Dog Itchy Skin

Itchy dog skin affects many more dogs these days than in the past.  This could be due to more allergens, such as pollens and pollution, in the air, more artificial or natural chemicals in their processed dog food etc.


This article is written to aid you in finding the most helpful solution for you and your dog.  For more details to help solve the problem of your dog's itchiness, please take a look at my other blog click here to see



Below are some ideas and possible solutions to help you with your dog's problems.  It is best to first try and get a diagnosis from your Vet, so that you have an idea of what you are dealing with.  But, like everything, if you catch it early then hopefully it won't get worse.

Evening Primrose oil or Flax Seed oil

Capsules of Evening Primrose oil or Flax Seed oil may be helpful for dogs with eczema as they can be added to food. Fish oils and Evening Primrose Oil or a mixture of both as in EfaVet prescribed by your vet for your dog, can be taken as the capsules contain the essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 which have been found to benefit skin, in animals just as in humans.

  


Vitamins and Minerals


Vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin C have also been used and can help.  However, it is best to try one remedy at a time for a few weeks/months at first as some remedies take longer to work than others.  

Topical Herbal Treatments

Burdock root, dandelion, cleavers, echinacea, garlic, licorice root, nettle, red clover, sarsparilla and yellow dock are recommended to help soothe itchy skin.

Several herbs can be prepared for the external treatment of canine eczema. A cool but strong cup of calendula tea can be applied to red, itchy skin.  Inflamed areas can be soothed with a green tea rinse; a chamomile tea rinse can help with inflamed lesions and using equal amounts of chamomile and yarrow tea can help heal open scratches, scabby areas and oozing wounds, or hot spots (see below).

Aloe Vera Gel

Pure Aloe Vera Gel is fine for cuts, burns, insect bites, stings and sore skin.  It is perfectly safe even if your dog takes a liking to it and  licks it!  It is soothing just on its own and can be applied every 2 hours if needed.

Neem leaf tea oil 

(use with care, see other article here at http://itchydogskinproblems.blogspot.com/ which will tell you why).

Oats (plain uncooked/raw)

An oat poultice can be made from cooked oatmeal and used for itchy skin, or a bath in oat straw can help with just general itchiness. 

To make an oat poultice, grind up one cup of plain, raw oats in a mixer or coffee grinder and add one cup of plain cold water.  Mix and apply to your dog's coat, preferably while he is standing in a bath or outside.  Try and leave for 20 minutes, if he will let you and then rinse off with warm water.  Pat dry.  This should relieve the itchiness.

Make your own remedies


Below are a few remedies and recipes to help your dog's itchy skin.  They are all made of natural ingredients and should be applied topically (on the skin) not orally (by the mouth).

If your dog does not like the noise of a spray bottle, like mine, then use cotton wool balls to dab on the mixture, although a spray will make the mixture go further.  Keep it somewhere cool, out of the sun.




REMEDY 1

Recipe Ingredients

• Bottle of Witch Hazel
• Small Bottle of pure Tea Tree Oil
• Small Bottle of pure Lavender Oil       (optional)
• Medium Spritzer Bottle
• Tube of Aloe Vera Gel

Note: Make sure these are all pure oils and gel and not diluted in a vegetable oil.

METHOD

How to make your anti itch skin lotion for your dog



1.   Fill the spritzer bottle with 1/2 witch hazel and 1/2 aloe vera gel.
2.   Add 15 drops of tea tree oil.
3.   Optionally, to make the lotion smell nicer, add a few drops of lavender oil. 
4.   Shake up the mixture which makes a thin lotion.
5.   Apply as and when needed with cotton wool balls.  Use a clean one for each swipe over the skin so as not to spread infection. 



REMEDY 2

Recipe ingredients


1 small bottle pure tea tree oil
Mineral or bottled water, preferrably, if not tap water
Spray bottle


METHOD


1.     Make a mix of half tea tree oil and half water.
2.     Put into spray bottle.
3.     Spray dog's coat, avoiding eyes and inhalation - yours and his!
4.     Can be applied two to three times a day.  





REMEDY 3

Recipe Ingredients

Witch hazel
Peppermint tea
4 ounce spritzer bottle


METHOD

1.   Mix 8 ounces of cool tea with 4 ounces of the witch hazel. 
2.   Fill the spritzer bottle.
3.   Spray the dog's legs and stomach areas, avoiding contact with eyes.
4.   Apply as and when needed with cotton wool balls.  Use a clean one for each swipe over the skin so as not to spread infection. 



REMEDY 4

Recipe Ingredients

Aloe Vera gel
Valerian tea

METHOD

1.   Mix 8 ounces of cool tea with 4 ounces of the Aloe Vera gel or the same proportions of more or less (2 to 1). 
2.   Fill the spritzer bottle.
3.   Spray the dog's legs and stomach areas, avoiding contact with eyes.
 4.   Apply as and when needed with cotton wool balls.  Use a clean one for each swipe over the skin so as not to spread infection. 
                         
Notes
Valerian tea has a bitter taste  so it should not appeal to your dog to try and lick it off or want to bite any more!