The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Posted by Anna (Rockhampton, Aus) on 08/02/2013 ★★★★☆
It's my first post here so I hope I find the right spot. I have commenced the ACV + yoghurt regime with my very itchy 12 yo German Shepherd. Final rinse yesterday was a 50/50 ACV and warm water. I added 1 tabsp ACV and 2 tabsp plain yoghurt to his food this morning and it didn't worry him at all. Today I used a 50/50 mix of ACV and water and with a squirt bottle, worked the mix into his coat where he has most itch (down the back). I let it dry naturally during our pm walk.
Adding the above 2 ingredients to food will be a daily routine, but how often should I do the ACV squirt application? would it be a good idea to add acidopilus to his food or will the yoghurt be adequet?
So far he smells great and isn't scratching as much. I'm really hoping this works.
Posted by Denise (Stockton, Ca) on 10/10/2011 ★★★★☆
I went this website to see if Yogurt would be helpful for my dogs. I wanted to add that I use the herbal spice Turmeric every night in their food along with liquid aloe and I feed a totally grain free diet. It has really seemed to help. I have two very itchy boxers so I am always looking for ideas to help them.
Hi, I have a blue nose pitbull and he loves to rub his body against the bushes out front never thought it would be a problem but than I just started noticing that he is getting bumps everywhere and its weird cause I'm allergic to those bushes as well, but I just want to know what I should do as far as do I give him a bath first and than give him the ACV and how much should I put of ACV and water in the a spray bottle. Thank you in advance.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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I would bathe your dog first, and then rinse the soap off. Then, I would pour the ACV over him while he is still in the tub, making sure you get every part of him. Use 1 part of ACV into 10 parts of water.
What kind of bushes is he rubbing on, do you know?
Posted by Nelson (Farmington, Connecticut) on 02/09/2011
our mixed chow started with nibbling and chewing his paws.. He worked his way up the legs and within two months was hairless in his paws, legs and belly.. He was given steroids, 4 twice daily pills and a shampoo. We changed his diet to freshly cooked chicken and sweet potatoes. Nothing worked. Omar crawled everywhere to satisfy the belly itch. Scratch and chew.. Night and day. Spent close to one thousand dollars. I decided to try the Apple Cider Vinegar and yogurt.. In one day.. He is itching less and wagging his tail.. I sprayed a 50/50 water-acv onto the skin and worked it into the skin. I also now give him several tablespoons of plain yogurt.. He likes it.. I think this is going to help.. He has an appointment with a dermatologist that will be a few more thousand.. But I am banking on the acv. I will use this intill our appointment.. This has been his first night in many months that he appears happy and not so itchy.. G-d bless.. this has been a g-d send.
I believe the yogurt is adequate. You can continue to add the tablespoon of ACV to his food once a day as long as you'd like. I've done this with my dogs for a few years. I feed them twice a day, and only add the ACV to one meal.
Sometimes I choose not to add the ACV, maybe for a week or so; then I continue the next week. Alternating weeks is fine depending on the severity of the dog's itching.
Also, spraying the fur with diluted ACV is really good. Continue doing that.
Posted by Sue (Nashville, Tn) on 02/09/2011 3 posts ★★★★★
Regarding Pets with itching and other skin problems: I have several dogs that itch from allergies and flea bites from time to time so I keep on hand a spray bottle of catalytic altered water. My dogs' itching, painful cut or scrape is relieved and starts to heal in minutes. I have seen it heal a cut better than those creams that are sold and it doesn't burn. I have used it on my own skin burns, cuts, itching etc. And I use nothing else. I have also used it to make medication or ACV work better for my dogs. The water can be found on the internet; but don't be fooled by imitations there is only one that will work. 1 oz. of the clear will make 1 gallon for future use. A couple of sprays up to a few sprays work to heal quickly. I want everyone to know that this catalytic altered water is a safe miracle cure thats been around since the 1980's and was even the subject on a popular news television show back then. That show still exists.
For the dogs ears an all natural product that really works is vets best ear relief wash and dry. Keep the ears dry. My groomer recommended enyzme pro to add to food and I am trying that. (botanical dog) Also, if your dog has really bad sore skin try looking at dermagic-wonderful products to put on skin.
Try to avoid any steroids or cordisones because they only will help short term and will rebound with worse skin worse than when started.
Posted by Roxies Mom (Atlanta, Ga) on 01/17/2011 ★★★☆☆
BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
My dog threw up after trying to lick herself and ingesting the borax & peroxide mixture. I will try with vinegar and see how that works. Not sure if this is safe, so I will update on her progress. I can say that after treatment she immediately stopped scratching which is a miracle for her. She is the itchiest dog I have ever seen! I really hope this works!
Posted by Pamela (High Springs, Fl.) on 11/20/2010 ★★★★★
I had dachshund, that broke out with a skin rash, also my R. Ridge back, the Dr's started them both on cordacoze I didn't really like using the drugs. One day one of my friends saw his bleeding around his neck and stomach and suggested corn starch I got a hand ful of cornstarch and rub his neck and stomach and the next day he wasn't bleeding and 1 week later both dogs and no signs of the rash it was great. I was so excited this was so amazing, and I still use it today.
itching dog: I have tried everything to cure my dog of his itching and I think it is the flea and heart worm medicine called Revolution that is causing it. I just now found a list of side effects and "pruritus (itching), urticaria (welts, hives), and erythema (skin redness)" was listed. I am going to get him some old fashioned heart worm pills and find an alternative flea preventer.
Posted by Ziggy (Denmark, West Australia) on 09/26/2017
I have a poodle who is 6 years old. He has developed itchy skin. I cannot see any signs of fleas and am always up to date with flea treatment. I did treat him with a new back of the neck treatment about a week before the itching started and wondering if this is the cause. As I used a different treatment this time. He also has apple cider in his drinking water.
Posted by Ziggy (Denmark, West Australia) on 10/10/2017
Thanks, will try the charcoal. The bath has only just helped a little. He isn't any worse but my neighbours dog is scratching too so I think it maybe a catchy thing now though the cats aren't??
Posted by Jill (West Long Branch, Nj) on 02/16/2010 ★★★★★
Re: itchy skin dogs and cats
I was wondering if the Apple Cider Vinegar sprayed on the animals burns. It has got to hurt if the skin is raw. Also, organic coconut oil works great. Most times it is the food they are allergic too. After reading these sites I switched food and the fur on both my German Sheppards and 8 cats all changed for the better. My fat cats lost weight and look great.
My friends dog was scratching himself to death. She changed foods 4 times,, but each time it was another garbage type
Posted by Kathryn (Houston, Tx, Usa) on 01/21/2010 ★☆☆☆☆
Itchy Old Dog
The old dog is so tired of scratching and I've tried everything else. I've changed her dog food 3 times. She had a raw scaly bottom and tail about 6 months ago and the vet cost $300.00 for shampoo, cephalosporin and prednisone. Her fur grew back but now she's itching non-stop and starting to get really stinky even after I use the $85.00 shampoo. Don't know if it's mange but am going to see if the cure works!
When doing food, make sure it is grain free, especially CORN! This will help you a million times over. Also, many dogs that have food allergies are allergic to chicken, so it may help to go with Buffalo or some different protein source.
But if the issue is just itching... it could be an environmental allergy, which is a whole new bag of worries.
Posted by Mamaknocks (Downers Grove, Il) on 09/12/2010
Just a regular ginger capsule. I put it in a "Pill Pocket" that are sold by the bag at pet stores. My dog will take anything that I put in those little things! He thinks it's a treat. Ginger is wonderful. If he has an upset tummy, it cures that just as fast as it does itchy skin!
My dog has the same prob's as yours did. But I have been doing the ACV and yogurt also I have been giving her salmon oil 2 pumps. And she has really gotta better. She still itching but not half as bad. So thanks, hope your dog is better!
I have spent so much money on vets for my dog itching problem. They have no answers. One vet told me to get my dog spay (shitzu/Jackrussel) Diva. It's a hormone issue. I'm going to do that and see if that works. The coconut oil helps and I'll try the apple cider vinegar too. I tried it in the water she wouldn't drink it. She Luvs yogurt
Posted by Kat (Crown Point, In) on 08/05/2011 ★★★★★
I have a small dog (under 20 pounds) and gets very itchy in the summer and fall. I have been giving him the fish oil caplet for the last few years. I went to the vet, and they sent me home with a prescription. The fish oil works better. Plus, he loves the fish oil and has learned to swallow the pill whole. I make sure he gets a drink after the pill. Don't want it stuck in his throat!
Posted by Deirdre (Earth Clinic) on 09/13/2009 ★★★★★
I have 3 dogs and took my 15 year old dog, Max, whom I've written about numerous times on this site, to a holistic vet in July. Because he was going #2 every 3-4 hours, the vet advised me to take him off his senior food and put him on another brand of food with less fiber. I slowly switched Max to another holistic brand. Well, changing to a new brand of food cured Max of his constant bowel movements, but within a few days, one of my other dogs, Tuxy, whom I also switched over to the new food, started itching and scratching. Within a week he was itching and scratching like no tomorrow: morning, afternoon, evening, middle of the night, scratch scratch scratch, bite bite bite. Poor boy! I surmised pretty quickly that the new brand of food was causing his new itchy skin issue, as I found no sign of fleas on him when I used the flea comb. What eased the scratching but did not solve the problem was to add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to Tuxy's evening food and a small clove of garlic mashed up just once every few days. I also bathed him and finished the bath with an oatmeal rinse. I put 1/2 cup of instant oats in a Bodum pot (the kind that pushes the coffee grounds down to the bottom) and then filled up the rest of the Bodum with hot water and let it sit while I was shampooing him. Once I rinsed off the shampoo, I poured the oatmeal water over him and did not wash it off. I could tell he was feeling pretty good after that and the scratching stopped for about a day.
At any rate, I ordered Tuxy's old brand of food online and just got it delivered yesterday. Amazingly enough, he has almost stopped scratching after only 1 day back on his old food!! So I am guessing he had either a yeast overgrowth or allergies in connection to the new food. Isn't it interesting that he started to scratch right away on the new food and stopped scratching just as fast on the old food?!
If your dog has skin allergies or yeast issues, consider that their food may be the culprit!
What was the food you ordered? My lab mix puppy scratches too. She doesn't have scabs, but scratches as soon as she wakes up.
EC: Blackwood was the brand I ordered. However, I have since switched them all to Taste of the Wild (Salmon).
Note: Be careful with higher quality holistic foods - two of my dogs gained about 7 pounds in 6 weeks on Taste of the Wild (Bison and Venison) and are now on a strict diet!
I've been the round with dogfoods and as I have a lot of dogs & 3 cats; it's been difficult to find a holistic brand with guaranteed ingredients that don't have grain, or a lot of fat, that I can afford. Pancreatitus is a danger with the high fat brands & if your dog is not an actual working dog in a cold climate, there's a definte risk of this. Grain is responsible for diabetes, yeast infections, & allergies in dogs. One of my little males suffered through 3 rounds of pancreatitus years ago from ProPlan (my vet commented on the high fat content, but it didn't register with me at the time) plus he & 2 of his daughters last fall had a seizure type reaction from one I thought was ok (Blue). Wellness is what I feed them now, with no problems. ACV in their drinking water has improved their coat & skin condition even more. Will be trying coconut oil on one ex-feral cat who continues to have severely itching skin, who vomited the ACV water & refuses to drink it after one episode.
Posted by Remy6287 (Florence, Ky, Usa) on 03/14/2011 ★★★★☆
I have a 10 yr old Akita that has suffered from itchy skin for a number of years. It first started when she was bout 7 and then we took her to the vet, got a cortisone shot and she was better for a time. Then about a year ago it came back worse than ever. She was also having trouble with her joints and biting them, mostly her hips.
After doing some research on this site I decided to try a combination of things. Every meal along with her Taste of the Wild food, she gets, 1-2 cloves of garlic , chopped into small pieces (I started with one to see how she reacted and then when she showed no negative side effects, gave her more). About 1 teaspoon of ginger root, chopped up, 3 scoops of organic yogurt, 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil, and 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses (to help with her joints). Within a month of using this combination, her skin cleared up, coat looks shiny, and she is bouncing around like she used to. She still has 2 hot spots on her chest but I think it is due to our location. Hope this helps!
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