What has made my dogs skin and coat beautiful is a daily combination of 1/2 tsp of ACV mixed in some plain organic yogurt. I use "nancy"s". My big dog- black lab mix has yeast issues in his ears and paws and it has cured this problem but also improved his coat as well as the coat of my other dog. I see huge skin improvemnets. It took about a month to see the difference as I think it changed the PH of his gut thus working it's way out to the skin. I got a little lax on the routine and right away notice the old problems back. Needless to say I am going to do this everyday from now on. One more thing- my dog with the yeast problem has been allergy tested and has a dairy allergy- I figured I would take a chance with the organic yogurt and I have seen NO ill effects- it is full of all the good bacteria- not sure if that made the difference or what.
EC: More Yeast Infection Remedies for Pets here: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/yeast_infections_dogs.html
I have recently started the acv and organic plain yogurt on my golden, can someone give me a rough estimate of how long it took until you noticed a marked improvement in the skin?
Dietary Changes
I am caretaking my brother's Shih-Tzu, who is the sister of my own Shih-Tzu. I know that skin problems are genetic because I struggle with periodic scabs on my dog. However, My brother's dog has an absolutely horrible skin problem where she is bald in 30 percent of her body and the skin is sticky and smells horrendous. I too have assisted him and tried everything-yesterday I bought vetricin which was recommended by my groomer. Its safe to spray areas where the dog will lick. I just gave her her second bath in Miconazolle-type shampoo and let it sit on her for 15 minutes-then dried her and sprayed again with Vetricin. I shall keep you posted.
I wanted to mention-I see a lot of posts about changing the diet. I have a lab mix that was my husband's when we met. For the first 3 years that I've had her-she's had a chronic ear problem where gobs of gunk would come out of her left ear-everyday.
Finally her ear is better! After several vet appointments and ointments-washes-etc....a new vet suggested that she may have a food allergy and said that most of the time the allergy is CHICKEN!!
She hasn't had chicken in 2 years and her ear is clean as a whistle.
Hi, I have a Retriever/Shepherd mix that I adopted at approx. age 1. After a few months, he developed allergies. His scratching would keep us up at night and was very intense. His face would be ripped open, bleeding and raw. His vet practised both both traditional and holistic medicine.
It has taken about 6 months to get under control, but he has gone from 3 reactine tablets (which only eased, didn't eliminate the scratching) to being drug free and scratch free. What changed? I took him of his dog food, and changed to a high grade food called canisource, the Herring Flavor. Most food allergies in dogs result from chicken, beef, grains and dairy. This is why I choose a fish source protein. This food is expensive, but so are trips to the vet. I also mix in boiled vegtables that I mash together. I use sweet potato, carrots, turnip and green beens. I make big boilers and freeze containers.
The vet doctor also suggested that I give him Omega 3 (seal oil) capsules for the inflammation that his allergies cause. His ears and anal glands become inflammed. He gets 3 in his breakfast and 3 in his supper. MOST fruits and vegtables are okay. Stay away from tomatoes, grapes, onions and a couple more..These are simple foods with only one ingredient and allergy friendly. My dog has pineapple for a snack at lunch time and an apple before bed. He is strong, healthly and his coat gleams. I am so glad to have found a way to cure him of his allergies. It didn't happen overnight, it won't and his cells have to regenerate. It took 3-4 months. Now that his allergies are under control, I can introduce one food at a time in small, consistent amounts for a couple of weeks to see if the allergies reappear. I have done so with both chicken which caused pretty much immediate scratching and with beef, that started his scratching after building up in his system after about a week. These were removed from his diet again and he is allergy free again. Next I will try cheese or peanut butter. Hope this helps someone else out there that is struggling to help their furry friend.
Colostrum
Correction: The colostrum I purchased is bovine (cow), not goat.
Evening Primrose Oil
Dear Lyn,
Please read Earth Clinic's pages on yeast infections and allergies for suggestions about dietary changes. One of my dogs was having a lot of skin issues for several years and losing all his fur and I insisted the vet run a thyroid panel on him. She then ran an additional T-4 test to verify he was hypothyroid. After a month on the lowest dosage of thyroid medications, his energy returned and his fur grew in thicker and more beautiful than ever. I also put both him on a raw food diet and that has helped his allergies immensely.
Over-The-Counter
We took our Scottie to the vet because she was itching so badly. The vet put her on antibiotics and a steroid spray which caused her to go deaf for weeks. (Not to mention the cost!) After that, the vet said she had a food allergy, so we bought an expensive brand of anti-allergen dog food. No luck with that either. Then I saw your website and decided to try the ACV. This caused her to sting and begin scratching wildly. She also howled in pain. I diluted it to half and half with the same result. She started avoiding me when she saw me coming. I then tried baking soda and water paste. That didn't work either. I decided to go to Walmart and ask the pharmicist what he had for an itching dog and he suggested Solarcaine Cool Aloe Gel. This gel has lidodcaine (which relieved the itching) and aloe vera (which cools the skin). It worked like a charm. I highly recommend this for your itching dog!
Omega 3 Salmon Oil
My golden retriever had constant hot spots and skin allergies. Tried a cheap product called Missing Link. It has omega-3 salmon oil in it and you just sprinkle a tablespoon on their food daily. What a lifesaver. Her skin is great, her hair is silky, overall health is good. No more biting at her skin and being miserable, or hot spots! My vet doesn't sell it, but they recommend it to all their pet owners now due to my dog's results. They tell everyone about my dog and her results and everyone runs to pet her when she comes in cause of her silkiness. Good luck.
Raw Food Diet
For those of you who have dogs with skin problems, skin allergies, please consider a raw diet. This is something that is becoming more well known and is growing in popularity. Commercial dog foods are the cause of so many health problems in pets. My three dogs and one cat have been eating a raw diet for two years now. Raw meaty bones, some organ meat, and then a couple times a week, a few supplements like fish oil, yogurt, raw egg, kale. It's similar to something called the BARF diet for pets, but a simplified version. Two books by Tom Lonsdale, Raw Meaty Bones, and Work Wonders, are a good place to start reading about the diet. There are web sites and yahoogroups as well. My dogs teeth are super clean and white (even my 9yr old lab) because they're eating like their ancestors did; ripping the meat off bones, chomping on bone (raw bones only -- cooked bones are a choking hazard). Sicne starting this diet, besides being overall healthier pets, other benefits: clear anal glands because the poop is a bit harder, healthier skin and coat, no dog smell or doggy breath, much less poop because no fillers, etc., as in dry food I never have to clean up poop in my yard! Natural diet means natural poop; in a few days, it turns white and crumbles away. Also, my dogs are happier. They love the raw diet. I had one very stubborn cat who I just couldn't get to transition to a raw diet, so I fed her Evo, the more natural dry food. That did help her allergies, but I still would rather she went raw.
I've cured hundreds of dogs and cats by switching their owners to raw feeding. Cheaper and pets live 25-30 years old with no issues.
80% flesh, 10% raw bone, 10% organs as a rough diet plan.
Neem Seed Oil - Promising Remedy!
My pet recipe: Neem Seed Oil (100% pure only). I use it on everything, when our pets have itching, they scratch constantly and inflict wounds on themselves. If they have tics in their ears, they might inflict a wound somewhere by constantly scratching on the outside.
Neem Seed Oil is against parasites, mites and tics and fleas. It is also anti-bacterial. I used it on little turtles, chickens and cats. These are our only animals. I am so confident with this. I have solved problems, the vet said, were psychological. In one case, it truly was. Our cat was not stopping to scratch herself and inflicted wounds on herself because we had been away for some time and she was traumatized. I solved this problem by using Neem Seed Oil on her wounds first and then I put a little dog-shirt on her (like a T-shirt for tiny doggies you can buy). She was so estranged about the funny thing on her body that she forgot about her licking and couldn't anyway. After a few days, she got it off herself and had all forgotten her obsessive licking. When I use Neem Seed Oil, I put it on my hands, and oil the animals generously on all the spots necessary. They hate it - but usually one or two treatments are enough.
Thanks to Marina from Victoria,Canada on the flaxseed tip. My Morris is a orange mixed breed. Looks like (you guessed it) Morris on the commercial! His skin was dry and he had the welts on his neck. I read your posting, had some omega 3 and squirted it in his mouth. After 2 days I gave him a day off, the difference in his skin is unbelieveable. His coat, like when he was a tiny kitten. He's 5 months now. I have another mixed breed Mischief (she has a crooked tail:)normal skin & coat, but she will be the next one to benefit. They won't drink water with ACV in it but I'm working on a mixture they can't detect. Also plain yogurt no flavor, no nothing, will clear up parasites. A tip from a vet!
Hydrogen Peroxide
I know this post is really old but this may help others - my dog has yeast infections in his ear and was 99% deaf - I had been giving him biscuits for treats - turns out he was allergic to the wheat/grains - about two weeks after I removed these from his diet the infection was gone and his hearing had returned to normal.
Meat Tenderizer
Adolph's Meat Tenderizer reduces the allergens in a cat or dog's dander and saliva. 'I just thought you guys would be interested in this cure. I have 6 cats (all of which I'm allergic to), and bathing them in a solution of Adolph's Meat Tenderizer and water (one tablespoon to a cup of water) helps reduce my allergic reaction to them considerably. You just wipe each animal in your home down entirely (paws, tail and tummy included) with a towel dampened with the solution, and then dry them. You can do it once every one to three weeks, depending on the severity of your allergies. This cure was actually suggested to me by a veterinarian, and it works great!
Omega 3 and Apple Cider Vinegar
I have a cat that is always chewing at its fur and had been giving her cortisone for the last 18 months. I put ACV in her water bowl and also flaxseed oil in her food. No more scratching and welts on her back have healed. I also rub her fur with straight ACV and she now can lie in front of the heater for warmth, whereas before she preferred to stay out in the cold air at night because the house was too warm for her. The next step is to get through our summer. You start off with 1 drop of ACV in your cats bowl to start them off. The next week add two drops. This will do for a small cat bowl. I also put ACV in my dogs bowl and I usually put in a teaspoon. She loves it. She is an aged dog but still loves to run and especially loves to chase the ball I throw to her repeatedly and she isn't sore afterwards.
Turmeric
I now have a chorky a chihuahua + yorkie, she has horrible allergies airborne she will bit, nip, scratch till she looks like she has mainge! She came into my life to make me as happy to have a lil` girly girl again she was right around 8 weeks, I noticed she had this tiny little bump no bigger than the tip of ball point pen. months later I noticed it had grown and split into 2 bumps still small I got nerveous and had her checked out while I was in Georgia and she said it was a cysts and could be removed but was small that it may go away or grow but was nothing dangerous, we'd watch it and if it got worse or painful she'd remove it. well what seemed like overnight [and was a couple months later] it not only grew but ruptured! Omg I didn't see it go from an eraser size to a bump split wide open oMg, I cried, cleaned it up and poor baby she looked at mommy with sad eyes, they said that was good to release and put her on antibiotics I kept it clean and researched!!
I found Turmeric I purchased my from Health xxx site vitamins etc, ... it was purest form and I sprinkled it in her food and WoW never had one again 4 years later she had a small one and after a few couple and a half years i didn't think she should be on it for life so I quit giving it to her and a couple months ago she had a small one. So I'm going back to Tumeric, guess my point was that it's healing properties are for cysts, tumors, cancer, and more! I just noticed that her ear seemed darker and bumpier than her other one and she's never been one to allow her ears to be manipulated to see inside, she's all black lol and disapears in a shadow, lol. there seems to be a tint of what I can't be sure of but either from her scratching or there is something irritated I pray thats the only reason is irratation! But Tumeric is extremely dooable price I paid ...4 years ago was around $8 and some change, was on sale but a larger pouch size of a bag of salad croutons. research the amount you'd need for your pet and sprinkle it in their food, she never seemed to not like it.
Good Luck. I hope my story tho long but hopefully helpful! Tc & gb!
Raw Egg in Food
My dog has had skin ALLERGIES soooo bad FOREVER-- (since 8wks old she is now 2----itchy eyes like goggles, hot spots on her front paws and YEASTY ears/skin - also inflammed itchy lips)- I went though TONS of natural remedies for red mange/YEAST/allergies (because the symptoms can mimic each other) including but not limited to---- coconut oil, ACV, elimination diets, supplements, essential oils--- you name it - I tried it--- did TEDS Mange treatment, and have been making her food ( ground turkey with cruciferous veggies only ...even with all of the evening primrose, immune support anti yeast probiotic protocols, even making 24 hr fermented homemade yogurt!!!
For all I was doing I was seeing small improvements where it would DEFINITELY improve but not go away completely--- no REAL RESULTS that I could say WOW - that worked--my husband who makes fun of my 13 hour research sessions for our pup has been giving Stella a raw egg once a day for the last week with her breakfast. - PROBLEM SOLVED ---no joke--- I can't even believe it! AMAZING!!!!
Turmeric
Natural dog skin allergy cures
Why r u not recommending turmeric in the dog's food and in pill form for eye and skin rashes. I found it to work in just a few days.
My dog had a very bad rash all over his body plus runny ichy eyes..I started putting turmeric in his food and within three days eyes started clearing up and his skin returned 98% clear..I'm still trying other herbs to clear up the rest....THIS was after spending almost $2000.00 at a vet.
WORKED TEMPORARILY
After learning more about K9 allergies from this site. I had my Jack Russell Clothes FREE & Bucket Head Free, for 3 wks. She was ROCKIN!!! I feed Raw, doing the yogurt, apple cider vinegar, Diatomaceous Earth. Omegas, all in her food. Bentonite Mud body masks, apple cider/ water/ tea tree body sprays. She has had a SERIOUS RELAPSE. For the past week she is Chewing & Scratching herself to the point to open wounds over her body. She is back wearing clothes & back to her bucket head. I'll be buying a muzzle today for her as well. I Need HELP!!! Both of Us are Worn Out.
Merice, I would try probotics and here in aussie we can buy curash - its a powder for itchy skin its actually for babies. I have used it for my dogs and it has helped a lot. Maybe you can buy it there or something similar.
Dietary Changes
Hey EC....Guys....This site has always been there for me and so because of this, I am so happy to share my two cents which hopefully will help someone who has to watch their dog suffer through allergies. I own a cockapoo who is 7 years old. He has been suffering from allergies since he turned 3, however, as he is getting older, it's starting to get worse....his paws are almost black even though he is white so go figure...the worse was when recently I noticed that he had developed a hematoma in his left ear...he was in so much pain...the vet said that was because of the constant shaking of his head when he eats something that he is allergic to....now what bothered me is that I buy the best food for him....you name it I tried it...Blue, Orijen, Wellness etc....nothing worked...until finally, I found a food called Acana limited ingredients dog food. It's a food that is made in Canada with only the freshest ingredients and what amazed me is the ingredient list....I waited for at least six weeks to write this post just to be sure....update...my dog still scratches but....rarely and I am beyond happy...his paws are almost white again with only traces of black so go figure....The type of food I buy is pork with butternut squash. Try it guys and let me know if it works....Thanks for hearing me out....
Multiple Remedies
Hey there! A couple of things came to mind when I read your post. Chronic yeasty ears for sure indicate allergy, but vertebral subluxation is also a possibility. It may help to have your dog adjusted by a chiropractor. And, yeasty ears at 4 months: were any vaccinations given at that time? The puppy is teething and in the states here 4 months is when many get a rabies poke so double whammy to the immune system; it could be vaccinosis [lovely catch all term! ] Even if you have given excellent groceries all along, if the yeast overgrowth was never addressed you will now need to clear the yeast layer by layer; you may find using applied kinesiology helpful in choosing which probiotic to start with: after 2-3 weeks it likely will be necessary to switch probiotics. It may take 6-8 weeks or longer to get the yeast under control.
I have 'allergy' dogs also, utilize both holistic and western vets along with a doggy chiro, and while not perfect this is what works for me:
ZYMOX for funky ears. I have used home remedies for the ears and for normal dogs they work - but for allergy dogs they often just miss. Clean ears *frequently* during allergy season - you have to stay on top of them - Virbac ear cleaner from the vet works well for non-infected ears. Again, home remedies such as gentian violet or vinegar rinses sometimes just do not touch allergy ears and if that is the case then no shame in buying veterinary approved products.
Steroid shots/antibiotics - it can be a fact of life for allergy dogs; if your dog needs them, then your dog needs them. I've tried herbal nettle, herbal thuja, local honey to no avail and in my experience nothing halts a skin reaction quite like a steroid poke. Yes, its not ideal and they don't last forever and some seasons my dog may need 3-4 pokes. I have accepted that for my dog to be comfortable that occaisional steroids are needed.
That said, Ted's Mange dipping solution certainly can be used to help balance the PH of the skin:
- One 16 oz bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide [from the supermarket]
- 32 oz of filtered water [fill up the perxoide bottle twice and dump into larger jug]
- You have now made a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide. Now add to that 1 cup Borax.
Shake it up, the solution SHOULD be grainy. Bathe and rinse the dog, and then plug up the tub and pour the solution over the dog. I use a small sponge to soak up the solution from the bottom of the tub and squeeze out over the dog - do this for 15 minutes, 30 minutes is better. The key is to not rinse, do not towel off, and to let the dog air dry. This should bring some relief to itchy skin. If you suspect an infection of the skin Ted's recipe for Yeast/staph may help:
- 1-1/2 cups 1% hydrogen peroxide
- 1 tbsp borax
- 1 tbsp epsom salt
- 1 tbsp Milk of Magnesia
- mix it all up and then apply to a freshy bathed still damp dog and do not rinse -let air dry for however long it takes.
Licking and chewing feet sound like contact allergy to me - frequent bathing or a foot bath when she returns from out of doors may help. I don't trust the mixed up hydrogen peroxide solution to keep, but for frequent daily dipping a vinegar solution might work for rinsing the feet off when returning from outside and also help balance PH.
I mix up a big pitcher of baking soda water and fill all the bowls full and keep them full. Your dog may not drink much water, but I found mine tend to crave the baking soda water, so offer full bowls and your dog may gravitate to them.
I agree that fats are important in the diet - perhaps sunflower oil or other such cooking oils will suffice? I tend to cook for my dogs, meaning I cook with doggie left overs in mind, so I limit use of certain ingredients so I can turn any left overs into dog food. So if I roast a chicken, I don't use any onion - and the fat that is rendered from the chicken can then be fed to the dogs. Maybe you can see what you can use from your own meals to provide the needed fats?
You might also take a visit to this site from a canine nutritionist who has written extensively on how to nutritionally support dogs with myriad ailments: www.greatdanelady.com/index.html. Good luck, and keep us posted please!
Multiple Remedies
Hey Aimee! You said: "The yeast was certainly cleared (layer by layer) with the operation and conventional drugs that followed. " This is NOT how clearing yeast works. While you may have cleaned infected gunk out of the ears, it doesn't touch the systemic yeast infection - the yeast overgrowth that is occurring in the GI tract - that is causing the symptoms to manifest in the ears in the first place. The conventional drugs that ensued only served to further depress the immune system, further reduce the healthy flora in the gut, address only the surface symptoms and not the root, and cause additional symptoms to manifest. Please search the link I provided for the Great Dane Lady's site for 'systemic yeast infection' -she has some programs laid out to get a grip on this sort of problem. My preference is to simply dose acidophillus, primadophillus, DDS with FOS and the like but the Great Dane Lady's system works.
And - while the immune system can be built up and supported, 'genetics' happens. What I mean is, you have a dilute dog; she would normally be a black dog except she has the dilution gene which makes her coat a pretty blue. Not sure about your dog's breeding/pedigree/breeder, but there certainly has been a craze of late for blue in many of the bull breeds. Unethical breeders are breeding dilute to dilute to get 100% blue puppies placing color above all else, including health. So unless the breeder took pains to assemble a healthy pedigree your dog might be a genetic lemon. It doesn't sound as if she has CDA - color dilution alopecia - but the dilution gene has been suspect in animals with chronic skin issues - particularly during color fad crazes. Have you consulted your dog's breeder? Are they experiencing issues with littermates or the sire or dam or other related dogs? At the very least the breeder should be informed of your dog's health issues so they can choose to avoid breeding those two parents together again.
Another aspect to consider is the thyroid; if the thyroid is out of whack for whatever reason, then steroids help balance it. Steroid does not automatically = bad. Low dose long term use doesn't automatically = bad. And as you say, it does buy you time.
As for the vaccine schedule, I used to go with single poke vaccines, different labels and the like, but what really works well IMHO is AK - applied kinesiology. So regardless of whether its a combo or single vaccine, you use AK to see if that particular vaccine is OK for your dog. Works for food too, so you can check to see if a particular diet or food item is right for your dog based on compatibility with her energy fields. Use this to find the most effective probiotic too - and keep in mind that as you clear yeast layers you will need to switch around on the probiotic for the next layer.
As for the borax dip - Ted suggested once a week; dip Matilda and then crate her without bedding in a room with a space heater, right? And then mix up a tub of white vinegar and water [1:10 ratio is enough] and have her walk through on her way into the house after going potty outside but you can towel the feet off as this solution is only for washing any contact allergens off her feet.
Good luck!
