| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Dec 29 2008 : 6:42:45 PM
Cody, my border collie, has always had this skin condition that makes him scratch, bite and chew himself. It's worse in the winter and lately has been waking me in the middle of the night with the thump, thump, thump of his scratching. If it keeps up, he'll have bald spots again from chewing on himself.
Oatmeal shampoo helps him some, but I'd have to bathe him every week (he HATES baths) to keep control of it. Somebody suggested putting butter in his food, another said to try mayonnaise. Neither of those worked at all. Rubbing lotions or salves on his skin don't really work with his long hair. It just makes him a greasy hairball.
Any suggestions?
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| peachy |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 09:38:26 AM
Lisa, I'm so glad you posted this! I was just asking my neighbor the other day who also has German Shepherds what to do about my Nekas' itching problem, he said to try the fish oil in the food or oil. She really only gets this in the winter so I thought it was from a dry house having only wood heat until I read the Frito smell! Everyone I tell that to thinks I'm nuts!! I just checked her dog food (Pedigree) and first ingredient - corn. I'm going to try changing brands and adding yogurt too, I hate to see them suffer with all this itching!
Melissa
Farmgirl Sister #360
Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning to dance in the rain! |
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 08:13:14 AM
How is he doing, Lisa?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
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| farmmommy |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 06:19:42 AM
Oh.....lol...I probably should have mentioned that the fish oil was for putting on his food, silly me!! Yeah, I don;t thik I would be putting any kind of "oil" ON my pets either...LOL....Kelley |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jan 13 2009 : 04:47:58 AM
I always used an oatmeal soap on him and that always seemed to help for a little while. I think his biggest problem was sub-standard dog food, excessive sugar (from the ex) and the consequential yeast infection. I don't know that I'd want to try putting any kind of oil on him as his hair is long and very thick. I have a hard time even seeing his skin! But thanks for the info!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
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| farmmommy |
Posted - Jan 12 2009 : 07:07:18 AM
I also make soap, and there is nothing like good oldfashioned lye soap bars to bathe a dog with....and if they have skin conditions, try fish oil in a pump bottle...works really great for dry itchy skin on the pooches!! kelley |
| melody |
Posted - Jan 11 2009 : 8:07:59 PM
I make handcrafted soap and on bath day we wash Truman, our Jack Russell, with my lavender soap. It's full of moisturizers all natural so it doesn't dry out his skin and he gets nice and fluffy to boot. My soap is the only thing I have ever used on him. Could it be "winter itch?"
Melody
www.bythebayhandcraftedsoap.com
Support the battered women's shelter on Pine Ridge Reservation! http://FriendsofPineRidgeReservation.org |
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 06 2009 : 07:16:02 AM
That is great, Lisa!
I am so glad that this is helping poor Cody! I went through a phase with Sky where we thought she had food allergies. She was scratching huge quarter sized holes in her skin all the time- poor dog. But nothing we did helped.
Turned out our room mate's dog had a horrible infestation of fleas and Sky is allergic to fleas!
So I know how helpless the scratching and obvious pain/discomfort can make you feel. *hugs*
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
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| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jan 06 2009 : 05:08:05 AM
Thanks, all. It appears the new food and yogurt and vinegar rinse is starting to work. He's not scratching as much and the "frito" smell is gone! Soon, my baby will be healthy and itch-free!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
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| misstilliewillie |
Posted - Jan 05 2009 : 09:12:44 AM
Hey..I was trying to remember something I read ages ago about skin conditions and ear problems...and remembered Dr. Goodpet...they offer Skin Relief and Ear Relief.
Maybe either or both would benefit darling little Cody!
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livin' the sweet life! |
| jumpingjuliet |
Posted - Jan 05 2009 : 08:44:06 AM
Diana,
To try to get rid of the yeast infections feed your dog some yogurt each day. A tablespoon each day should do it. Our vet said to try this with our horse that got yeast infections and it worked. I have also read that it works for people too. It helps keep all of the yeast and bacteria levels normal. Hope this helps.
Toodles
Becky
I am one with my inner farm girl! |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jan 04 2009 : 06:47:52 AM
Thanks for the link to that site, Alee. I'll give him another bath today with a vinegar rinse and keep a bottle of vinegar water on hand to spray him down with. He HATES baths, but he will stay in the tub as long as I have my hands on him.
I'm not sure if I can find plain yogurt up here, but I can request it at one store and they'll get it for me. The folks at Zamzow's told me to put plain yogurt in his new food, but I thought it was a suggestion to ease any stomach upset while adjusting to new food. I may have misunderstood.
Yep, Anna, you're right about the food. I learned the hard way while poor Cody suffered. Purina used to be a good brand, but now they use all kinds of grainy fillers, too. I guess checking the ingredient label is just as important for our animals as it is for us! At least he's not being fed candy and cookies and junk anymore. My ex used to feed him that junk all the time because that's what he was eating and he thought he had to "share". Man, that just loaded Cody up with even more carbs that fed the yeast.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
| Annab |
Posted - Jan 04 2009 : 03:37:41 AM
Sorry to jum in on this so late.
Have been a huge proponent of the non mainstream pet foods for many years now.
I'd love to know exactally WAHT nutritionist thought that corn and corn gluten meal would be good for any animal that normally isn't exposed to these in their wild state.
Same for cats. And they are strictly carnivores. Ladies! For sure plese pass along good information to as many animal lovers as you can and make the crossover to non mainstream pet foods! The cheap stuff is crap!!! Recall all the scares (and tragic deaths) form the tainted foods earlier in 07!
If the labels read corn, corn gluten meal, and other non-essential carbohydtate laden cheap fillers as the first 3-4 ingredients....start lookin' elsewhere. Remember the ingredients are listed by weight.
**** And, the better forms of a meat source shoud ALWAYS be listed SPECIFICALLY like chicken, beef, venison and NOT animal meat, aniaml by-product, animal fat, and other non-discript terms for the "mystery meats". This kind of listing is more common in the wet foods.
If you do care about you pets, make a small sacrifice elsewhere so a better food can be afforded.
And, happy to report that Petsmart is now carrying some of the organic/non-mainstream pet foods too. I paid clsoe to 20.00 for cat food the other day, but the proof is in the puddin' and my aniamls act and look great!
And when transitioning a new food do it in small increments slowly over time. Otherwise you'll get the gassiness for sure.
|
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 04 2009 : 03:35:48 AM
LOL Lisa- that is too funny.
With the new dog food that has less carbs in it, Cody might clear up the yeast infection on his own.
Here is a site where people are suggesting their home remedies
http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/yeast_infections_dogs.html
I would suggest buying an organic plain yogurt (you don't want to be feeding him any more sugar to feed the yeast in his body and of course organic is best) along with the accidopholus tablets. That remedy really makes sense to me. Also if he handles baths well, you could wash him really well and then rinse in White Vinegar- especially around the itchy spots. He probably won't like that, but it should help deal with any surface yeast as well.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
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| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jan 03 2009 : 7:54:15 PM
Well, I got down to Boise today and picked up Zamzow's brand of dog food which is all natural and the first ingredient is chicken! No corn, no soy, no wheat at all in their dog foods. So, tonight I gave Cody half old stuff and half new (their recommendation). The folks at Zamzows said it not only sounded like Cody had a serious problem with the cheaper food but that he also has a yeast infection because I told them he smelled like Fritos. They said that would be caused by the cheaper food and if the smell doesn't improve in the next couple weeks, I would have to take him to the vet for the yeast infection and that it could be in his ears.
So, is there a natural remedy for yeast infection in dogs?
By the way, a couple hours after he ate, he tooted . Cody will be 4 years old in Feb and has NEVER done that. He's always burped. It was just the funniest thing because he was sitting and turned to look at his own butt like he couldn't figure out why he was burping out the other end!
Sorry, probably TMI, but I thought it was hilarious!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
| misstilliewillie |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 5:59:00 PM
I agree totally with you~
Rabies shot an absolute must!
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livin' the sweet life! |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 4:36:54 PM
Cody got the distemper and parvo shots when he was a baby. I don't believe in heartworm or flea/tick applications. Then, when he was old enough, I gave him his first rabies shot. And that one was good for 5 years. Cody has been on many walks out in the forest and you never know if you're going to run into a rabid squirrel, skunk or whatever. Not to mention all the bats here, too. So, the rabies shot really is necessary here. But, I know what you mean about over-medicating.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com [size=1] |
| misstilliewillie |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 10:25:48 AM
I had the same problem with my Great Pyr, and after consulting several vets and specialists,
which prescribed cortisone injections, pills, etc....I decided to cook him chicken and brown rice only for 6 months, and it worked like a charm. No more chewing, licking, gnawing!
Also, I DO NOT give my dogs all those vaccinations the vets recommend. It's just a money maker for the vets, and they suppress the immune system of the animal. And when you throw all the vaccinations, the rabies shot, the heartworm preventive, the flea/tick applications, etc., at their poor little systems...it's a wonder any of them can survive or thrive! I used to do ALL that until I read Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats.
And I realized we're doing to our pets what we're doing to our children. Overmedicating and overvaccinating.
Now, I'm a firm believer in organic, healthy, natural...fresh air and exercise, Mother Nature's abundance in herbs, essential oils, etc..
My soap box is tucked away now, and I'm heading out to the Great Outdoors!
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/misstilliewillie
livin' the sweet life! |
| Canadian farmgirl |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 09:58:43 AM
I have just recently learned about using Bach's Flower Remedies, a natural, holistic treatment used for people and animals. I am using Gorse for my cat right now, who just returned home after an emergency stay at the vet's.
Here's a link to some info:
http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/flowers.htm
There are also books about Bach's Flower Remedies that you could get from your public library. If they don't have them, ask them to interlibrary loan them for you.
Lori
Farmgirl Sister #183 |
| whispering pines |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 07:12:11 AM
Lisa, you can also try Avoderm, we have used it for about 3 years now. Our lab has food allergies. It works very well and if you have a Petco near you. They have a program where you get one bag free after you purchase 10. It really worked on Winter. By the way iys about $45.00 for a large bag.
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
| babysmama |
Posted - Jan 02 2009 : 06:55:52 AM
I forgot to mention, if you decide to go with the Nutro dog food (I use it once in awhile) you can go to their website (just google Nutro dog food) and sign up for their buyer program. I don't do the buy 10 bags get one free thing but when you sign up they send you a nice booklet of coupons. Our farm supply store takes the coupons and PetSmart and PetCo also do. A lot of the coupons are for $2 off a bag so that is some savings!
-Elizabeth |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 3:14:29 PM
Corn was the culprit for my Lucy. It took one bag of the new stuff, and she quit scratching altogether. We now feed Nutro Natural Choice Small Bites and it works like a charm. Little pricey but well worth it for no scratching and small stools.
Farmgirl Sister #98
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| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 2:15:30 PM
Well, I'm planning to get down to Boise this weekend. DD needs some clothes before she goes back to school and I'll pick up a bag of good stuff for Cody while I'm down there. I'll let you know how it goes.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
[size=1]My apron website:
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| Sitnalta |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 11:32:36 AM
Mom's dog had a serious itchy dander problem, and she changed her dog food to Science Diet. It worked really well. I know Mom looks for the heathly stuff even for the dogs, so Id imagine that would be a good one. We feed our dog , unfortunately, the cheap stuff. :P
hugs
Jessie
Farmgirl Sister #235
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work You don't give up.
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| babysmama |
Posted - Jan 01 2009 : 11:29:51 AM
Yes, it is often the food. Any food with a real meat (chicken, beef, salmon, etc.) is better then anything that begins with corn or wheat. I have switched between Diamond, Iams, and now Naturally Wild by Eukanuba. It is more expensive than Purina but they also eat less of it. Purina is mainly fillers so it is like eating candy for a meal...you have to eat more to fill up. The more expensive foods tend to fill the dog up faster so they eat less and you will notice a huge difference in their stools, they don't go as much it is more firm and less smelly.
I've also heard of putting apple cider vinegar in their drinking water. Just a few small drops will do. It is supposed to make their coat shiny and I am sure would be good for skin conditions. Make those two changes and I bet you will notice a difference in a few weeks! Good luck and let us know how it goes.
-Elizabeth |
| nut4fabric |
Posted - Dec 30 2008 : 08:57:24 AM
Lisa We have two Labs both with horrible allergies, right now they are on a venison and rice food from Wellness Simple Foods, along with two bendryl tabs twice a day and two fish oil capsules twice a day. They can have Bendryl every four hours if they need it. Also a canine multiple vitamin that is formulated for skin problems. I tell you I didn't have this much problem with my kids. LOL
Hugs, Kathy |
