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There are many natural remedies to relieve your dog's itchy skin until you find his problem (nutrition, allergies, fleas, mange). All natural products are just safer for your pet. There are several types of remedies, from salves to bathes, to help alleviate your dog's scratching.
Topical Salves: Immediate Relief of Dog Itching
- Calendula extract: anti-bacterial agent that also has quick, soothing relief to irritated skin. Use up to twice a day to help alleviate your dog's itchy skin.
- Flowers of sulfur: mild anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent that also helps relieve itching. Mix with oil (like vegetable oil) and rub gently into coat.
- Tea tree oil: a powerful anti-septic and anti-fungal agent which does not irritate the skin. Mix with water in a spray bottle, shake, and apply to coat. Helps control itching for 8 to 10 hours.
Baths: Complete Body Help For An Itchy Dog
Using a colloidal oatmeal shampoo with cool to lukewarm water once a week helps immensely to stop dog scratching. Make sure you leave the shampoo on for around 10 minutes and then rinse well. If your dog is still itching severely, bathe him twice a week.
Bathing Tips:
- Shampoo residue can be a cause of dog itchy skin. Always make sure to rinse your dog well after any bathing.
- As long as you are using the correct kind of dog shampoo for your dog's skin type, frequent bathes will not dry out his skin.
- Do not use a hair dryer on a heat setting, this will further irritate the skin.
- Pat dry with towel, do not rub, this will only irritate the skin more.
Brushing: For A Healthy Coat
Brushing stimulates the hair follicles to produce more oil. It also helps to spread the oil along your dog's coat. However, make sure to brush gently and not pull at any tangles or matts as this will aggravate the skin.
If your dog has itchy skin due to seasonal allergens (pollen) then daily brushing will help greatly in reducing his allergy symptoms. Brushing your dog will help remove some of the pollen that collects in their coat.
Nutrition: Cure Dog Itching From The Inside Out
Nutrition plays a huge part in eliminating and preventing dog itchy skin. Improper nutrition leads to a frazzled immune system, which leads to all sorts of problems, from not being able to fight mange to increased allergy symptoms. And if you feed your dog regular commercial dog food, he very well might not be getting the nutrition he so desperately needs. But there are supplements for overall health and ones targeted for your dog's skin that you can add to your dog food to cure your dog's itchy skin once and for all.
- Multi-Vitamins: supplements to ensure your dog is getting essential vitamins, minerals, and enzymes for a healthy immune system.
- Fish oil: fish oil contains both omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids (EFA)and are great for the coat. Omega-3 also helps reduce inflammation.
- Canola/Olive oil: canola and olive oils also contain both omega-3 and omega-6 EFA and helps to reduce inflammation. NOTE: be careful if using vegetable oil - look to see if it is made from soy - soy can cause allergy symptoms in dogs, binds to nutrients making them unavailable to the dogs, and can be a prime trigger for dog gas, unlike canola or olive oils.
Add oil and/or multi-vitamins to food. Remember, oil is high in calories (around 120 calories/Tablespoon) so adjust the amount of dog food accordingly, so your dog isn't getting too many calories.
Bottom Line: You CAN Help Your Dog Stop Scratching
These natural remedies, with the exception of nutrition, only bring temporary relief to your dog's itchy skin. You need to find and correct the underlying problem (nutrition, allergies, mange, fleas, emotional) causing the itching and scratching to permanently stop dog itching.
But don't worry, you CAN find the problem and you CAN put an end to your dog's troublesome itching. It just takes a little time.
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