Re: Controlling the Itch

I used to give my dog prednisone because of her skin conditions and then just started brushing her daily . That seems to have helped a great deal. She does still get a bit dry in the summer, but if I stay consistent and brush her everyday it does seem to work -- but it has to be done daily. I guess it depends on how bad the skin is. Hers would get pretty bad, dry and flaky and she would scratch, but not to the point where she would have sores from scratching herself.

Re: Controlling the Itch

Dr. Danoff,
Would the product, Alka Dog, help with a dog's itching? ( http://mortersupplements.com/alkadog1.html ) Are you familiar with this product?

Re: Controlling the Itch

Probiotics were mentioned. Are there particular ones that are helpful? Where can they be found and are they the same as the ones for humans? What is the dosage? My cat has pretty bad itching on and off.

Thanks for any help re: this.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I have a Germen Sheperd who was very bad on itching. So bad he had hot spots all under his belly. After presidone for some time and shots of steroids, I found this product call skin and coat from healthypetnet.com and I changed his food to Nutro Ultra the holistic kind. What a great difference it made. I know longer give him any steroids at all for about 3 to 4 years now. Hope this works for your dogs a well it did for mine.

Re: Controlling the Itch

Get your dog tested for allergies. It's expensive but worth it. Our dog was scratching himself raw for a few years. We tried all the holisitc medicines because we didn't want to put him on prednisone. We got him tested for allergies and it turned out he was allergic to beef, poultry, flax seed, wheat, oats, and peas. Now he only eats California Naturals Lamb & Rice food with some cooked pork if he is being good, and for treats we give him duck strips or lamb lungs. We also found bison bones (frozen) so he has a good bone to gnaw on. His scratching stopped almost immediately (he still scratches when he is nervous or happy) and his coat is a beautiful shiny black.

If you don't want to do the testing (understandable because it cost almost $700) then try just feeding your dog the Lamb & Rice for awhile to see if he feels better. It seems that a lot of dogs are allergic to beef and chicken and wheat, so that might be the cause. Also, try and find food without flax seed. It's tough, because it seems to be in almost everything, but it is available. I usually shop at www.onlynaturalpetstore.com

Re: Controlling the Itch

My Jake, basset hound, scratchd for 3 years. Every few weeks he was back on the dreaded pred. Then a found a group of basset owners who suggested I switch the kibble we were feeding Jake. I was told that a lot of dogs were allergic to corn. So we switched to a corn free diet and the scratching stopped. No more pred and one happy happy hound.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I had a lab mix who had the same problem I switched her to a food without corn Solid Gold Hundenflocken it was expensive but well worth it. My vet told me at the time that it was more than likely a corn allergy as most dogs have a problem processing corn which is what 90 percent of the dog food is made of.
Hope this helps

Re: Controlling the Itch

I had three allergic dogs at one time. I feed Nutro Ultra and give 3V caps that have Omega 3 fatty acids, fish oil and antioxidants and two of them didn't need any medication anymore. One still has some problems seasonally but doesn't need prednisone only an antihistamine. The food quality really does make a difference. I took two of them to a specialist who said very few dogs have true food allergies but it seems lots of dogs have trouble with corn and some have trouble with wheat and oats too.

Re: Controlling the Itch

My Australian Shepherd suffers from itchy skin, I am opposed to steroids, and I did not want to give him Benedryl every day. I changed his food several times before finding Azmira dog food, which is expensive, but keeps his skin clear.

Baby also gets frequent yeast infections in one ear, and his eyes drain (more than just water) heavily. I'm guessing the food allergy is related to the ear and eye issues, but he hates having his ears rinsed daily, and I have found no good solution to the eye drainage either. Anybody have any advice?

Re: Controlling the Itch

I have had dogs for many years (a rescue foster home). The very best thing to use on itchy spots whether it is hot spots or mange is Benzyl Benzoate. It is superior to any other thing outside of a vets office. It gets rid of it within 24 hours and you can see the hair growth start...use it everyday for a few days in a row and then every week after that if needed. It is excellent...they do have shampoos at the vet with this ingredient in it so that you can wash a dog that has it all over. You can even put it on sore bleeding places and the bleeding will stop and it will advance the healing.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I have had many pets thru the years with the "Itch" problem and also have a horse who is sensitive to bug bites. I found this company in Maryland "Springtime Inc." Natural Supplements for Horses, Dogs, and People, "Great Products" I must say. The product I use for my horse is Bug Off Garlic great to keep off Ticks, helps to keep off the flys and Mosquito. They have all kind of products so go to there site WWW.SPRINGTIMEINC.COM and hopefully there is something that will help your pet and you.

Re: Controlling the Itch

Have you tried a different type of dog food i.e. IVD Venison and Potato (it's a prescription diet but it helped my lab w/her allergies)...after being on the IVD diet for a while we were eventually able to wean her over to Nature's Recipe Venison and Rice (Healthy Skin formula) and she's done well with that...also using a gentler shampoo seems to help...we use an oatmeal formula shampoo.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I have recently heard that bathing them in epsom salt is a good alternative to prednisone.

Re: Controlling the Itch

My Golden Retriever has alergies which keep him itching constantly in the warmer seasons. I've tried giving a low dose of Benadryl to ease the discomfort and it seems to help a little. He starts chewing in one spot and creats this awful infected "hot spot" which all the fur has been pulled out by him. I have to take him to the vet for a shot to fight the growing infection and the droopiness it causes and the shot always cures the "hot spot", but we must also apply a daily ointment on the area. Once it is completely healed he is left with an awful bald spot. It hurts me so to see him so uncomfortable with his allergies when he should be enjoying the beautiful warm seasons. I would much rather use homeopathic treatments for him. I've actually been able to treat some of my own health issues with homeopathic products and been able to stop taking prescribed medication that can drain your pocket book.

Re: Controlling the Itch

You definitely need to try changing foods first to rule out if it's a food allergy. You have to go to a protein source the dogs never seen, whether that's a fish and potato diet or venison and potato. There are a number of prescription diets available through your vet or some good ones are over the counter but not in a regular chain pet store. You'd have to go somewhere in your area that sells good, natural foods. Solid gold makes a fish and potato one called holistique blendz. I think wellness has a fish one too. Food trials have to be done for 6-8 wks straight where the dog doesn't get anything that is beef, chicken or any other protein. If it's not food allergies then there is a newer drug out that really helps and its way better then doing steroids. Its called atopica. Or you can do allergy testing and have allergy serum made up specially for your pet. Well good luck. Hope this was helpful. You definitely need to get the dog off steroids though.

Re: Controlling the Itch

We switched Wiley, our Weimaraner, to a homemade chicken/turkey and brown rice diet (with supplements such as brewers yeast, flax seed oil, bone meal powder) recommended by Dr. Michael Fox on his website. He also gets Solid Gold dry food made of salmon and beef. We also switched him to Malaseb shampoo and he has been doing well for the last couple of years. Before he was breaking out in welts on his stomach and chest and itching all over like crazy....now he is fine and we are no longer having to give him any medication for it.

Re: Controlling the Itch

look up Robert Mcdowell on a search on the internet. I am sure his site will have some natural alternatives for you.

Re: Controlling the Itch

i have a chocolate chui. who itches all the time and i mean all the time he is now loosing his hair because of sooo much sracthing i have taking him to the vet many times he has been on meds. he would get better than back the same anyone know what i can do????/ should i try the fish oil pills ? if so how much should i give him??/ he weighs about 5 pounds......

Re: Controlling the Itch

Our Corgi mix itches sometimes; not so much since we started giving him the Omega 3/Omega 6 supplement. Look to your health food store for this; it is actually formulated especially for dogs. I have also been trying other foods. Will try to Nutro Ultra. Thanks for all the helpful info!

Re: Controlling the Itch

I noticed that in the srticle about controlling the itch, you mentioned enzymes. I came across a web site last year and the claim is that the enzyme products are safe for people and pets, in varying doses. I started using the powder in my dog's food , and the liquid (one drop) each day in the water bowl. So far so good- no itching!

Re: Controlling the Itch

Before we ever discovered enzymes, we used a shampoo on our senior Golden who had such a terrible allergy or hot spot that he was sick from it. It's from Raven Pet products, and just as they claimed, after one bath, the dog started to heal! I do not know what is in this product but in an emergency, it was wonderful. Now that I have done a lot of research. enzymes and chemical free diet has solved the itch.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I work with dogs that have demodectic mange which is an autoimmune disorder. There is a product called Transfer Factor Plus that works wonderfully. In three years of working with these dogs, this is the ONLY thing that I have found that really helps. Research it! Sometimes you can find it at a reasonable price on eBay.

Re: Controlling the Itch

Please consult your vet before doing anything drastic. My personal experience with our itchy Lab was that he needed a different diet. One vet had him on Pred, but it didn't really help much.We changed to a better food and it all went away. during the change I fed him a litttle canned salmon each day for a week, and it seemed to speed things along.

Re: Controlling the Itch

We had a dog with terrible allergies, the poor thing was allergic to grass and dirt, she was a chihuahua and the predisone sent her into kidney and liver failure. also she was 7 times the size she was supposed to be because of the steroids and that was bad for her heart. We were unable to find an all natural substitute for the prednisone but what we did get was the following:

Cyclosporin - which is human organ rejection medication and anti inflamatory & then Clorephenarimine(like benadryl) we gave her one of each in the morning and one of each at night and it worked like a champ. her kidney and liver function came back and her skin and fur were fantastic. Oh we also got an allergen shampoo from the vet and every 2 or 3 weeks if necessary we would give her a bath with that...it was great!!! I wouldnt have believed it when the vet suggested these things but they work. and it didnt harm her body one bit. the cheapest place we found the Cyclosporin is Costco. the clorephenarimine is cheap and you can get it at walgreens. Hope this helps... good luck...

Re: Controlling the Itch

I agree with everyone who says to change diet to get rid of the "itchies". I had a female GSD who itched for a few months and my vet suggested a lamb and brown rice diet. No chicken, beef, wheat or corn. I supplemented with Omegas, Brewer's Yeast and Fish Oil. The change was amazing and she never needed any medication. That was fifteen years ago and she has passed on, but my two current pups get the same diet. Neither have any allergies or skin irritations.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I have been asked by numerous people about what can be done to control the itch of skin conditions. There are so many options from using topical treatments such as shampoos or sprays (DermaSooth is what the vet I work at recommends) ,to supplements such as fish oil, to diet change and allergy testing. I would definitely recommend using a flea treatment, such as frontline plus, if the itch seems to associated with fleas or flea season. It only takes one flea for many pets to become irritated. If topicals and supplements don't seem to cut it, and steroids like prednisone or dexamethasone aren't an option, allergy testing could be the ticket. Surprisingly, many skin conditions are related to diet, but you cannot know if you're pet is allergic to certain ingredients without tests. I live about 2 hours from Washington D.C. and 3 hours from Baltimore. Many of my friends have moved to the Balt./ D.C. metro area and have found that the cost of such tests is inflated beyond belief. If you live in the metro area and are considering allergy testing (or anything else that could be expensive for that matter) you may want to consider travelling outside the area. I work at Hillside Animal Hospital in Eckhart, MD and I can vouch that the prices for allergy testing and procedures such as spaying and neutering are substantially less than around the big city. If you're willing to travel to save a few hundred dollars, check us out. We have quite a few "commuters" that bring their pets to Hillside.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I'm writing to you again because there is a really good food that I changed to for my cats. EVO there are no grains or gultens in this food and they do have it for dogs as well as cats. I have found there coats are nice and shinney and less puking and less shedding. Also I would have your dog tested for allergeries and also "Lupus" I have descoid lupus of the skin and my friends Dobby also has this disease it's very well known in dogs and cats. And yes when my dog "Dudley" mix terrier was alive he also had the itches and as soon as I got him on Advantage it completely went away he, was allergic to the flea bite. So it seems there are many great ideas coming your way I guess we all would like to know how your sweet dog is doing. Let us know..........

Re: Controlling the Itchrecal area

Help me please my cat is always scooting aross the rugs leaving a ily reidue, I took to Vets, her anal sack was empty, was cheack for worms, no problem noted, so help me why is she doing this, my rugs are a mess now many thank you, for your help

Re: Controlling the Itch

It seems like everyone has made some progress with the itching problem. My dog, viszla/lab mix, whom I adopted from a rescue shelter, had a badly broken back right leg-has a metal plate in her leg forever-was malnurished, and pretty beat up, and also had a bad case of dry skin. I started with a omega surface sprays with aloe etc. but as others have expressed, when i changed her diet, I no longer saw dry flakes on her back, so I too am convinced that changing your pets diet will have positive results, perhaps not completely alleviating the problems, but it's a way to get started. Many have suggested brands, most of which I have heard of. I use Blue, from The Blue Buffalo Co. I mix the dry with the canned, and only give her treats made by Blue and Paul Newman. I never knew it would make a difference, but she's doing beautifully. GOOD LUCK!

Re: Controlling the Itch

I've used several products from a company called onlynaturalpet.com. Call them they are great and most of their products are guaranteed.

Re: Controlling the Itch

I I also had a black lab & a cat both had allergies, to flieas, once that was treated, they were fine. I always use the top brand of flea meds. Their food was fine , It was the best I could afford, they love it,and their coats and energy are great. I don't have the money to pay for the best, I just do the best I can with what I have, they're are happy and beatifully. I'm just saying you don't have to be rich to feed them food that is more than you can afford, just do the best you can!