CANINE NATURAL CURES

SKIN PROBLEMS

I firmly believe that if more dogs were fed a natural diet, food that has not come from the factory gate but the farm gate, then we would see a massive reduction in these skin problems.  I know that certain carpet fresheners have caused endless difficulties for some dogs but they do not account for the epidemic of scratching that we see today.  Even if your vet says that your dog  is scratching from a flea allergy you could use a more natural approach to rid your dog of fleas just by feeding brewer’s yeast or garlic daily.   By taking the trouble to prepare your dog’s food at home you can avoid additives, preservatives and artificial colours.  If by feeding a natural diet you can improve your dog’s general health then it follows that your dog will be more able to resist disease including skin problems.  What else can you do to reduce your dog’s itchiness?  Among its many health benefits Vitamin C is also a natural anti-histamine, in other words, it can reduce your dog’s need to scratch.  In homoeopathy the most widely used remedies for skin problems are sulphur and nat. mur. so I combined these two together to make Skin Combo.  I have found that Skin Combo has been excellent for clearing up hot spots, drying up even wet eczema and general itchiness. Some customers have told me that it has cleared flaky skin and nearly all have said that their dogs’ scratching has reduced or stopped when they have used this product.  Beneficial though the Skin Combo has been I was aware that there were an ever growing number of dogs of all breeds who had been skin scraped and tested and found, just like human hay fever or asthma sufferers, to be allergic to grass, pollens and even the house dust mite. However where most people have runny eyes or wheezing breath as an allergic reaction, dogs generally itch and scratch.  Ditch the Itch has been specifically produced for these dogs and contains the homoeopathic forms of grass pollens, a mixture of grasses and the house dust mite. Ditch the Itch is used to try and densensitise dogs to these allergens and thus rid them of their problem.  The product is working by using the  homoeopathic principle of “let like be cured with like”.  The good news is that since this product was launched early in 1997 there is an ever growing group of dogs that have ditched their itch!  We can also supply a different product that contains tree pollens - just ask.  World Herbs have a range of products that may  help your itchy, scratchy dogs. Check out Dermaphyte, Pet Detox and Allergease. What can you apply to the skin to bring relief?  Aloe Vera gel or urticara cream can be rubbed in but please remember that whatever you rub onto a dog’s skin tends to end up inside the dog so be sparing with creams and check that will not be toxic if swallowed. Slices of fresh cucumber will also cool and soothe the skin and will be completely harmless if eaten! The same applies to apple cider vinegar which will also soothe an itch and some people find it helpful to add a spoonful of apple cider vinegar to the water bowl as well. Try and use the best quality apple cider vinegar as the more processed a product is, the less likely it is to have its active ingredients.  And now we also have Neem Skin Cream or Quistel Spray Lotion to help soothe and calm irritated skin.    © 2004 Frances Gavin