Fit44-
Can you please let me know if you find anything that works?!!!!! My dog has major skin problems and I'm going out of my mind!!! I would love to hear suggestions, both my dog and I are tired of going to the vet!!!!
Have you seen a holistic vet?
My personal preference is to avoid steroid treatment. I know it is expensive, but if you can find a holistic vet to work with you, it is well worth the investment.
I can tell you my experience, and hopefully my experience will help guide you.
My male mastiff has been chewing his feet beginning spring. He had several scrape test to determine if he has yeasty paws, and they always come up bacterial. Skin problems can be the result of food, environmental allergies- or both.
The majority of my vet's practice is dealing with animals with severe allergies, and the first line of defense is a raw diet. She said not everyone is on board with it, but it is what she recommends.
I raised my dog on a prey model raw diet (meat, bones, organs -no veggies or grains).
I paid for a blood test to see if my guy was allergic to any of the protein sources I've been feeding him, and we ruled out food allergies. I haven't tested for specific environmental allergies yet. My husband and I are discussing what we are going to do next. The vet has given me a few options.
I'm pretty lucky that his allergies are limited to his paws, and not the rest of his body. We are currently discussing Chinese herbs and bicom therapy.
My vet said in her experience, allergy injections rarely work and when they do, it is very short lived. I just read a post on the boxer forum from someone who tried injections, spent a fortune, and the allergies are back.
Some things to help with environmental allergies... raw honey from a local bee farm (not honey from grocery store) and give him some everyday. It must be raw honey. Bees collect the pollen in our area and by feeding him the raw honey it will help build up an immunity to the pollen in the air.
NO vaccinations until the allergies are under control. Allergies put a lot of stress on the immune system and vaccinating will only magnify the problem. If you are concerned, you can titer, but if your dog has had puppy vacs and one year booster, you are good for at least 3 years and by year 3, you can run titers to see if the dog has the antibody serum.
The majority of our immune system resides in the gut. My vet prescribed digestive enzymes and proviable DC probiotics to boost my dog's immune system. Fish oil is a must for a dog with skin problems. Salmon oil or fish capsules. I give New Chapters Whole Mega fish oil to my dogs and myself.
I'm also giving him a natural antihistamine that also detoxes the liver. It's through a prescription vet only.
Frequent baths. I give full body bath once a week and foot soaks 3 days in a row (when feet flare up), then every other day with Malaseb shampoo.
I wipe his feet every time he comes in from outside.
She gave me calendula gel for his feet when they are irritated.
Amazon.com: Boiron Homeopathic Medicine Calendula Gel for Burns, Scrapes and Skin Irritations, 2.6-Ounce Tubes (Pack of 3): Health & Personal Care
I recently found this salve that I'm going to try.
DermaPaw
Gosh, I hope some of my experience has helped you. I know how frustrating this is.
