Care for Dogs with Itchy Skin

Dogs with itchy skin can be a miserable situation for them and for you. If you dog is scratching more than usual or in a specific spot, move the hair back and look for skin eruptions. This is called dermatitis. There are several causes for this condition.

• Bacterial Infection
• Yeast Infection
• Parasites (fleas and ticks)
• Food Allergies
• Contact Allergies (plastics, dyes, cleaning materials, etc...)
• Exposure to Certain Drugs
• Exposure to Other Toxins
  
  

Before you determine the actual cause of the skin problem, you can use some natural remedies to give your dog some immediate relief and allow the skin to begin to heal. When you dog stops scratching things will begin to improve right away.

Immediate Natural Treatments:

1. Dilute 50% Apple Cider Vinegar with 50% water in a spray bottle. Mix well. After cleaning and drying the affected area, spray the solution on and let it dry. Apple Cider Vinegar will
dry fairly quickly. This will help to soothe your dogs skin so that the scratching is not as
intense. Do this several times a day until the area is healed.

2. If the Vinegar does not help, try grape seed extract. This has been used for years for
soothing itchy skin. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. You can use this as a spray also.

3. Calendula is an anti-bacterial solution that relieves the itch.

4. NEEM is an anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory.

5. Peppermint soothes itchy skin and repellants insects.

6. Oatmeal Shampoo is great for bathing dogs with itchy skin. It is very soothing and can
relieve irritated skin.

Try one or more of these remedies in order to give your dog some immediate relief from the itching. You can then spend some time trying to determine what is causing the problem. If it is allergies to food, try a more holistic diet. If you find that it is caused by contacting material your dog is allergic to, make sure he/she is no longer exposed to the substance. To help the healing process, you may want to get a halo collar for your dog to wear for a few days. This will prevent them from licking the solution off their skin and prevent them from licking and chewing the area.

Dog Hot Spots:

Dog hot spots can occur with any dog, however dogs with heavy coats are more suseptible to this condition. This typically happens when moist dead hair mats are trapped right next to the skin. When a dog is suffering from fleas, mites or other skin disorders, the excessive scratching and licking cycle can cause hot spots. Dog hot spots are typically easy to see. They are places where the dog has scratched or chewed the hair completely off. The constant licking irritates the area and causes it to become infected. To treat a hot spot.

1. Clip the hair around the hot spot.
2. Clean and dry the area.
3. Apply one of the solutions mentioned above.
4. Use a Halo Collar to prevent scratching and chewing.
5. Determine what has caused the condition.

Follow these tips for dogs with itchy skin and you will have far fewer trips to the vet. If however you feel that the condition has reached a critical point, consult your vet immediately.

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