[Pupcake]

Hi all!

My poor dog seems to have developed severe flea dermatitis. I've treated the fleas (I couldn't even find any, but have been told it can take just one bite!), and I think I'm going to take her to the vet anyway, because she's losing so much hair. But, in the meantime, I'm wondering if anyone knows a good, and natural, way to soothe her itchy skin. I want to give her a bath too (she stinks) - but I'm afraid any kind of soap is just going to irritate her more. Any ideas?

[LuvMyMutt]

Well I did some research for you..I foudn this site, which willhelp you read and learna bout the differant types and causes of itching in your pet

Itch and Scratch: Common Skin Problems in Dogs at ThePetCenter.com

Now to help sooth the itching, I found the following, and use some of these myself for my pets

** Dab with milk of magnesia to calm irritated skin.

** Aloe vera from plants and creams. Apply gel directly on the spot. Or dilute with water, put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the spot

** Apply a mixture of baking soda and water to the affected areas. This also helps soothe itchy human skin in case you, too, have a sting, rash or poison ivy.

Seasonal dermatitis or summer eczema: For this condition involving itchy skin and red eruptions with secondary bacterial infections as a result of allergies to flowers, grass and tree pollen, Dr. Michael Fox recommends antihistamine medication (and steroids, in severe cases). Anti-flea medicines can worsen pollen-allergy problems by disrupting a dog's immune system. Writes Dr. Fox: "Pollen-allergy eczema can be misdiagnosed as mange, which is caused by skin-burrowing mites, which a routine skin-scraping might or might not reveal. A careful diagnosis is important -- not more flea-killing poisons! Many dogs respond well when their diets are supplemented with honey, preferably locally made, and bee pollen, which is available in health food stores and farmers markets. Use a dosage of 1 teaspoon per 30 pounds of body weight daily in the dog's food."

* To prevent and to treat these and other skin conditions, it is important to build up the affected dog's immune system through healthful high-quality food and supplements such as flaxseed oil. Oatmeal baths help soothe the skin and relieve itching.

You can also try to relieve your pet's itch with calomine lotion or an over the counter spray or lotion corticosteroid I do that with severe itching problems

Sometimes adding vitamins such as vitamin C, Vitamin E, selenium and zinc will help (ask your veterinarian for the correct dose for your dog) or adding one teaspoon of safflower oil to your dog's food daily.

[LuvMyMutt]

oh and for the bath, i would try gentle oatmeal tearless baby shampoo, or something with aloe in it for gentle skin, I use ferret shampoo on my one dog with sensitive dry skin and it seems to work better than the other stuff since ferrets need really gentle stuff. Its aloe ferret shampoo

[LuvMyMutt]

my mother also suggests You can use diluted Murphy's soap to bathe your dog if your dog suffers from dry skin, dander or even some allergies. The Murphy's soap will clean your dog as well as soothe it's skin. Always be sure to rinse the dog well...I'm not sure where you can buy that nowadays though

[QuietMutt]

Thanks for that link and info, Luvmymutt. I think it's going to help lots of us!

[MsMary]

I have had great success using Shea Pet shea butter shampoo with oatmeal. They also make conditioner. I have a 11 yr old lab/dobe that has aweful skin problems and this has worked a charm. i researched the actual shea butter and found out just how great these products are. Check out my article on shea nuts at Pets2Love.blogspot.com I hope your baby gets better. I have some products that may help atDog grooming productsgoogleec233a40538beee6.html

[De-Shedding Service]

I use a salicylic based shampoo to medicate the skin.

I groom dogs in NY and I frequently work with dogs with skin problems
Feel free...