Need Advice For Dog Itch Problem

[Norse]

Every year at about this time, when the summer turns hot and humid, our dog (a black lab/border collie mix who looks mostly like a lab) starts itching all over almost non-stop and licking/biting anywhere she can reach but mostly her front legs. In the past, only prednisone has provided her with relief. Last winter though we almost lost her to liver failure. She recovered amazingly well and has been on an-all natural diet vet-approved diet ever since.

Because of the switch to all-natural, we were really hoping she could avoid the problem this year, but no such luck. Because of her liver issue, the vet does not want to treat her with steriods and thus she is only getting Benadryl. This helps only a little and she still is in a lot of discomfort. The vet also suggested a topical spray for hot-spots, but really, she itches all over and that might only help with her legs.

Any other ideas?

[Biciclista]

are fleas involved?

[OakLeaf]

"All-natural" food isn't necessarily hypoallergenic. Is it free of corn, wheat and soy products? There's a concept called "allergic load" that says that the more allergens someone's exposed to, the worse they'll react to all of them - so even if the food doesn't bother her year-round, it could be contributing to a reaction to airborne allergens.

You might try Chlorpheniramine maleate (the yellow pills, Chlor-Trimeton) instead of Benadryl. It's safe for dogs, but you should ask your vet about dosage. My personal experience as well as that of my dogs is that Benadryl is good for making someone drowsy, but it doesn't help much with reactions to pollens and molds.

It couldn't hurt to try homeopathic treatment for weed pollens and molds, too. If it doesn't work, all you're out is the cost of the medicine - no side effects, no drug interactions.

[TsPoet]

It couldn't hurt to try homeopathic treatment for weed pollens and molds, too. If it doesn't work, all you're out is the cost of the medicine - no side effects, no drug interactions.

Homeopathic treatments have as many side effects and drug interactions as "drugs" do. They are chemicals, just like the processed drugs, and since they aren't purified the way the manufactured are, they can have more interactions and more side effects. They are also often given at higher doses, which again increases the possibility of adverse outcomes.
Don't get me wrong, I was going to suggest something along that line, just don't be fooled into thinking homeopathic treatments aren't drugs, they are.
I wonder if there isn't something topical to try - especially something homeopathic. I'll see if I can ask one of my vet friends, I have one that does homeopathy with her own dogs.

[spazzdog]

How about a nice oatmeal bath... when my dog was itchy I got some of that all natural oatmeal shampoo (for dogs).

It helped and he smelled fresh & clean.

spazz

[Tri Girl]

My golden has the same issues. This time of year he can't stop himself from scratching and biting his skin off- he's just allergic to the grass or something. Our vet recommended some expensive allergy drugs. I didn't like that idea. I have a friend who's a vet and he said to try fish oil capsules. They've helped my pup, and he doesn't scratch or bite nearly as much. It's not gone altogether, but it's much better. I don't know why it works, but it seems to.
I've also used Seba-Hex shampoo for dogs (not natural, tho and it's a prescription shampoo) and it helped with his itchiness.

[OakLeaf]

Homeopathic treatments have as many side effects and drug interactions as "drugs" do. They are chemicals, just like the processed drugs, and since they aren't purified the way the manufactured are, they can have more interactions and more side effects. They are also often given at higher doses, which again increases the possibility of adverse outcomes.

Nep, nep, nep. Maybe you're confusing "herbal" vs. "homeopathic."

Homeopathic treatments, by definition, are given at minuscule doses. When a homeopathic remedy is labeled, say, 6C, it's a dilution of 1:1,000,000,000,000. The extreme dilution is actually the criticism that allopathic practitioners most commonly raise against homeopathic theory. For the same reason, allopathic practitioners and the FDA recognize that homeopathic treatments have no drug interactions and no side effects (except for the possibility that a patient is extremely sensitive or allergic to the base, most commonly lactose tablets).

Standard allergy immunotherapy is a form of homeopathy (or technically, homotoxicology). OTC homeopathic allergy treatments work exactly the same way, except that the dosage isn't titrated to the patient.

Homeopathic treatments are purified as carefully as pharmaceuticals and regulated by the FDA under the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.



WRT the potential trigger: pine, like almost all trees, pollinates in the spring. In most of the northern hemisphere it's weed season - ragweed, lamb's quarters, pigweed, etc. - and molds may be high, too. Two of my dogs were very sensitive to weed pollens.

[Biciclista]

NEP?
yeah i was wondering about that. Homeopathic doses are SO TINY!

Nep, nep, nep. Maybe you're confusing "herbal" vs. "homeopathic."
.

[TsPoet]

Homeopathic treatments are purified as carefully as pharmaceuticals and regulated by the FDA under the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.
.

Nope, FDA does nothing with homeopathy. Unless you mean the truth in labeling attempts - ie what's in the bottle is supposed to be on the label. Over the counter drugs, as well as prescription drugs, have to undergo the safety and efficacy testing. The FDA has decided that the dilutions make the compounds so ineffective they also won't be toxic. They'll change that after someone is seriously injured or dies.
The immunotherapy aspect is the only one where homeopathy might work, since the immune system will magnify the effects, but I've never heard of that stated before you did. Then I read what you said again - and the immunotherapy theory doesn't apply to other processes, so it isn't an argument for homeopathy working - except via the same mechanism.