Pet Lovers

[monicakm]

@CAcableGirl2 

Thanks for the info.  I hope her allergies (scratching) don't get worse.  It may just be a case of giving her a different supplement altho the one she's on has done wonders. I guess no one here gives their dog supplements for dry skin or scratching.  

[CAcableGirl2]

@monicakm  I gave them Omega pills for skin/joints which is also good for allergies, but I had to do the prescription pills too for one of my dogs.  Non-prescription and good for their skin as well as their joints.  Available at Chewy but probably available all over the place.   It's worth a try since you can probably get some at your local pet store.

Vetoquinol Triglyceride OMEGA Omega-3 Fatty Acids Large & Giant Breed Supplement for Dogs

Triglyceride OMEGA supplements are simply the best way to maintain your pet’s skin and coat health. If your dog suffers from rashes from allergies or skin disease, the Omega-3 fatty acids in Triglyceride OMEGA will provide quick relief. This supplement is rich in Omega-3 fish oils, the same type used by many humans to increase their own health. With Triglyceride OMEGA, you will notice a decrease in your dog's scratching and an increased healthy and shiny coat. Many dog owners choose Triglyceride OMEGA for increased heart health as well as to help improve mobility and ease joint pain, in addition to relieving the symptoms of an allergic reaction in their pets. Triglyceride OMEGA contains the only fish oil to achieve USP ingredient verification. Triglyceride OMEGA also makes a great addition to most veterinary prescribed diets for pet allergies.

[m0rgan]

@monicakm I also used Head and Shoulders shampoo to bath my dogs as foxee said.  It really smells good too.

[tends2dogs]

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@m0rgan wrote:

@monicakm I also used Head and Shoulders shampoo to bath my dogs as foxee said.  It really smells good too.

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Which one  There are two formulas, I believe. @m0rgan  TIA

[tends2dogs]

@monicakm First, I commend you for not running to the vet for a RX without trying other options first.  

I am not sure if you are familiar with hoeopathic cell salt remedies.  Have you ever used oral Arnica?  That is a cell salt.  The best book I have found as my go to for EVERYTHING is Homeopathic Cell Salt Remedies  - Healing with Nature's 12 Mineral Compounds by Nigey Lennon and Lionel Rolfe.  They sell it on Amazon for around $10.  Other than the miriad of cell salts, this is one of the best purchases I have made.

If you decide to try this wonderful branch of alternative, you will learn that each cell salt can be used for many different things.  For instance, the ones I have used for itching, are:

You will notice that the bottles refer to bug bites.  There do not have to be bites in order for this to work.  Kali phos is also indicated for itchy skin.  I have used these with success, even when there was no bug issues.  It has an antihistamine effect, I assume.

We switched our dog over to raw feeding and this helped with the GI issues.  Personally, I would look for something without grain and totally skip ANY of the prescription dog foods.  There are so many ingredients in those that they can hardly fit them on the can.  The ingredients, the better.

The supplement you are giving looks pretty good.  It is too bad it has the artificial flavorings, but if she has found some relief, that is good.  You must be on the right track.  You could always try Benadryl.  It may cause drowsiness or it could a hyper effect.  That was the case with my guy, heavy panting.  The holistic vet said NOT to give it to him because of that.  I have had other dogs that tolerated it well.

I commend you for taking this pup in and attempting to do right by her.  She is blessed.  

I think the Head and Shoulders sounds like a good possibility. There are two formulas.  I would ask the vet which one would be safe.  Also, because of all the cr@p in the enviroment, you might want to consider wash your dog's feet after being outside.  We found this made a big difference.  We just swish his feet around in a pot of warm water and wipe off.  (I wash a lot of towels)  

Skin issues in dogs is one of the main reasons people seek out their vets.  I would limit vaccinations....I have stopped all of them because of the terrible reactions my dog experienced.  

I really recommend you get the book.  If you have questions, I would be glad to help.

[m0rgan]

@tends2dogs We used original or classic clean.  They smelled sooo good afterward, better than any dog shampoo I found without a ton of additives.

[monicakm]

@tends2dogs 

THANK YOU so much for all the great information!  

Yes, I am familiar with the Hylands homeopathic remedies but for myself, not my dogs.  How do you dose it for a dog?  I didn't know you could give these to a dog but I've also never had a reason to consider it.  The dog we've had for nearly 7 years isn't even a real dog lol 
The one and only issue he's ever had was heartworms.  He had them when he found us on April 16th almost 7 years ago.  We had those taken care of and what a long summer that was!  Yes, we've given Benedryl to our dogs in the past but I wouldn't want to give it to her regularly.  In fact, it's not necessary as well as the supplements are working.  I was just hoping to find something that worked 100% vs 90%.  

I don't know what made me stop and rescue Frankie.  It's not uncommon to see dogs on this stretch of a FM road where there are no homes.  It kills me to see them and in a perfect world, I'd take them ALL in...but I guess in a perfect world there would be no abandoned dogs.  I did what I could to find her owner but I'm not sure I would have given her back anyway because of the condition she was in.  They would have had to prove she'd been missing for weeks.  And, she had a nasty old rope tied around her precious neck   WE ARE BOTH BLESSED.  

Vaccines...I would have loved to skip those and will from here on out.  I couldn't get her spayed or groomed without her being current on her shots   That I know of, we've not had any of our dogs show signs of any allergic reactions to shots but I'm convinced they aren't good for them.  You should have seen the vet's receptionist's face when I told her I don't plan on keeping her on the vaccines after her operation.  She said it's a Texas state law that they are vaccinated against rabies and I won't be able to board her anywhere without them.  I'll cross that bridge if ever I come upon it.  As for the groomer that said she had to be current on her shots, they never asked for her paperwork   Frankie is the first dog we've ever had that needed a haircut.

[tends2dogs]

@monicakm You dose them the same as people.  4 or 5 pellets tossed in their mouth.  My guy comes and stands next to me when I get out the container that houses my dozens of remedies....LOL.  I have my husband on a protocol right now for Lyme disease.  

The two that I posted pictures of are great to have on hand.  It will stop bee stings or bug bites quickly.  It just happens to work on itching even without a bug bite.  

As far as the vaccines, we titer once a year.  After 5  years, he is still protected.  Too bad that they won't even consider titer results.  You can't vaccinate and get "more" protection.  If you have the antibodies, you are protected.  More jabs isn't more.  

Have fun with Frankie.  Does she like your other dog?

[CamilleP]

@monicakm   I would strongly urge you to consider keeping Frankie current on her rabies vaccine, according to your state's laws.  If, for any reason or just by accident, Frankie should ever ****** or bite *anyone*, even you or your DH, let alone a groomer, tradesperson coming to your home, delivery person, meter reader, or Girl Scout selling cookies, if she IS current on her rabies, she will be taken into quarantine and observed for 10+/- days, then released back to you.  If she IS NOT current on her rabies vaccine, she will be killed immediately, so her brain can be examined for Negri bodies in her cerebellum as evidence of rabies infection.  If your other dogs are not rabies-current, they may be confiscated and quarantined as well, or they may be killed as well.  Rabies, as a zoonotic disease with no cure once symptoms appear, is the one disease in which the law does not allow for any "wiggle room" at all.  Different states may be somewhat more or less draconic, but in the end, why take any chances?  One vaccine every three years is a small price to pay for the legal protection it affords your dogs.

ETA:  and why the word n......i......p is considered unacceptable in this context is beyond me, QVC.

[CamilleP]

The reason for her coat being dry is that it was growing in while she was malnourished and probably worm-infested as well.  The new hair growing in on her legs, where she was shaved for her surgery, is soft, as it ought to be, because it is growing while you are feeding her properly, and her nutritional needs are being met.  Over time, as all the old hair is cut off, the new hair will be her genetically proper haircoat.  Nothing you can feed her will change the quality of the old haircoat, you will need to use outside treatments like hair conditioner to soften it, or else wait until summer and give her a whole-body haircut to get rid of it.