When are allergies not really allergies? And how do you know if your dog’s itchy skin is just because of his food or environment … and not a deep-seated immune issue?
What if you could provide some itchy dog relief in just 30 days? Well, you might be able to with this plan. It works really well for a lot of dogs so give it a try!
This plan is from a holistic vet to help dogs who are just non-stop itchy. If you’ve got a dog like this, you know what it’s like. It can get so bad that there are patches of hair loss … and even the ears can get crusty too.
But if you follow these 3 steps for 30 days you can often get rid of the itch. And you may find out that it isn’t really allergies at all.
3 Steps For Itchy Dog Relief
Here are three simple steps for this itchy dog home remedy. But you need to do it for 30 days … so give it a try.
Step 1. Give A Therapeutic Dose Of Fish Oil
Use a good quality omega-3 oil such as fish oil or another marine oil. Try to avoid using wild fish, krill and squid from the ocean since these choices deplete and kill the oceans at an alarming rate. Instead, we suggest using green lipped mussel oil. It works really well as a replacement and it’s sustainable.
Normally you’d give your dog about 1500 mg of fish oil per 20 pounds of body weight. But in this case, you should double that amount for a therapeutic dose. And if you’re using green lipped mussel oil, just double that dose as well. Then add a good daily squirt of MCT oil (make sure it doesn’t contain lauric acid).
Note: If your dog gets diarrhea or digestive upset from the double dose, cut back to a regular dose and increase gradually.
Again, do this for 30 days.
RELATED: Read about the pros and cons of fish oil for dogs …and some better choices …
STEP 2. Add Soil-Based Probiotics
Give your dog a really high-quality probiotic twice a day. Choose one with hardy probiotics like Bacillus subtilis that can easily survive the harsh gut environment.
Most probiotics are too fragile to make it through the digestive tract … but soil-based probiotics form a protective spore to survive the stomach acids and make it to the colon where they can start working.
Give this type of probiotic twice daily for 30 days.
RELATED: Get itch relief with soil-based probiotics for dogs …
STEP 3. Shampoo Your Dog
You need to shampoo your dog … a lot. For the first week, bathe your dog every two days or so. After that, you can move on to every third or fourth day. Gradually increase the amount of time in between baths.
But if your dog gets itchier again at any point, just pop him right into the tub for a bath.
The quality of the shampoo really matters here. You want a certified organic, completely natural shampoo … with no harmful ingredients. A good natural shampoo should lather up and rinse out really easily.
You can also try an enzymatic shampoo … but natural products are best because they’re free of chemicals.
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How Does The 30-Day Itchy Dog Relief Plan Work?
After 30 days, most dogs will see a huge, and usually a complete reduction in allergy symptoms.
So you’re asking, how does something that’s so easy work so well? Let’s look at the 3 steps and how they help control your dog’s itching.
Fight Inflammation
First of all, omega-3 fats are very anti-inflammatory. A lot of the time, itchy skin is just inflammation and not allergies. Adding a good amount of fats to the diet will help calm inflamed, itchy skin.
But you have to be careful with fish oil because too much EPA from marine oils like fish oil can cause bleeding disorders. So if your dog has a history of bleeding problems, then you might want to check with your vet … or use green lipped mussel oil, which contains other anti-inflammatory fats, not just EPA.
Strengthen The Gut
When you support your dog’s gut health, you also help manage inflammation. So this is why this itchy dog relief plan includes giving your dog probiotics. Dogs with unbalanced or leaky guts can produce less of the enzyme that breaks down histamine, which is a major cause of itchy skin. So double up on the probiotics for 30 days to help rebuild a healthy gut.
And you want to avoid giving your dog fermented foods because they can be high in histamines.
Eliminate Allergy Triggers
And finally, let’s talk about bathing. Bathing your dog that frequently is not something you want to do long-term. It can strip natural oils from the coat and interferes with the colonies of bacteria that live on your dog’s skin.
But in this case, a month of frequent bathing will also wash off any allergy triggers that could be sticking to your dog and making him miserable.
So if your dog is struggling with itchy skin, break out the shampoo and start scrubbing … for the next 30 days. Then after that, you can go back to your dog’s normal bath schedule.
Thirty days is all you have to invest to get some itchy dog relief. After a month, you should have a healthier, happier itch-free dog.
