Dogs With Itchy Skin
Below are several different possibilities behind your pets itchy skin and insistent scratching and gnawing.
Environmental: from digging, playing outside
Symptoms-Hot Spots, Eczema, Scratching etc
Treatment-Detox supplements, allergy supplements, immune boosters, topical soothing cream or spray, gentle and detergent free shampoos and cleaning products
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Don't allow your dog to be over-vaccinated or over medicated. Vaccines rev up your pet's immune system – too many vaccinations can send it into overdrive. An over-reactive immune system sets the stage for allergic conditions
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Antibiotics wipe out good bacteria right along with the bad guys. Since the majority of your pet's immune system is in her GI tract, the right balance of gut bacteria is crucial for her health. There's also the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in pets.
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Steroid therapy (prednisone, for example) is often prescribed for pets with allergies. What these drugs do is turn off the immune system so it stops creating the allergic response. It does work for symptom relief, but unfortunately, the side effects make this a very serious, potentially dangerous drug.
Nutritional
Food allergies account for only 10% of all pet allergies. True food allergy is not very common in dogs and cats, and is a condition that is frequently over-diagnosed by veterinarians.
Symptoms-include itching of the face, feet, sides of the body, legs and anal area, red irritated eyes. These pets will often have yeast ear infections and skin infections that respond to antibiotics, but recur as soon as the treatment is finished.
Treatment-Pinpoint and avoid offending ingredients. Proper high quality nourishment, whole foods, specialized diets, raw diets, off proteins like fish, lamb or kangaroo
Parasitic: ticks, fleas, mites, lice etc.
Symptoms-biting, gnawing, hair loss, scabs
*Proper diagnosis is crucial and cortiizone shots can be avoided in this case)
Treatment-monthyly flea and tick prevention weather it be oral or topical, treatment of home and enviornment, baths and topical soothing cream or spray
Allergic: molds, dust, pollens, cleaning products, food, flea bites etc.
Symptoms-Symptoms to household allergies are typically year round. Hot spots, Eczema, Scratching etc.
Treatment-Detox supplements, allergy supplements, immune boosters, gentl and detergent free shampoos and cleaning products, fish oil and topical soothing cream or spray
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Don't allow your dog to be over-vaccinated or over medicated. Vaccines rev up your pet's immune system – too many vaccinations can send it into overdrive. An over-reactive immune system sets the stage for allergic conditions.
-
Antibiotics wipe out good bacteria right along with the bad guys. Since the majority of your pet's immune system is in her GI tract, the right balance of gut bacteria is crucial for her health. There's also the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in pets.
-
Steroid therapy (prednisone, for example) is often prescribed for pets with allergies. What these drugs do is turn off the immune system so it stops creating the allergic response. It does work for symptom relief, but unfortunately, the side effects make this a very serious, potentially dangerous drug.
Infectious: bacterial, fungal, yeast
Symptoms-continual licking and scratching, smelly, oily, inflamed
Treatment-topical medication, immune support, antihistimines, low starch diets, fish oils, and in extreme cases antibiotics
Neurogenic: anxiety, boredom, frustration, trauma, confinement
Symptoms-Obsessive licking or chewing, repeated episodes of self mutilation
Treatment-more activity and exercise, thinking games, calming sprays and homeopathic suppments, thundershirts etc.
At Maddie Mae's Pet Pantry we are knowlegeable and happy to help but we are not veternarians. We do extensive research and carefully choose our products but neither our advise nor or our lists of tips and helpful hints should be substitued by a visit to your veterenarian.