coat). So, just curious if Stetson’s started out of the blue and if you noticed if he scratches more or less during the winter months. Thanks!

66. Hallo again Colby,

    Are you still struggling with Steton’s allergies?

    Snowie was fine for ages until he got fleas in Jan this year. I wasn’t using anti flea stuff cos they are so toxic and he didn’t have fleas. But the Jan (summer here) brought an infestation of fleas and I think I took too long to deal with them and their biting gave him terrible itching. It is now April and he is still scratching terribly. His diet is all raw (no more pellets at all) and he is thriving on the raw diet. But this scratching!!!! I am told, aside from the fleas, the changing of the seasons (we are moving into winter) brings on a lot of allergies. So yesterday I gave him half an Allergex tablet (it’s antihistamine, for humans mainly, but given to animals, too). I think it made him very sleepy. I was told one tablet in the morning, one in the evening, but I decided to be cautious and try just a half. He slept right through the night (I didn’t hear any scratching) but he woke up scratching at 5.30am. I gave him another half this morning so hopefully he will stop scratching and chewing himself and, as a consequence, the itch will go away (I do think scratching and chewing exacerbate the problem).

    BTW I was told that Flax Seed Oil can cause hotspots in dogs cos it contains omega 6 (I think this was the reason given), so I have changed to salmon oil in capsules (omega 3 only) — although I am reminded from my earlier post that the capsules destroy the benefits of the oil! I will have to see if it comes in bottles!

    I am also taking Snowie to the doggie parlour to get dipped in a herbal dip — not toxic to dogs but gets rid of fleas. I did this three weeks ago and he came out silky smooth (got a blowdry and good brushing)! The fleas appeared to have gone, but then I saw one two days ago. I would do this myself but we don’t have a bath tub at home and he hates the shower. The parlour said he behaved very well! Anyway, I am happy for all his hair (he is moulting, too) to stay in their plug holes not mine 🙂

    Oh, I did use Frontline in Feb and Advantix in March for the fleas. I lost my resolve never to use that toxic stuff. But I won’t use them again, hear too many horror stories of using insecticides on dogs. And anyway, then there was the flea I saw two days ago!

    These poor babies and their scratching! If only they knew we devoted blog posts to them!!

67. I know what you mean about the vet bills. I’ve had the same problem with Stetson. Currently, Stetson allergies are somewhat under control and I think it might have to do with the food we changed him to. I’m going to give it another month or two because his allergies usually worsen in the spring. Thanks for sharing your story.

68. Hi all. Wat wonderfull infomation. Our french bullmastif, ceaser is 1 and has had skin alkergies forever. We have had to keep him inside, bathed 2daily and changed his food regulary just to try and control the itch for him. Im xcited about trying some of these natural remidies as my vet bills have been getting into the thousands jyst to try bring him some relive.

69. Thank you for sharing the remedy. Luckily Stetson’s skin allergies are currently under control, but this is something I’ll have to try when they come back.

70. We have a yellow lab (2 yr) that gets into brush, weeds, tall grass & get welts on her (allergic reaction). I have a small spray bottle (1/4 cup or so) that I put pure water and about 8-10 drops of lavender essential oil in. It usually helps within 10-15 minutes. I only use doTerra oil – don’t use junk oils. I either spray on my hand first & apply to the dog, or spray on the dog shielding the spray away from her face. doTerra also makes a blend called Breathe which works well.

71. Hi Desray!

    Thanks for sharing. I’m going to have to check it out. I wonder if they ship to the United States.

    Take care,
    Colby

72. I have been using Rooibos-anti-itch oil for my cat and it is fantastic. It can be used for dogs, horses etc. rooibos and chamomile infused oil.
    http://Www.Rooibosantiitch.co.za

73. Hi Laurel,

    Thanks for stopping by! I think I might consider getting Stetson the allergy testing, but I’m not sure I can do the injections…I don’t like needles 🙁 Thanks for letting me know about the different dog foods as well. Have you tried Honest Kitchen? I’m thinking about starting Stetson Honest Kitchen to see if it helps.

    Thanks!
    Colby

74. Hi Sheila,

    Maybe Walter and Stetson are related! Stetson’s allergies aren’t as bad right now. He’s been chewing on his paws, but his coat looks great. I’m going to take a trip to different vet to see if they have any other recommendations. Have you ever tried Honest Kitchen? I’m going to try moving Stetson to Honest Kitchen to see if it helps with his skin allergies and also his speed eating.

    Let me know how Walter’s dermo tests go. I hope you can find the source and relieve his allergies.

    Take care,
    Colby

75. Colby, I also installed an air filter in my condo that filters allergens. Benedryl was not helping so Dodger is on Atarax, a prescription. Allergy testing costs about $170 so you can find out what he is allergic to. They can then provide an antigen for those that score highest which you inject yourself. If I can do it, anyone can. Dodger was allergic to three grasses and several trees. I feed California Natural Grain Free Venison. There are some lamb varieties that are grain free but I stay away from them as I read somewhere that lamb was “hot”. Also, please check him for lumps. Dogs with allergies are very suseptible to Mast Cell which is what Dodger has.

76. OMG Colby ~~you have described Walter! He was career changed from GDA for allergies at 17 months. He started developing them around a year old. Everything you have tried we have also! Next Monday he is going to a Vet specializing in dermatology. This was recommended by my vet ( who we love). Walter is currently on a low dose (25 mg daily) of Steroids~~only because I too am afraid of the long term effects. I think he has been on every antibiotic known! Fergie our 3 year old cc GDA pup had allergies/dry flaky skin and we switched her food to no grain salmon Great Life or Instinct. The food changed worked for her! She will occassionaly lick her paws , however her coat is silky like a baby! I will have to say with Fergie we went through many different types of food ( all no grain). We are hoping for some answers with the dermo vet. We will let you know. Also we went to daily baths recommended by GDA vet and now our vet. We use Epi-Soothe. The first four days Walter’s coat is soft again. Those scaly marks on the belly Walter had 2 months again and also on his back. After some cultures and 3 different antitibiotics we found Chloramphenicol. This cleared up the scaly dry patches. After a month he has them back and was placed backed on the same meds yesterday. That is why we decided to go the dermo vet direction. Walter also takes fish oil tablets twice a day. My house is all hardware floors and I sweep daily. Last night I just ordered a air purifier hoping for some good results with that. I think that will help with my allergies also. Walter has been on salmon no grain Great Life also and we recently switched to turkey no grain by Instinct. Have not found the magic food for him yet.
    I think these pups needs an allergy support group! 😉

77. Hi Tonja,

    Thank you so much for the information and recommendations. I changed my dogs over to Canidae Grain Free Sky. I’ll take a closer look at those other brands you mentioned too. My vet actually didn’t mention grain free I brought it up and asked if he thought it would help with Stetson’s allergies. If your boss has more information on how to choose the right dog food I would love to hear it. I actually attended a conference a couple months back and one of the keynotes talked about reading dog food labels and how to decipher between different dog foods. It was very interesting and one of the reasons I decided to ask my vet whether I should switch foods.

    Again thanks so much for the information.

    Take care,
    Colby

78. Colby,
    I can not say enough good things about the grain free dog food, especially when it comes to allergies. I think that should be the first thing you try & I believe you will be very happy with the results. I am a groomer at a doggie daycare / boarding that also sells a good variety of organic dog food. I don’t know what you’re feeding now, but if it is a “national” brand (even Pedigree or Beneful which are better than most) the main (first ingredient listed) will most likely be a grain. Also, these contain by product which, if you aren’t aware of what that is…it’s just gross & basically empty fillers, like all the left over parts of the animal (beaks, feet etc…) . You will find with these organic dog foods, they use REAL FOOD like fruits, vegetables & real meat most, I believe are even suitable for human consumption & I have to admit that the apple treats I tried were pretty good! Because these foods are so much more nutritious, your dogs will actually eat less because they are more satisfied & aren’t getting basically a bunch of empty calories. This offsets the slightly higher price. Some are quite pricy, but there is a good selection that is only slightly higher than brands bought at your local supermarket or Walmart, Ok, not only are they much more nutritious, but, as far as allergies goes, I have seen for myself that the grain free varieties have had almost miraculous effects in dog after dog that have tried them. The tear staining that many light colored breeds get – goes away, as do most of their allergies, especially skin related allergies. I’ve seen dogs that were on daily medication for liver & thyroid conditions not even need medication anymore. I’m not trying to promote any specific brand, just simply the wonderful difference I’ve seen these better made pet foods make in so many dogs. If you would like more info, I can connect you with my boss who knows so much more about it all. Just let me know. I urge you to make the change & I’m surprised your vet didn’t suggest this sooner. Best wishes! Brands I can think of off the top of my head are: Fromm, Whole Earth Farms, Pure Vita, & Merrick.

79. Thanks for the additional information. I believe you are correct regarding the flax seed oil and #7 Fish Oil. I’m going to see if I can find flax seed oil specifically for animals as well.

    You’re probably right about the baby wipes as well. I’ll take a look at the link and see how everything goes for Stetson in the coming months.

    Take care,
    Colby

80. Hi Lilah,

    Thanks for the link to the natural allergy remedies. So far Stetson is doing pretty well, but if he has an allergy relapse I’ll definitely start looking at some of the suggestions mentioned in this comment thread.

    Thanks so much!
    Colby

81. Yeah, I’ve been wiping Stetson’s feet for a few weeks now. His allergies have subsided, but I think the Prednisone is still helping. I’ll see how it goes over the next few months. Good luck with Fred!

82. Hi Colby,

    I would think Flax Seed Oil would go with #7 Fish Oil, both being oils and both containing omega 3 and 6 (and 9?). I prefer using cold pressed oil straight out the bottle instead of in capsules as I’ve been told by a microbiologist that the heat required to get the oil into capsules (I don’t know why heat, but sometimes it’s easier and quicker to believe than do a whole lot of more research!!) destroys the oil structure and therefore the benefit. Interestingly, the health shop from where I buy the flax seed oil sells it in bottles specially for animals. When I asked why “specially for animals”, the sales person phoned the manufacturer who said the flax seed for animals is more bitter than for humans, and therefore cheaper. I tried both — the nicer tasting for humans the bitter one for animals — and Snowie didn’t care which one, so he gets the cheaper one.

    Here is the link to the trainer’s website: http://www.dogzathome.co.za/barf.html. She makes up the ground food for dogs who have no teeth or for people who are afraid to feed their dogs bones. But she recommends bones instead because she says dogs need to chew to release stress, to alleviate boredom, and to release feel-good hormones (serotonin and endorphins I presume).

    I also wipe Snowie’s feet after he’s been outside, but that’s only to clean them cos he likes to get onto the furniture! I just use a wet tea towel. I’m loathe to use more chemicals on him, and my feeling is that baby wipes just contain more chemicals to add to the itchiness. I know they’re supposed to be gentle for babies but so far the wet tea towel has served its purpose.

    Enjoy your raw food research, and I look forward to hearing your opinions!

    Regards,
    Marilyn

83. Hi Marilyn,

    Thanks so much for the reply. I actually have thought about moving Stetson to a raw food diet. However, I haven’t done the research yet, but I will if Stetson’s allergies return. He’s actually doing very well right now and hasn’t been itching at all. I’m hoping these 10 remedies are helping. I’ll have to add the Flax Seed Oil and Raw Food diet to my list.

    If Stetson’s allergies do return you’ll probably start seeing blog posts about how to move your dog to a raw food diet. Please send me the link to the trainer’s website. I’d love to read a little more about raw food diets.

    Thanks!
    Colby

84. Thanks for all the great tips! I will definitely be trying some of these on Fred. I really think the idea of keeping baby wipes to wipe their feet when they come in is a good one. 🙂

85. My dog also has all the symptoms indicating allergies and we’ve had to even wrap her paws because she will lick them until they are raw and bleeding. Luckily Benadryl does help her but I’d like to find a more natural allergy remedy to help her so I appreciate your suggestions.

86. Hi Colby,

    Oh, do I feel for you! Snowie, our yellow lab puppy, began scratching after he got stung by a bee. The vet didn’t think there was a correlation, but it definitely was a coincidence that after he had such a bad reaction to the bee sting (swollen eyes and non-stop scratching for two days, and crying and madly trying to run away from the itching — terrible experience for me!!), he continued to scratch. He drew blood under his arms from scratching so much. This happened from 2 months until about 5 months.

    Then a vet recommended Flax Seed Oil in his food and it made such a difference to his dry skin. He might’ve been scratching due to dry skin. The little pimples on his stomach (that the vet thought was impetigo) disappeared, and his fur became silky smooth. It also grew back under his armpits, and more grew on his stomach, although I’m not sure if that is a age thing, that his fur grows thicker on the stomach. I also wiped the itchy areas with a cotton ball soaked first in water and then apple cider vinegar, and that provided relief.

    We also changed his food. He was on Hills Large Breed Puppy, and we changed to Eukanuba but his poos were very bulky and soft, and then we changed finally to Royal Canin Lab Puppy, and his scratching definitely reduced to what seems like the normal odd scratching now and then. I wanted to change to Orijen, which is rated as the best grain-free pellet, but it is just so expensive, so we decided to stick with Royal Canin (half the price) unless Snowie got worse.

    At 6 months (he is now 7 months), I replaced his midday meal with a raw meaty pork bone, which he loves, and which keeps him occupied for about 45 minutes, and then he chews on the bit of bone that remains for the rest of the afternoon — and it has protected our furniture from being chewed! His teeth are also magnificently clean.

    I also add about half a cup of raw spinach (or other greens) to his pellets morning and night, and at night I chop up a tiny amount of garlic (a few slivers), which the vet said was good for his immunity (and I wonder if it repels the fleas).

    I am a strong believer that a pellet is not a healthy option for a dog, but rather a convenient option for us humans. Would you eat biscuits your whole life, with no added fresh ingredients, and expect to be healthy? I also believe our vets are biased to dry dog food — just take a look at their consulting rooms: the walls are lined to the ceiling with bags of dog food. It’s a great way for them to generate income. The only vet I met who felt raw dog food (raw meaty bones etc) are best for your dog was the vet who was a locum when my regular vet was away — she doesn’t run a practice and has no vested interest in selling dog food. From what I’ve read, vets get a lot of money from the dog manufacturers for promoting their processed dog food.

    In time, I want to get Snowie onto a fully raw diet. Yesterday he got a raw chicken carcass for breakfast, which took him about half an hour to eat vs the 2 minutes to vacuum up his pellets. And for lunch the raw meaty pork bone. He also got a raw carrot and a raw apple as snacks, which he loves to crunch. (Both my husband and I are vegetarian, so the stalling of the raw diet is because we have difficulty in handling all this meat.) BTW a raw diet is also cheaper than feeding processed pellets!

    Since eating the raw meaty bones, his poos are small and hard, and I believe the hard poos prevent anal sac problems.

    I do notice that on the occassion he has stolen food he should not eat (bread off the kitchen counter when he’s visiting my mother), his eyes get gooey, which I assume are part of the allergic reaction. Since eating more raw food, his eyes are much brighter.

    I know I’ve rambled, but the point I’m trying to make is that I am sure we could prevent the dog skin allergy problems if we feed our dogs a predominantly, if not solely, raw food diet. Processed food is not good for humans, and I strongly believe it’s no good for dogs, either. Pellets are processed food. There is a ton of information on feeding raw food to dogs on the internet, and Ian Billinghurst, a vet, has written books on feeding raw food to dogs. I take Snowie to training at the Cape Province Dog Club (in Cape Town, South Africa), and the trainers I have spoken to all feed their dogs raw food. In fact, I buy the raw bones from the dog club. (If you are interested, I can send you a link to one of the trainer’s web sites where she spells out what to feed your dog — she makes it very easy and dispels all fears.)

    I don’t want to tell you what to do — particularly since what works for us might not work for you. But I so want to say: feed Stetson raw food and see if it helps his allergies!

    Warm regards,
    Marilyn

87. Hi Snoopy!

    Thanks for the great tips! I’m going to check out the Biogroom Oatmeat Shampoo for Stetson. I went to PetSmart the other day and there were so many shampoo options I had not idea which one to choose. I’m thinking about trying Canidae Grain Free Sky for Stetson, but we also took a look at the Costco Grain Free Food too.

    Hopefully Stetson stops itching after all of these remedies. We’ll let you know how it goes.

    Take care,
    Colby

88. Jill posted on our Facebook page. I’m not sure if you’ll read this Jill, but thank you for telling us your solution for your pup’s allergies.

89. Oh poor Stetson,

    I sure hope you can find a cure for him 🙂

    I know I moan about weekly baths, but really I’ve had no side effects from mine and I’ve had them since I was a pup – my Mum uses Biogroom Oatmeal Shampoo as it’s good for frequent washing.

    I also have Costco Grain Free Food – it’s a lot cheaper than lots of others and I like it 🙂

    I’ve never suffered from allergies, but I’ve been on Grain-Free from the start, always had baths each week and always had Flea Treatment, so we don’t know if I’d have had allergies if we didn’t do these things.

    I hope you work out a good solution for Stetson,

    Big Wags to all

    Your pal Snoopy 🙂

90. I’ve had wonderful luck resolving allergy issues like red spots on her stomach and itchy paws with my lab. I now feed her Natural Balance sweet potato and venison kibble and she takes Hydroxyz twice a day. She’s much happier and so am I…and it’s affordable. The meds are cheaper when I get them at my pharmacy.

91. Hi Denise,

    Well, as soon as we’re done puppy sitting Journey we can try this remedy because we won’t have any PIT’s in the house. We’re going to work on the other remedies first. Thanks for sharing.

    Take care,
    Colby

92. Hi Lisa,

    Thanks for the extra tips to help prevent dog skin allergies. I’m hoping one of these remedies will help relieve Stetson of his itching.

    Take care,
    Colby

93. a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in your water bowl helps balance the PH helps with ear infections. but PITs can’t have it so I can’t do it here right now with Honey.

94. I would recommend using safflower oil either in addition to or to replace the fish oil. It’s much more effective (and cheaper). It is in the grocery store near the olive/cooking oils and I just pour a table spoonish size on my allergy prone dog’s food 1x a day. (It’s also good for the human). That, in addition to the benadryl or clariton on really bad days, and the vinegar and water and sometimes covering her feet in muttlucks when I need to leave her for several hours at a time is a good mix.

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