ITCHY MIN PIN

Question
I have an 8 month old min pin puppy who doesn't have much hair on his neck and is scratching the back of his ears and front so losing all the hair in those areas.  I took him to the vet who said after a scraping he dosesn't appear to have mites but really didn't give me mcuh help except an oral medication with steriods in it.  I haven't given them to him as one of our other dogs had an adverse reaction to medication and I am always weary of giving any to our dogs and especially when they really didn't know what was going on with him.  The tech suggested I change his food and I have to a turkey and sweet potato dry food now but he is still itching.  What can I do for him?  I have an aloe plant in the yard and have rubbed a little on his ears but don't know if I should be doing that or not.  Do I need to worry about infection from his scratching the ear?  I love Bach rememdies as I use them on myself but not sure how to use on him.  Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Lori
Thanks for your question.  Bach flowers work exactly the same on animals as humans.  I would recommend the following three Bach Flowers as a starting point.  You can give them individually, or get a naturopath to make up a mix for you.  In either case apply 4 drops twice per day for two weeks and then reassess the condition.  

Impatiens, Agrimony & White Chestnut.

You can lift up the side of your pup's mouth and drop them in, or you can drop onto paw or nose for them to lick off.  The drops can also be added to daily water bowel and this would need to be changed and cleaned daily.  If dropping straight into the mouth, do be careful that the dropper does NOT touch the dog's mouth.  If it does then rinse under hot water before replacing in the bottles.

You may also want to consider what is getting "under his skin" from an emotional point of view - what in the home environment is irritating him or causing him distress or stress?  

The trouble with the cortisone is that it only offers temporary cover up of the condition, but does nothing to actually treat the cause of the problem.  In severe cases it is beneficial as it can provide relief while you source out other products.  But it does add excess toxins that the body needs to deal with eliminating.

I would also stay well away from all commercial dog food.  Most skin problems stem from dry dog food.  I would also stay well away from tinned foods.  The best food for all round health and a good shiny coat is raw and natural food.  You can purchase ready made products from www.barfworld.com - raw natural patties ready to serve.  Or you may want to purchase a book such as "Real food for cats and dogs"  by Dr. Clare Middle - available at www.freementlepress.com.au - if you want to make your own foods.

I hope this has been of assistance to you.
Kind regards,
Silva.
www.roxysworld.com.au