Older dog and severe skin problems

Question
I have tried everything on my dog she has a skin allergy to some in dept. store flea med. I put on her. What can I do to stop the itching and knawing and her hair is comming out. PLEASE HELP I can't afford to take her to the vet What can I do at home remedy for her?

Answer
Hi Patty!

I completely understand your frustration in treating your dog's allergy. Skin conditions are possibly the hardest thing to control in dogs.

Did you try washing off the department store flea treatment which started the itch? If the dog is having an allergic reaction to the flea treatment, and it's still on her, then you need to wash it off. It may take more than one washing. Dry the dog well when you're done.

If I've misunderstood, and this is a long term itch problem, here are my suggestions:

Has your vet discussed the possibility of a food allergy with you? Many of the ingredients in dog food are actually common allergens, which can suddenly develop after eating a food for some time. To find out if your dog's itchy problem is actually food based, you'd have to try an "elimination diet" for a period of 6-8 weeks to see if there is any improvement. This can be a food bought from your vet's office, or one you buy from a store, or even home made food. The point is to give your dog a protein source which it isn't used to getting. That used to be a lamb based diet, but now a days even lamb based foods often contain ingredients found in other foods.
You can read more about dogs with food allergies here:

http://www.cah.com/library/fooddogs.html

The "Wellness" brands of dog foods makes a hypoallergenic dog food which is fish and sweet potato based. You can read about it here, and they also have a store locator at this web site:

http://www.oldmotherhubbard.com/dogs/wellness_detail.asp?pCode=dryDogSup5MixSwtP...

If you try an elimination diet switch foods slowly over a periods of 4-5 days, so you don't upset your dog's stomach. Do not feed anything other than the new food, so you can know if the food allergy is the problem.

You may have realized by now that treating the itch is temporary, because you're only addressing a symptom, and not the underlying problem. Just the same, I've found 100% Aloe Vera gel very effective in treating itchy skin. It won't hurt the dog if she licks it off. It will help soothe and cool those itchy spots (you can use it too!). Apply it gently to the affected areas twice a day. Make sure you get only the 100% gel, and not a blend. They carry it at Walmart and drug stores, as well as health food stores.

Fatty acids, found in either fish oils (Omega 3&6 or Cod liver oil) or evening primrose oil, can be very effective in easing an itch. You can try giving one of these fatty acid supplements. It will take several weeks before the benefit will take effect, so they are for treating long term problems rather than an on-off irritation. You can find these at your local health food store.

Clip the fur around where the dog has been licking and apply a solution of betadine and water to the area once a day. The warm moist fur can be a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast and support a secondary infection, so you want to keep it clean and dry. After the area has been clipped and cleaned, you can also use a topical antibiotic powder such as Eye and Wound Powder. Still another treatment I've heard of is to put Desenex foot powder on the hot spot. Sounds crazy but Desenex is a zinc based compound and has good drying properties. To prevent your dog from licking off the treatment, immediately take her out for a walk, at least then there can be 15-20 minutes for the treatment to work. By then the dog may forget about trying to lick it off.


Here's a few more things you can try to stop the itch:

Brew a regular Lipton tea bag in half a cup of water. Let it steep in the hot water for 10 minutes. Take the tea bag and when it is still warm but not hot enough to burn, apply it to your dog's "hot spot". Keep applying the tea bag for about 15 minutes, Repeat application about 4 or 5 times a day. The warmth of the tea bag soothes the pain. After the second application, there was an indication of the drying effect of the tannic acid in the tea. The principle behind this is the combined warmth and the drying agent of the tannic acid in the tea leaves. This might stain light colored fur.

Tea Tree Oil (or Melaleuca Oil found in health food stores)can be used for hot spots and for a million things on humans as well. It is antibacterial, anti fungal, penetrates below the surface of the skin, soothes the skin (try it on a burn-it's great) taking the pain/itch away instantly, is slightly drying(great for hot spots) and TASTES AWFUL, so your dog may not lick it off. If your dog's skin is raw or has open saws Tea Tree Oil can sting.

Benadryl spray will work on an itch. You'll need to prevent the dog from licking it off, again a walk might distract her long enough to give the spray a chance to work.

I know that cost is a concern, but taking your dog to the vet for an allergy test is the best way of finding out what the actual allergen is.

Antihistamines can sometimes be effective with short term itching.You can use an over the counter antihistamine such as Tavist, Chlor-Trimeton or Benadryl. Be sure to consult your veterinarian first. Your vet will give you the proper dosage and tell you if this will be a good thing to try for your dogs problem.


I hope this has been helpful and I wish you the best of luck!Please keep me posted and give that doggie millions of kisses for me!Sending wagging tails your way!
Nicole.D.