Home Remedies for Dog Allergies

[johns0292]

My dog, Sarah(14yrs old)Terrior-mix, has major allergies and her rear end is extremely itchy. She has hair loss, red, flaky, and inflamed skin. She chews and scratches constantly. I'm not sure what to do. I give her the same Dog Food, Canidae, the best, so that can't be it. I make my own dog treats as to not have fillers. I know she is allergic to wheat, so I don't put wheat in the treats. I'm at a dead end. I try to do things with home remedies first before going to the vet.
Can anyone suggest diet, ointment, bathing or any other remedies to soothe general allergies? I would greatly appreciate it.

[Spyglass Sally]

Welcome to the forum. Poor Sarah! Has she had this for a long time or is it something new? Is she an indoor or outdoor dog? Not sure where you live, but I'm wondering if it's as hot and humid as it is many places right now. It may be environmental, or the Canidae.

I would not assume that since it's the same dog food, that it's not contributing. It's not uncommon for dogs to develop allergies to food they are fed daily which is why many of us rotate what foods are dogs are on. It may be worth trying a different protein or switching to raw. Many dogs with allergies have found relief on a raw diet. It sounds a little intimidating (at least it did to me at first) but there are some excellent "sticky" posts on the food section of the forum to help you get started.

As far as natural therapies, there are a number of possibilities, both for symptomatic treatment and trying to remove the cause. Dr. Shawn Messionner has a Allergy Solution for Dogs book that can provide detailed info.

Some possibilities he suggests:

• Natural or Hypo-allergenic Diet
• Topical Decontamination - frequent bathing with organic shampoos specifically made for frequent, even daily bathing.
• Omega-3 fatty acids - (fish oil primarily, also flax oil): Dosed at 10 mg/pound of body weight 1-3 times daily.
  
• Antioxidants - Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E, minerals such as selenium, and other substances such as coenzyme Q-10, bilberry, blueberry, resveratrol, OPC’s, etc., work by reducing cell-harming oxidizing chemicals released upon cell damage and death.
• Herbs - alfalfa, burdock root, dandelion, Echinacea, feverfew, garlic, German chamomile, gingko biloba, goldenseal, licorice root, nettle, red clover, Oregon grape, yarrow, yellow dock.
• Homeopathics - Sulfur

Hope this is helpful. It's hard to see your pet suffer and we all sympathize with both of you!

[Ron]

clever spam is still spam

[Spyglass Sally]

I saw the signature was self promoting, but didn't think of it like that. Guess that's why I'm just a user and not the admin.

[Ron]

the post was automated. Those spammers always find new ways