Skin Disorders and Allergies 
Skin Disorders and Allergies The sight of an animal constantly scratching or chewing on its skin drives pet owners to distraction … and to veterinary clinics en masse for help. Skin disorders are the number one problem that veterinarians treat.
Causes are varied, including flea-bite sensitivities, food or airborne allergies, reactions to vaccinations, and chemicals in the environment and diet. Finding an effective treatment is often quite challenging. Typical conventional treatments involve steroids, antibiotics, antihistamines, and even tranquilizers. While these drugs usually provide temporary relief, prolonged use can create other serious problems such as adrenal, liver, and kidney disease.
Holistic veterinarians often say that the sole use of drugs for symptoms of chronic skin problems merely drives the disease deeper into the body. “Hot spots” often develop as a result of the body trying to rid itself of toxins or of inner heat generated by poor-quality dry food being constantly fed to an animal. Drug treatments may help for a while, but months later animals are frequently back at the veterinarian with a new symptom, this time perhaps involving the kidneys or wherever there is a genetic weakness. Such new symptoms may appear to be unrelated, but in reality they are part of an unaddressed continuum of the same disease process still raging inside the animal.
Properly used steroids can relieve inflammation and control itching, but they are often misused and overdosed. Problems occur when animals are put on arbitrary levels that are beyond what they need.
The skin is the body’s largest organ of detoxification, and a rash or irritation is also a common way the body tries to eliminate a toxin. “When the condition is treated with drugs, the activity of the immune system is suppressed, and the toxin is prevented from leaving the body,” says Robert Goldstein, VMD. “Sometimes giving drugs is appropriate, but reliance on drugs alone over the long term is asking for a chronic, never-ending skin condition as well as other health problems.”
Medical dictionaries define an allergy as “a hypersensitive state acquired through exposure to a particular allergen.” An allergen is any substance that can cause an immediate or delayed reaction. Such substances include pollen, dust, mold, food, chemicals, or an insect bite, such as a flea bite.
Humans sniffle, sneeze, cough, and wheeze when their bodies have been “insulted” by an allergen. Dogs most frequently itch and scratch. The difference has to do with mast cells, specialized cells in the body that respond to allergens by production of a chemical called histamine. It is the release of histamine that triggers symptoms by causing small blood vessels to leak and ooze fluid, resulting in a swelling of tissue. In humans, the mast cells are highly concentrated in the area of the eyes, nose, and windpipe. That’s why people with hay fever experience nasal congestion, a result of leaky vessels and swelling in the nose. In animals, the cells are concentrated on the sides of the face, paws, armpit, and groin. “A common saying is that if your pet is a face rubber, foot licker, and armpit scratcher, then he’s probably allergic to something,” says Ernest K. Smith, DVM, secretary of the Academy of Veterinary Allergy and Clinical Immunology, as quoted in a 1994 article in the Orange County (California) Register.
Many sensitive people are intolerant to multiple substances. This can cause unique combinations of physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. The same is true for animals. Skin is affected most frequently, but intestinal disorders, behavioral disturbances, seizures, and other problems also occur, both with or without a concurrent skin problem. New allergies can arise any time an animal is exposed to any substance for a period of time. Some allergic reactions appear after exposure to a single allergen. Others appear only after exposure to multiple substances. It depends on an animal’s individual resistance.
In 1986 Los Angeles veterinarian Alfred Plechner, DVM, and I collaborated on a book about pet allergies (Pet Allergies: Remedies for an Epidemic). It was Plechner’s opinion, based on years of clinical experience, that an unrecognized allergy epidemic was ruining the health of millions of pets. The situation hasn’t changed, he says, and, if anything, it has only gotten worse.
Plechner continually sees dogs with inferior or damaged immunity, who are seriously affected by environmental input. “The problem is larger than anybody realizes,” he says. “Perhaps one out of two animals brought into veterinary hospitals may be suffering from some degree of allergic malady, a hypersensitive state that can cause death and not just everyday scratching problems. Allergies are so common that pet owners probably face the problem sometime or another during the life of their animals.”
Adds Joseph Demers, DVM: “I now see many more allergies than before, the result, I believe, of a confused or out-of-balance immune system underreacting or overreacting, or otherwise just not doing its normal job. Years ago I used to see this in animals two or more years of age, and now I see allergies in animals as young as six months of age. Dogs under a year of age are coming in with severe skin allergies.”
The main reasons for this situation, according to the experts, are the following:
Flawed food. Commercial pet foods are loaded with highly processed, inferior-quality ingredients, and chemicals that may contribute to overall ill health or trigger allergic sensitivities.
Cosmetic breeding. Increasing numbers of dogs have genetic weaknesses due to selective breeding practices and puppy mills, where animals are bred for a certain look and no longer for hardiness and function. Many hunting dogs, for instance, have lost their nose to hunt as a result of this practice. Selective breeding creates fashionable features valued by fanciers and judges. This translates into prestige and maximum sales prices for breeders, whose standards are then duplicated in assembly-line fashion by puppy mills. The result is animals who often have endocrine and immune system imbalances and other serious defects. These animals enter life less able to cope and begin to have problems early on. Biological flaws are passed on to purebred offspring and to mixed-breed descendants as well.
Overvaccinating. The current use of powerful and multiple vaccines creates a massive insult to the immune system, leading to general dysfunction and allergies.
Proliferation of chemicals. This is an age of unprecedented proliferation of chemicals and pollutants that many experts say is weakening our immune systems and undermining health. Doris Rapp, M.D., an expert on environmental medicine, says that “if this had happened over hundreds of years, perhaps we could have adapted. Unless our nutrition is good we can’t hope to detoxify these things. But our nutrition has deteriorated over the last half century as well. The food is processed, pesticided, and poor in nutrients. What we drink is full of chemicals. The result is that our bodies have become toxic dump sites.” The same situation applies to our companion animals. Dogs, with their noses close to the ground and carpets, are intimately exposed to a multitude of toxins: lawn and garden chemicals, rat poison, pesticides, cleaning and disinfectant chemicals, lead in paint and water, building and decorating chemicals, and the fumes outgassing from synthetic carpets. The food they eat is full of chemical additives.
Problems can develop at any time in an animal’s life. Imagine your body, or your animal’s body, as a barrel that can hold a specific amount of stress and toxins. Each barrel has a different capacity—or threshold—depending on individual genetic strengths or weaknesses. Lifestyle, diet, environmental factors, and chemical exposures are common elements in our lives that cause the barrel to overflow or not. When the barrel overflows, symptoms appear.
If, for instance, you are exposed to a small amount of dust and mold, your barrel—if it is normal—should have the capacity to hold it. But if on another occasion you are exposed to too much of any one or more pollutants, your barrel may overflow. You develop symptoms. Another person in the same circumstances may develop symptoms earlier or later, depending on the size of his or her barrel. If there is much stress in your life at one particular point, or if the weather is very hot, or you are constantly exposed to a certain chemical, your barrel may fill up and overflow faster.
For animals, the combination of poor food, vaccinations, and the advent of flea season offers an obvious seasonal explanation for the barrel spilling over. For many animals, the barrel may always be close to overflowing because of genetic weakness. In such cases, it doesn’t take much for symptoms to appear. A genetically weak animal on a poor diet and exposed to stress and multiple chemicals is a prime candidate for allergies and illnesses early on.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG IS ALLERGIC
The following symptoms are typical signs, but not necessarily the only ones, indicating an allergic problem:
Persistent biting, licking, or scratching of skin.
Inflamed skin, lumps, bumps, or sores that recur.
Inflamed ears with repeated infections.
There are often no simple answers to allergies. But the following tips will help:
Feed a better diet. Supplement the diet with vitamins and minerals. This should boost resistance so that fewer drugs may be needed for control. With luck, you may even be able to eliminate medication altogether. Whatever the level of your animal’s resistance, you have the power to improve it and lessen the potential or intensity of skin allergies.
Switch to higher-quality and lower-quantity protein foods. Better-quality protein has fewer potential allergenic offenders. Changing to a more natural or wholesome diet may reduce allergic reactions (see section on food allergies).
“Usually there is a combination of things relating to allergic conditions, such as pollen, food, and fleas,” says A. Greig Howie, DVM. “If you can eliminate just one of the things, then you may be able to bring the allergy back down below the problem threshold.”
Vaccines are increasingly associated with chronic disorders (see chapter 15), and animals with recurring skin problems may be reacting to past vaccinations.
Animals are exposed to many toxic chemicals that may cause reactions. If possible, use natural, nontoxic products.
Keep down dust levels inside the house. Consider filtration systems.
Frequent shampooing can provide temporary relief by getting offending “stuff” off the haircoat. If a shampoo is going to help, it should give relief for twelve to forty-eight hours. If not, try another shampoo.
If you have an allergic animal, consider switching from plastic to ceramic feeding bowls. “I have seen cases where plastic bowls have caused local allergic reactions around the face,” says Carvel Tiekert, DVM. “Red bowls seem to evoke more reaction than other colors, but we don’t know why.”
For any kind of itching skin problem, I developed a Chinese herbal combination called Skineze, available through Good Communications at 800-968-1738. The product contains angelica root, the fruit of the burdock plant, calamus gum, Chinese foxglove root, and licorice root. It comes as a chewable tablet with liver flavoring and whey added to make it palatable. The tablets can be crumbled and mixed into food or given intact. Skineze can be used in conjunction with any medication prescribed by a veterinarian.
The formula has a powerful effect. More than two thousand animals have used the product to date, and I estimate that it has significantly helped up to 75 percent of them. It reduces itching that may be due to pollen and food allergies and flea or other insect bites. It does not cure the cause of the itching, but it usually provides relief and comfort.
Many dogs experience relief within four to twenty-four hours, but some have taken up to a month, particularly in cases involving major “hot spots.” In about 12 percent of cases, the formula has had no effect. In a handful of animals, there were minor gastrointestinal side effects that cleared up when the formula was stopped or given in smaller amounts.
Because the product contains whey (for sweetness), don’t give it to an animal allergic to dairy. More scratching may result. For such cases, we have the same product available in capsule form without any flavoring. The taste is bitter, but sensitive animals usually respond well.
Follow label instructions.
For dealing on the outside with a wide variety of skin problems, including minor injuries, infections, eczema, and “hot spots,” I have been impressed by Phytogel, an Ayurvedic herbal gel from India that significantly enhances healing. The product is available from Ayuvet (888-881-8767). A small amount goes a long way. It has a pleasant cedar smell that comes from the Himalayan cedarwood oil used in the formulation. Research has shown that cedarwood has antibacterial and antifungal activity. The product also contains neem seed oil, a phytochemical known for its antibacterial and healing properties.
Phytogel has a first-class disinfectant and soothing action and reduces itching and irritation. It works as well as any cortisone cream I have used. One of its features is that once you put it on, it will usually stay on. Most dogs will not lick it off as they will the average skin cream.
Follow label instructions.
To help skin problems from the inside out, I recommend an Ayurvedic herbal combination called Neem Plus, available from Ayush Herbs (800-925-1371). The product comes in liquid form for small dogs and in tablets for larger animals. It features neem, a well-known Indian herb with a long healing tradition for skin conditions. Research has demonstrated neem’s antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. The product also contains amla, bahera, and haritaki, the three fruit components of triphala, the traditional Indian herbal preparation used as an intestinal cleanser. Triphala adds effectiveness to the formula because many skin conditions are related to intestinal disorders.
Neem Plus is also helpful in cases of yeast infections that many animals develop as an aftermath of antibiotic treatments. There is a typical strong sour smell. You may see a black exudate from the ears. I see this problem often in Golden Retrievers, Cockers, and Beagles.
Small dogs, 10 drops per ten pounds of body weight twice daily; dogs up to thirty pounds, 1 tablet twice daily; dogs up to sixty pounds, 1 tablet three times daily; larger dogs, 2 tablets twice daily.
Plantain, the broad-leaf weed that grows in most people’s backyards, is a great topical healer. If you aren’t sure what plantain looks, ask someone who knows about herbs or refer to a book. Plantain reduces redness, inflammation, and itching. It’s a great natural healer, and it’s free! Take a leaf, chop it up, and mash it into a paste. Apply the paste to the affected area. You will usually see quick relief for rashes, lesions, pimples, and raw areas of skin.
(See chapter 10 for general dosage guidelines.)
“Hot spots,” also known as “wet eczema,” refers to the all-too-common condition of open sores that are constantly being bitten, scratched, or chewed by animals. Arnica is a good homeopathic remedy to defuse the intensity of itching. The remedy seems to “put out the fire” in the skin.
Arnica 30C: Give twice daily for two or three days. Observe the results. Don’t repeat the remedy as long as you see signs of improvement. If the problem persists, give again for two to three days. Follow this approach as long as you have the problem.
If you are dealing with a chronic seborrhealike odor that is not the usual dog or cat smell, use the homeopathic remedy Sulfur.
Sulfur 30C: Give once a day for two or three days.
I recommend a combination of B-complex vitamins and a multiple amino acid formula to improve the health of the skin and support any medical treatment. The B-complex product I use is called Lipocaps, made by Vetus Animal Health and distributed by Burns Veterinary Supply (800-922-8767). The amino multi is Amino Plex, from Tyson Neutraceuticals (800-318-9766).
These supplements can be used long-term if necessary. Some clients have used them for years and told me that skin problems return whenever they run out of the supplements.
Lipocaps: 1 capsule for each twenty pounds of body weight.
Amino Plex: Smaller dogs, 1 tablet daily; larger dogs, 2.
I have developed a simple protocol in my practice, and animals typically show great improvement with it. The total elimination of steroids and other medications is often possible. But it is not a quick fix. The body requires approximately six weeks to adjust to the biochemical changes brought about by this program.
First, feed the best possible diet to your animal. The dry foods I recommend to my clients are made by Natura Pet Products (800-532-7261). For wet food, I suggest Nature’s Recipe, available at most pet and food stores.
Add Mega-C Plus, an effective supplement with vitamin C and extra vitamins and minerals. Supplemental C acts as an antihistamine and also strengthens the immune system. The product is available from Orthomolecular Specialties (408-227-9334).
I also recommend Vital Tabs, an antioxidant combination of vitamins E, A, and selenium, also available through Orthomolecular Specialties. This formula protects against stress and oxidative damage and helps raise the efficiency of key thyroid and adrenal hormones to boost resistance.
Give both supplements with food.
Mega-C Plus: Small dogs, start with 750 milligrams of the powder daily; medium dogs, 1,500 milligrams; large dogs, 3,000 milligrams. Every third day, increase dosage by 1/8 teaspoon for small dogs and 1/4 teaspoon for medium and large dogs. Monitor the stool. When it loses its firmness and cylindrical form, decrease amount by one increment level and remain at this daily dosage. This is the bowel tolerance level—the optimum level for your particular animal. At this level the stool should maintain a firm, cylindrical form. Tolerance varies from animal to animal. Once the animal is asymptomatic, return to the starting level as a routine maintenance dose.
Vital Tabs: Small dogs, 800 international units (IU) of vitamin E, 10,000 IU of vitamin A, 20 micrograms of selenium; medium dogs, 1,600 IU of E, 20,000 IU of A, and 40 micrograms of selenium; large dogs, 2,400 IU of E, 30,000 IU of A, 60 micrograms of selenium. When animal is asymptomatic, continue maintenance supplementation as follows: small dogs, 100 IU of E, 1,250 IU of A, and 2.5 micrograms of selenium. Maintain larger animals at one-fourth of the therapeutic dose.
Note: Animals who have immune weakness or imbalances will often regress under stress conditions. In such a case, you need to return immediately to the starting treatment protocol.
Vitamin C, pantothenic acid (a B-complex vitamin), and fatty acids represent a simple, inexpensive, and helpful approach. C and pantothenic acid can have a significant effect. They are important immune boosters with the potential to increase resistance to allergens. Allergic response is basically the result of a dysfunctional immune system. Vitamin C and pantothenic acid alone generate good results fairly quickly in about 30 percent of cases. If you don’t see improvement in a week, this approach is not going to have any major benefits. If response is good, reduce the dose and frequency to the lowest effective level. Vitamin C can be given in any form, although I like nonacidic sodium or calcium ascorbate in the powder form.
Omega-3 fatty acids are well documented in veterinary research literature to help against skin-related allergies by promoting the production of natural anti-inflammatory substances in the body. I use Opticoat II, made by Natural Animal Nutrition (800-548-2899), as my fatty acid supplement. It contains flaxseed oil, marine lipids, and vitamin E and will control allergic dermatitis in 10 percent of cases. About half of the time, this product allows me to cut back on other therapies.
Vitamin C: Give in divided doses with food. Small dogs, up to 500 milligrams daily; medium dogs, up to 1,000 milligrams; large dogs, up to 1,500 milligrams; giant breeds, up to 2,000 milligrams.
Pantothenic acid: Give with food two to three times daily. Small dogs, 100 to 200 milligrams each time; medium dogs, 200 to 300 milligrams; large dogs, 300 to 400 milligrams; giant breeds, 500 milligrams.
Opticoat II: Follow label instructions.
In combating skin problems, a plant-based digestive enzyme supplement for pets is very beneficial. Add it directly into the food. The enzymes improve nutritional absorption. Older or sickly animals are very often deficient in digestive enzymes. Supplementation benefits the entire system, including the skin.
I also recommend a good nutritional supplement with trace minerals because the soil we grow our food in is often deficient in minerals. Minerals are the building materials of strong bones, tissue, teeth, nails, and hair coat. Along with the major minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, there are dozens of other lesser-known elements—needed in tiny, trace amounts—that are important for health. Mineral deficiencies are involved in many common disorders. I reached this conclusion through the simple step of supplementing the diets of animals with natural products containing seventy or so different minerals. Supplementation with minerals is highly beneficial. Within a six-month period I usually see the following results:
Improvement in general health.
Darker, thicker hair coat with increased luster.
Reduced scratching.
Reduced flakiness.
Better maintenance of body weight with reduced caloric intake.
In geriatric dogs, increased activity and improved condition of hair coat.
Animals plagued by fleas appear to be less attractive to insects. You can see that effect usually within a few weeks.
Many of my clients supplement enzymes and trace minerals for both healing and general prevention. I recommend a palatable product called Power for Life, made by Terra Oceana (805-563-2634), which contains an effective array of enzymes, nutrients, and trace minerals. When dealing with a skin problem, use the enzymes and minerals therapeutically for seven days straight and check for progress. If you don’t see improvement by that time, continue the supplements but switch your animal to a simple diet such as cottage cheese and potatoes. If you start seeing improvement, then start adding back individual foods, a single food a week at a time (see Plechner’s add-back plan in the food allergies section). If that approach doesn’t work, you probably need to look at imbalances in the animal’s hormonal system (see chapter 16).
Over the years dry, itchy, scaly skin has often been treated with fatty acid supplements. Fatty acids can indeed help the quality of the skin and hair coat if there is a deficiency, which is, in fact, fairly common. However, food allergies, deficiencies in digestive enzymes, and imbalances in hormones can also often create this same unhealthy skin condition. And if there is an enzyme deficiency or imbalance, the fatty acids may not become absorbed and reach the skin. Instead they bind with minerals and fat-soluble vitamins and go out with the stool.
Power for Life: Follow label instructions.
If an animal has dry skin with obvious signs of flaky dandruff, I recommend fish oil capsules. You can purchase them in most grocery, drug, or health food stores.
1 to 4 capsules daily, depending on size of dog. Prick capsules and squeeze contents onto food or give to animal directly.
A stabilized oxygen spray product called Earth Bounty Oxy Mist from Matrix Health Products (800-736-5609) works very well for hot spots. This is a human product available in health food stores. You can spray it on the most purulent drippy sores, the kind where the animal doesn’t want you to touch it.
Relief is rapid. Animals often will stop licking or chewing the sore by the end of the first day. Within two to four days you will see substantial healing under way.
For long-haired animals, first trim the long hairs hanging down into the sore. There is no need to do this with short-haired animals.
I previously used calendula topical sprays for this problem and found that they worked better than most commercial veterinary sprays (such as cortisone). But the oxygen spray provides even more rapid and effective relief.
Spray sores three times daily.
For raw or hot spots, or wounds of any kind, I suggest Healing Oil, a formula I developed with the homeopathic remedies Urtica urens, Symphytum, Calendula, Hypericum, and Arnica in a base of extra-virgin olive oil, plus lavender, chamomile, and geranium oils. The product is available through Good Communications at 800-968-1738. The oil is applied directly to the affected area of the skin. It helps to clean the wound and speed the healing process. I also use it for “dirty” ears and minor ear conditions.
Follow label instructions.
For skin flare-ups and hot spots, I have had good success with a double-barreled inside-outside approach.
First, to soothe skin irritations and help stop the scratching and lick cycle, apply a wet, warm black teabag on the affected spot. This acts in place of a cortisone cream. The tannic acids in the teabag ooze onto the skin and have a soothing, itch-relieving effect. Hold the bag to the skin for four or five minutes. Do this twice daily for three days. It is very effective.
Following the teabag treatments, apply aloe vera gel, either fresh from an opened leaf or from a purchased gel. Aloe speeds the healing process.
Any of the following products can help break the scratch cycle from the inside by strengthening your animal’s immune system and increasing the ability to eliminate toxins. Choose one or a combination of these recommendations. When the animal stops scratching, and sore spots on the skin begin to heal and dry over, this is an indication that the itching is gone. At this point, the remedies can usually be reduced or discontinued.
Vitamin B6, a natural antihistamine.
Scratch Free, made by Dr. Goodpet (800-222-9932); or Skin and Seborrhea, by Homeopet (800-423-2256). These liquid combination homeopathic remedies work quickly, particularly on acute irritations that cause animals to be very uncomfortable and irritable.
Rhus tox, a homeopathic remedy, for extremely irritated, red, and itchy skin.
Kai Yeung, a Chinese herb, for clearing up chronic dermatitis marked by continuous irritation and either dry, flaking skin or skin clogged with a greasy material (seborrhea). The herb is available through Asia Herbs (415-989-9268).
For general health and to give the skin extra nourishment, I suggest the regular use of a good multiple vitamin, mineral, and fatty acid supplement. My own formula, Daily Health Nuggets, is available through Earth Animal (800-711-2292).
Vitamin B6: Small and medium dogs, 25 milligrams twice daily with food; larger dogs, 50 milligrams twice daily. Give for seven to ten days and then reduce dosage or eliminate as condition improves.
Scratch Free or Skin and Seborrhea: Give 3 times daily for three to four days. Small dogs, 7 drops; medium dogs, 10 drops; larger dogs, 12 drops. When incessant scratching has subsided and animal is calmer, give same number of drops twice a day for seven to ten more days. Then discontinue. Follow this procedure for any future flare-ups.
Rhus tox 6X: Small and medium dogs, 1 pellet; larger dogs, 2 to 3 pellets. Give twice daily or as often as every two to three hours until you see improved appearance and less itching, usually by the end of the first day. Continue for one week.
Kai Yeung: Small and medium dogs, 1 caplet; larger dogs, 2 caplets. Give daily for three to four weeks or until symptoms abate. Reduce the dosage by half for the following month. Then discontinue.
Daily Health Nuggets: Follow label instructions.
For animals with dry, scaly, and itchy skin and poor hair coat, I recommend two helpful products. They can be used by themselves or, as I prefer, in combination. One is Skin & Hair for Dogs, a liquid blend of herbs and flower essences made by Tasha’s Herbs (800-315-0142). This formula helps to remove toxins and stimulate a healthy exterior. It contains burdock root, red clover, nettles, yellow dock, and red raspberry leaf.
The other product is Missing Link, made by Designing Health (800-774-7387), a whole-food nutritional supplement supplying important nutrients and enzymes for better skin and digestion.
Follow label instructions.
For a great antiseptic shampoo—that both kills fleas and soothes irritated skin—try this simple approach:
Add 10 drops of tea tree oil and 1 tablespoon of aloe vera into an 8-ounce bottle of your regular pet shampoo. Then, separately, add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 pint of water.
Shampoo the animal as normal and let the shampoo stand for six to ten minutes. Rinse off well.
Then rinse again with the apple cider-spiked water. The purpose of this is to restore the natural pH of the skin. Dogs and cats have a slightly acidic skin. Most shampoos are somewhat alkaline. This difference many times leaves animals with irritated and itchy skin after shampooing. Rinsing with an apple cider vinegar solution after a shampoo often eliminates the problem.
(See section on food allergies.)
For many years I have recommended a home-prepared meal that helps nourish and heal problem skin. Be sure that your animal is not sensitive to any of the contents. After a month on this diet, there is usually great improvement.
Ingredients:
3 cups brown rice
2 cups barley
2 cups carrots
2 cups beets
1 cup beet tops
1 cup spinach
2 cups chicken livers or giblets
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sage
8 to 12 cups water
Directions: Combine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 1/4 hours. Keep pot covered; stir every 15 minutes, and add water if needed. Using this diet, feed the quantity of food that was previously being fed.
An interesting case involved two dogs living in the same household. One of the animals was a puppy eating puppy kibble. The young dog had no scratching problem. The other animal was an older dog, eating regular kibble and scratching continually. The owner told me that one day he ran out of the adult kibble and began feeding the puppy food to both dogs. Soon thereafter the older dog stopped scratching.
Coincidence? Maybe not.
After hearing similar stories several other times, I suggested to some dog owners that they put their older scratching animals on a puppy chow and see if that works. Often, just changing to the puppy diet alone has worked, even though I like to add a good nutritional supplement program. Puppy diets have more fat than the adult diet, and the addition of more fat in the system may be what is making the difference.