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Dog Skin Irritations
Eliminate dog skin irritations from the inside out.
Strengthening your dog's immune system is the key to reducing skin problems in your dog!
This page looks at some of the things that we can do to strengthen our dog's immune system so that she is less prone to develop skin problems. **For specific information on different common dog skin irritations, follow these links:**
There are many different things that can cause skin irritations in dogs. Poor dog skin conditions can cause a great deal of discomfort and stress to our dog. It is important therefore that we do everything we can to eliminate the factors that may cause our dog skin irritations.
Just like our skin, a dog's skin has great responsibilities: it protects the body from outside toxins, germs, hazards, etc., and it also helps eliminate wastes and toxins from inside the body.Many holistic veterinarians stress the importance of caring for the skin from the "inside" as well as the "outside". If a dog is healthy, has a strong and balanced immune system, he is less prone to develop skin irritations. According to homeopathic theory, diseases always manifest themselves from the outside first. Simply put, if there is something wrong with a dog (or other animals for that matter), usually we will first notice something wrong with his skin. For example, he will develop itchy skin, or suffer from hair loss, or his coat will become dull or dry. It follows therefore that if we want our dog to have a nice coat, we have to make sure that his "inside" is nice and healthy as well. Another implication to this theory is that, when our dog develops skin problems, we should not use drugs to just suppress the local skin symptoms, for by so doing, we are overlooking the "big picture" - we are not dealing with the truly dangerous underlying chronic health problem that is festering inside. Also, most certainly the localized dog skin irritations will re-surface in the future, usually in a more nasty way. Top
Eliminating Dog Skin Irritations from the Inside Out
So what can we do to care for our dog's skin from the "inside"? How can we eliminate the causes of dog skin irritations? Here are some suggestions:- Diet
Feed our dogs natural, nutritious, preferably home-made diets, with vitamins and supplements. In particular, supplements such as fatty acids and probiotics are essential in keeping our dogs' skin healthy. - Avoid using chemicals on our dogs and their living environments
I am surprised to see people are still using such products as flea collars or dips on dogs although it has been proven that such products contain toxic chemicals that are not safe for dogs, people and the environment. Fleas and other parasites can be controlled in other safer and environmentally-friendly ways. Visit our page on natural flea control for more information. - Allow our dogs to live stress-free
This is one aspect that many people tend to overlook. Stressed dogs are prone to develop dog skin irritations. The bad news is, dogs are very sensitive to the emotional feelings around them. They can sense our feelings and they empathize with us. If we feel stressed, they feel stressed. If we are sad, they look and feel sad! If there is tension and hostile feeling in the room, they can pick that up too! Also, loneliness, boredom, and lack of exercise will also cause stress to our dogs. The bottom line? Lead a stress-free life ourselves and our dogs will be stress-free too! - Use herbs as dietary supplements
Certain herbs are very effective in activating specific organ systems, or balancing the immune system. Feed herbs to our dogs regularly can make them stronger and more resistant to diseases. As a result, they will have a healthy, shiny and soft coat that makes you proud! Enchinacea is effective in balancing the immune system. You can feed a tincture of the herb to your dog as a supplement. A low-dose, on/off cycle is recommended. (For example, 3 weeks on / 1 week off). Culinary herbs such as oregano, thyme, cayenne, turmeric, and cumin are very good herbs that can keep your dog's organ systems healthy. Simply sprinkle the dried herbs on your dog's food and let them do the job! - Use herbs for detoxification
Just like us, dogs have to be "detoxed" as well. A very good and safe herb that can be used for detoxification is burdock root. It helps remove toxins from the body, and it also counteracts dry skin. Dried burdock root can be sprinkled on your dog's food for this purpose.
As you can see, there are numerous simple ways that we can do to help our dogs build up their stamina and boost their immune system so that they are less susceptible to skin problems. In the unfortunate event that our dogs develop skin diseases, I do believe that we can still use milder, more natural, and less intrusive ways to deal with the problems. Be sure to read more about different supplements that can benefit your dog's skin!
References
D. Hamilton, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs (North Atlantic Books, 1999).
R. Kidd, Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Dog Care (Storey Publishing, 2000).
Pitcairn & Pitcairn, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (Rodale, 2005).
M.L. Wulff-Tilford and G.L. Tilford, Herbs for Pets (Bowtie Press, 1999).
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