Fleas, fox tails and allergies, oh my

 Happy Holidays!!!

 

Well, this week Cici and I had a scary emergency and yesterday she had to have surgery. She has been itching again and I have not seen any fleas. But apparently there have been some. Maybe they are invisible? Well, she was scratching a lot and rolling on her back a lot, even on the concrete. And then she got all splotchy and blotchy and doing the zoomies in the house and being completely weird and whacko. She was going NUTS. And then, she scratched up the carpet by the front door. She has NEVER done that in all of the time I’ve had her (7 years!) and at 3 a.m. in the morning I discovered her ear had swollen up. It felt like and looked like the leaf of an aloe vera leaf. I Googled it and found out that she had blood in her ear. Then the blood started seeping out of her ear and forehead. I was distraught and upset and well, you know crazed. I called the vet asap and set up an appointment for surgery. (The best way to drain the blood).

And yesterday morning at 8 am, Cici had her ear  drained of blood. And now she is wearing a cone (for a few weeks) and has sutures in her ear. She looks like an alien. Not sure if you can tell that from the photo below. And she has lots of pills to take in hot dogs (so that is not so bad). Am VERY relieved.

I think what happened was that Cici had a fox tail, one in each ear, a LARGE one in the ear that filled up with blood and when she was scratching and shaking her head, the blood vessels burst and developed into a hematoma. (Read more about a hematoma below).

 

Am VERY thankful for my anipals online, Susan S., Dana, Fifi LeBon Bon, and friends who gave me lots of moral support and one anonymous donor who helped foot the BIG vet bill.

I also want to thank Carie Broecker of Peace of Mind Dog Rescue who helped support with volunteers who drove us to and from the vet as well as picked up medicine for Cici. Ironically, Carie’s cat Betty Boop just had similar surgery as Cici’s, although for a different reason.

http://www.peaceofminddogrescue.org/index.php

 

ALSO, I must mention, and hope that you would like to join me in seeing how we can set up an emergency pet health care system for low income families so that NO animal can be turned away from the medical vet care that they need because of lack of funds of the owner. It was an extremely situation for me as it was but then when the vet tells you that you have to come up with a large amount of cash ASAP, the crisis escalates. Some folks give up their pets to a shelter at that point. Or they post fundraising pleas for donations. All in all it is a VERY humiliating and difficult situation that WE NEED TO CHANGE.  Most of us do not have extra cash, especially when living on a fixed income. If anyone wants to donate for Cici’s vet bill, please paypal us at prmatchmaker at yahoo.com.

 

 

Hematoma

A hematoma is an accumulation of blood under the skin. In the case of the ear this occurs as a result of damage to the ear flap in the pet that shakes its head excessively or scratches at the ear. Those pets with “floppy ears” are more prone to this condition although erect ear dogs and cats are occasionally affected.

The excessive shaking / scratching by the pet is often due to ear canal irritation. This may be due to ear infection (germs or foxtails), ear mites (small bugs that live in the ear canal), allergies (causing “itchy ears”), or fleas (that travel into the ear canal). The self-trauma ruptures the blood vessel inside of the ear flap, causing the blood clot.  This hematoma separates the cartilage from the skin of the ear flap and causes the painful swelling.

If the hematoma is not drained the ear will remain painful for a period of time and then start to scar down on its own. This scarring creates a visible deformity of the ear that is permanent and may lead to future ear complications.

There are numerous treatment approaches that can be used:

1. Aspiration of the hematoma (with a needle & syringe) and bandage of the ear flap for 3-4 weeks. This treatment is the least expensive but also fails 75% of the time. It is considered an “economic alternative” when other methods of repair are not possible.
   
2. Drainage of the blood clot with a local anesthetic and placement of a special plastic drain tube into the ear flap is another method of treatment. A bandage is also used for many weeks (even after the tube is removed). This treatment has a higher success rate than simple aspiration (approx. 50%), is somewhat more expensive, but is also considered an “economic alternative” to recommended treatment.
   
3. Surgical drainage of the hematoma and applying stitches in the ear (utilizing a special foam ear pad) is the recommended treatment for this problem. The sutures actually serve to reattached the skin of the ear back to the cartilage. This allows for better, faster healing and often eliminates the need for a bandage. The success rate is greater than 98% with this treatment method. Two follow-up visits are required over a 3-week period.

Once the pet has had the hematoma corrected surgically it is rare to see a recurrence in the same ear although without thorough treatment of the underlying problem it could occur with the opposite ear flap.

HOME THERAPY MAY CONSIST OF:

1. Administration of oral medication or antibiotics
2. Using medicated ear drops
3. A special plastic collar to prevent further scratching of the ear flap during healing.

 

Beware of fox tails

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/foxtail-grass-and-your-dog

So the moral of this story is KEEP YOUR DOGS and CATS safe and out of the foxtails. Make sure that the fleas stay far away. And if your dog gets allergies in the spring, give them what they need to stop the itching.

 

spread the goo

It is Happy Peanut Butter month and what better way to celebrate than to add a little Healthy Goo to your dog’s life???  Cici is now itch-free and drools at the sight of her Goo. So get a jar, a spoon and get your dog on the Goo today.

Spread a little Goo and Fight Canine Allergies Too

Doggy GOO™ makes the Serious Business of Fighting Canine Allergy Itch Fun ! FUN for You Tasty Treat FUN for your Dog   with 100% Natural, GOO-licious Peanut Butter !   And to celebrate National Peanut Butter Lovers Month, Healthy GOO has a Spread the GOO Promotion with $ 5 Savings on Doggy GOO.

When you Think American, you think Mom, Apple Pie, Hot Dogs, Baseball, Football, NASCAR and of course PB & J ! Found in 75% of American homes, Peanut Butter is as American as it gets. What child or adult, in the gut wrenching ravages of hunger has not grabbed a jar of their favorite peanut butter, their sweet tooth craving jelly, jam or preserve, maybe a little butter and a loaf of bread and hunkered down to make their favorite tasty snack on the planet… PB & J ! To call Peanut Butter a Food is a vast injustice to this humble appetite quenching, protein filled powerhouse. For many, Peanut Butter transcends the definition of a Food. It moves beyond a Snack, to a state of nirvana. Satisfying a craving, what does it better than peanut butter? In 1890, a St. Louis physician suggested processing and packaging ground peanut paste into a nutritious protein substitute.  Now, Top Chefs all over the world have embraced this GOOey substance for its taste, versatility and creative possibilities in some of today’s most innovative dishes! In symbiosis with this Peanut Butter Renaissance, Healthy GOO, an innovative Pet HealthCare Company has embraced 100% Natural Peanut Butter as “The” critical patient compliance ingredient in its Canine Allergy Product, which is Cute & Playfully called Doggy GOO.  DOGs just go Craaaazzy for Peanut Butter. Healthy GOO’s Medical Director and Veterinary Dermatologist Dr Kristin Holm explains why there is a Canine Allergy Fighting Method to its Peanut Butter / Doggy GOO Madness. “We chose 100% Natural Peanut Butter for a number of critical reasons. To begin, DOGs just Luv Peanut Butter, which ensures high “Patient / Dog Compliance” for Doggy GOO’s allergy focus. And because Doggy GOO is regarded as a Tasty Treat by your Dog, Pet Parent compliance is also virtually guaranteed to keep both the Pet and Pet Parent’s GOO Allergy Fight going!” Dr. Kristin further explains, “But there is more to GOO than meets the Dog’s Taste Buds. You see, Peanut Butter was not only chosen for its Tasty Treat appeal, but for its Lick / Lick / Lick GOOey-ness. You see, Doggy GOO employs what is called a Sublingual Delivery methodology in its fight against Canine Allergies. Pet Parents spread a small amount of Doggy GOO onto a clean bowl or plate, so that the Dog has to repeatedly Lick / Lick / Lick up their GOO. But while this is a GOO-Licious Tasty Treat for the Dog, with every GOO Lick, small amounts of Enviro Allergy ingredients are brought into the Dogs mouth, and the mouth is slathered with GOO Juice. It is via this GOO Juice presence to the thin mucosal skin of the Dog’s mouth that the Allergy ingredients are Sublingually absorbed into the bloodstream. It is via this GOO Juice presence, followed by absorption, that the Bio-Availability to the BloodStream begins to leverage the adaptive power of the immune system to build tolerance to these offending allergy sources and begins to work its Allergy Magic. Given Peanut Butter’s critical patient / dog compliance role in Doggy GOO’s Allergy Fight and in Celebration of November Peanut Butter Lovers Month, Healthy GOO offers its Spread the GOO Promotion with a $ 5 Savings ( Promotion Code PB&GOO5 ) toward each Doggy GOO Purchase thru December 5 2011. Please visit www.DoggyGOO.com and enter your GOO Promo Code. Dr Kristin shares ” A Dog’s Healthy Immune System can Fight Off much of what Life Throws at it Everyday. But when it comes to a Mis-Wired Allergy Immune System, Mother Nature can’t do it on her own, she needs a little extra Doggy GOO Re-Calibration Help. Doggy GOO celebrates Peanut Butter for making Fighting Canine Allergies FUN for Pet and Pet Parent.”.         A Dal named Rico drooling (for Goo) or food…   http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/drool6.htm

allergies are nothing to sneeze at

you all know how Cici has been itchy forever… and how I tried to feed her out of it, change her diet… took her to the vet, who gave her toxic pills and a shot and cost an arm, a leg and a foot, how I gave her coconut oil internally and externally and other natural topic remedies including Dr. Harvey’s wonderful herbal protection shampoo…

and although the diet, shampoo and oil are all good, she was still itchy. Much better, but still a bit itchy.

So into the fray of dog itchy madness comes Super Goo… to save my dog…created by a vet, this organic peanut butter with super immune building extracts to get at the root causes of doggie distress… means no more itchy paws, ears, scratching, bumps and misery… could it be true and Goo-berlicious, too?

here is what is going on so far… have to keep the doggie goo refrigerated… try to make it as thin as possible in the bowl and do not feed water or food for a few minutes afterward… this week she is getting two teaspoons of goo a day.

well, the goo is definitely gooey… and it is funny to watch cici lick it off her tongue for several minutes… sticky… at first, she did not want to eat/lick it but I made yummy noises and held the bowl for her and she licked it all up… I guess she trusts me to know what is goo for her LOL… plus I now have a goo song for her… sung to the tune of good vibrations (beach boys) but instead of good vibrations, I sing gooberations…  am picking up gooberations, she’s giving me gooberations… goo goo goo gooberations…

am supposed to be giving her an accelerated protocol, to see how she does, as a gooey pig (similar to a guinea pig)… and this week, we start off slow just to get her used to the goo…

she is much better itchy wise, but still has a little itching going on … what I noticed was that her front paws are no longer all blackish and she does not seem to scratch and lick anywhere near as much as she was doing… so hopefully the goo will take care of the rest of the itches… sounds good to me… what do you think??? here is what the company says….

allergy prone dogs?

ALLERGIES [ Are Nothing to Sneeze AT ]  For Man or DOG !

While Allergies in Man & Dog have been long regarded more as a nuisance, rather than a legitimate “Medical Disease”. More and more everyday, Medical Professionals and Pro-Active Medical Consumers are realizing that ALLERGY is actually an “Engine of Disease”, which drives a progressive sequence of multiple diseases throughout a sufferers life.

Unfortunately, everyday you see the Skin, Health & compromised Quality of Life for You and Your Pet, as the result of ALLERGIES. In fact, it is estimated that up to 25% of all Canine’s suffer from Allergies. Research further supports that some of our most popular Breeds are Genetically Predisposed to an even higher incidence of Allergy.

While many PET Parents move to special FOOD Diets in an effort to mitigate their DOGs constant Itching, Biting, Ear & Skin Issues .. hoping / Thinking them to be FOOD Allergy Driven…

Research indicates that 85% of All ALLERGY Canine’s suffer not from Food Allergy But from Allergy to Tree / Weed / Grass / Pollens, Mites & Mold Spores.

So while special Foods are nutritious and Food rotation is suggested  They do nothing to address / treat the canine’s true Source of Allergy Source i.e. Environmentals.

Friendly Reminder: Whether Man or Animal, Med’s only fool the body into believing that there is No Problem by masking symptoms. Unfortunately, Allergy is Not a Static Disease, rather a lifetime, progressive, cumulative, source of chronic inflammation whose progression continues / exacerbates unabated, only to re-emerge with a vengeance when the med’s wear off.

To address this suffering canine population, under the Veterinary Dermatologist / Medical Director leadership of Dr. Kristin Holm, Healthy GOO is pleased to introduce Doggy GOO !

In addition to Supporting and Balancing the Innate, Acquired & GUT Tier’s of your Dog’s Immune System, Doggy GOO also sublingually builds natural immune system tolerance to everyday Grass / Tree / Weed Pollens, Mites and Mold Spores .

And BEST of ALL, It’s achieved 100% GOO Naturally !

While sounding Cute & Playful, Doggy GOO is All Veterinary Dermatologist BUSINESS !

100% Natural, Scientifically Formulated by Healthy GOO’s Medical Director, Dr. Kristin Holm, a Board-Certified Veterinary Dermatologist.

Clinically-supported beneficial yeast ingredient engages the body’s first line / innate immune defenses with the correct / respective response to a wide range of challenges depending on the need, but it also works together, with the other facets of the dog’s immune system toward optimal immune support, prebiotic sourcing, anti-oxidation and overall health harmonization. As a dried, complex fermentation product comprised of beneficial metabolites, proteins, peptides, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, polyphenols, organic acids, beta-glucans and mannans, it contains the same active ingredient that is found in the human supplement EpiCor™.

Clinically supported, environmental extracts leverage the adaptive capability of the acquired immune tier by Sublingually building Immune System Tolerance to common Environmental Allergens including 3 – Grasses, 3 – Trees, 4 – Weeds, 2 – Dust Mites, 3 – Molds and 2 – Foods ( Beef & Wheat).

Clinically supported, Bacillus coagulans / BC30™ Probiotic displaces undesirable bacteria in the GI tract and regulates the digestive system by successfully colonizing the intestines and producing lactic acid.  This results in an increased response to various pathogen challenges and improved digestibility of nutrients for better absorption.

Suggested Uses include:
1) Pre-Emptively building immune system tolerance to environmental allergy sources in dams, puppies or breeds that are genetically predisposed to atopy;
2) Establishing and building long-term immune tolerance to environmental allergens, allowing eventual discontinuation of short-term immune-suppressive medications; and
3) Establishing and maintaining gastrointestinal tract health, with the added benefits of strengthening the immune system.

Before Cyclosporine, Steroids or Allergy Immunotherapy SHOTs, may we suggest trying 100% natural Doggy GOO™.

The “GOO” in Doggy GOO™ is the best Organic Peanut Butter on today’s “Human” market. And because Doggy GOO is Dog GOO-ilicious, not only is 100% pet compliance ensured, but the PET will make sure that their Owner is also 100% compliant.

Aspects of Doggy GOO are presently patent-pending.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

 

http://DoggyGOO.com

fleas and allergies and bites on dogs, oh my

Cici is still itchy and scratching herself, but after discussing the situation with Dr. Harvey’s office and Dr. Richmond’s office, I’ve been putting coconut oil on her skin and she is loving the taste of it too. I LOVE essential oils but Cici has had strong reactions to them sensitive girl that she is. Coconut oil is supposed to help with itchies and a lot of other situations. Am going to start taking it myself as well. We also got some spirulina. (Read about the health benefits at Dr. Mercola’s website).   I love Dr. Harvey’s herbal protection shampoo, smells yummy and has all good organic ingredients. Cici survived her bath. And she is eating Dr. Harvey’s Canine Health.  Only thing is that yesterday something bit her. And I got bit, too. Do not know what the bites are from. Ugh.

Once she got the hang of it, she LOVED having her belly and chest rubbed with the coconut oil (raw unrefined) and licked it off my fingers, too.  I think we have a winner.

http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/coconut-oil-benefits.html#2

Coconut oil has strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal functions. Coconut oil alleviatesskin allergy symptoms (e.g. itching, dry skin and hair coat) and protects the skin against cancerous growths. When used topically, coconut oil can:

• Disinfect cuts and promote wound healing.
• Improve dogs’ skin and hair condition, making the hair coat smooth and shiny. It can also eliminate the dog’s body odor.
• Clear up numerous skin problems, such as warts, eczema, dandruff, precancerous lesions, ringworm, bites and stings.

an interview with Dr. Annette Richmond, holistic vet in Pacific Grove, California

do you have general suggestions for dogs who are itchy?  what do you look for and/or what should pet owners consider if their dog is constantly itchy, scratching and licking their paws?

Of course check for basic things like fleas first. If none, then I am thinking a food or environmental allergy. So then I always start with looking at the diet. A diet that is NO grain, high quality and easily digestible proteins, preferably organic is what I recommend.

Raw food is the best. Home cooking is terrific too. But if those options don’t appeal to the owner, then the brands I recommend include; Taste of the Wild, Orijen, Wellness, just to name a few.

Eliminating any treats that don’t fall in that category too. Supplementing with fish oils is therapeutic for itchy skin as it is a natural anti-inflammatory.

Use shampoo that contains therapeutic quality lavender oil and chamomile on a weekly basis, a high quality shampoo with oil will not dry out the skin. There are a few homeopathic anti-itch remedies as well.

Environmental allergies are tricky to diagnose, but all the above will help with that too. A blood test is easily performed to check for either food or environmental allergies.

are certain breeds more susceptible to fleas or allergies?

Yes, there are certain breeds affected by skin problems. All the breeds with extra skin folds: English bulldogs, Shar-peis, Mastiffs, and Pugs. Other breeds include: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, and West Highland Terriers.

are allergies seasonal or get worse during hay fever time? do dogs get hay fever? are there plants/grasses that make dogs sneeze and itch?

Some allergies are definitely seasonal for pets, as there are many environmental grasses and trees that make dogs itchy. So if these are in bloom, or growing well, dogs can be adversely affected by them. Dogs usually don’t sneeze like people, but may have inflamed eyes and discharge from the eyes.

how can pet owners prevent or treat fleas and allergies naturally?

Essential oils are a wonderful flea and tick repellent for dogs. Cats are too sensitive to the oils and I don’t recommend them for cats. One product line I carry is Only Natural Pet, they have an oil that is put along the back of the dog once weekly and also a spray to put on anytime the dog is going out. This product line also carries a flea powder that is made of diatomaceous earth which dries up the flea eggs and larva, and also contains essential oils as a repellent (this powder is safe for cats). These types of essential oils are used by humans for the same effect.

best diet/foods for dogs with allergies, sensitivities, digestive issues?

Organic, no grain, high quality protein. I recommend raw food whenever possible. There are many raw food brands. Starting the dog off slowly with just little bits to get them used to it, and supplementing their diet until they eat only raw food is the purest diet that their digestive tract is designed to handle. Raw meats can also be cooked if owners prefer. I also recommend probiotics and digestive enzymes along with the meat.

what do you think about comfortis and over the counter flea treatments? drugs for allergies (steroids)?

I don’t like to use any of the strong flea medications, they do build up in the environment and because there aren’t any long term studies on these products, I don’t feel comfortable recommending them for ongoing treatment. However, if an owner is dealing with a severe infestation, doing one dose after a good bath may be required once in a while. Many general practitioners will give steroids without trying some of these other treatments first. Only in very severe cases is a steroid warranted.

any other thoughts about itchy dogs esp. during summer?

Baths are wonderful with the right type of shampoo that puts good quality oils back onto the skin and all the other things I mentioned above.

About Dr. Richmond

Dr. Annette Richmond graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. She became a certified veterinary acupuncturist through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society which is a world recognized certification program. Dr. Richmond has been integrating acupuncture in to her practice since 1999, and has continued the study of natural medicine, Eastern and Western herbology, homeopathy, flower essences, healthful diets, and nutraceutical support. She incorporates all of these into her natural medicine clinic to treat most common ailments. The clinic also includes a canine and feline physical rehabilitation component helping pets before and after orthopedic and neurologic surgery, pets that suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia and much more.

www.naturalveterinarytherapy.com

some relevant articles written by Dr. Richmond for Canine Coastal Magazine

http://www.naturalveterinarytherapy.com/coastal_canine_magazine_articles

holistic vet for my dog

it was a real fiasco trying to figure out what was wrong with Cici, all the itching and scratching but, after washing Cici in shampoo to wash away the bugs, it made her worse, gave her more bumps and splotches, more itchies, fever, she was a mess, scratching until bleeding, on her face, and I felt terrible. Asked for help to get her to the vet and got advice unlimited instead.

But I was able to get her to this holistic vet late last week and found out that she had a temperature, bugs inside and outside, the vet seemed very thorough and spent time with me unlike the other vet we went to a month ago. And Cici got a shot, some pills, some for me to give her too. She also saw kitty cats and went nutty. And was excited to see all the doggies at the vet plus all the people.

thanks once again to Carie B. for hooking me up with Ashley who drove me to and from, was terrific with Cici, and really helpful in every step of the way.

Am relieved and thankful.  The vet also suggested that I feed Cici a limited grain free diet. She said that no diet, nor topical stuff would solve the issues that she was dealing with. That there are multiple factors going on… diet, rabies shot, seasonal allergies and bugs.

Then on Sunday, she thew up right after I gave her the pills which prompted me to stop the pills until I could talk to the vet. Spoke to the vet hospital and they asked if she was still throwing up. Nope, just that once. I resumed the pills last night with caution. I also read about the anti-flea/bug pill they gave her that lasts once a month. They gave me a six month supply. It’s called Confortis.  After doing research about the potential side effects, seizures and death, am not going to give them to her again.

went to the HOLISTIC Vet because I wanted homeopathic or other non-toxic medicine not drugs with scary side effects. Oh well, she said that she was going to give her a thorough approach to knock the bugs out of her, an antibiotic and an anti-allergy pill. I do not think that she has to have drugs to do that. Garlic has antibiotic naturally, and working on the allergy.

As far as the bugs go, there are a number of essential oils. I just should NOT NOT NOT against MY OWN advice washed her in a people shampoo with peppermint and tea tree oil… duh…

Purification® essential oil blend:  Useful for external parasites, such as fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.

I found a lot of helpful info on the Young Living Essential Oils blog.

Washing and cleaning wounds:
•    Purification blend is more effective than iodine or hydrogen peroxide.

Allergies to:
•    Environmental-Weed killer, food with chemicals (Effaxaquin very BAD)
•    Apply lavender on the skin if itchy and on the pads of the feet.
•    Cleanse liver with Sulfurzyme, NingXia Red and Power Meal in food.

Calming:
•    Dogs or cats; essential oils can be applied to tips of ears, also on top of head, naval, along with to the bottoms of their feet, petting and diffusing of essential oils.
•    Good oils for calming are:
•    Lavender, Peace and Calming,  RutaVaLa & or Valor.

Calm dog during bath:
•    Put a drop or two of Peace and Calming in the palm of your hands and brush onto the towel, which will be used for drying your pet. Let the pet smell your hands before starting the bath. If needed also add the blend of RutaVala and give your pet a good loving pet right before bathing.

Fear of thunderstorms or 4th of July noise:
•    Use a small amount of Release. followed by Lavender. First rub the oil between hands and let your pet smell it. Gently run hands over the ears, back and legs and with what is left over, rub on pads of feet.

Fleas on family dog allergic reaction causing hot spots:
•    Mix 2 tablespoons carrier oil with 4 to 8 drops of Helichrysum in a spray bottle. Spray the hot spot area twice a day.

May help to get rid of fleas:
•    Use any of the following essential oils and add to the rinse cycle when washing bedding:
•    Peppermint
•    Lemon-Put on collar
•    Purification
•    Eucalyptus
•    Add 2 to 5 drops of any of the above oils to an 8-ounce spray bottle filled with purified water and mist all over their body once a day.
•    Increase to 10 drops in the water after 2 weeks and use as an insect spray.

For more info including how to order, go to essential oils for pets

for summer sunburn, pests, heat, stress relief, for you and your pets, try the essential 7, https://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=209333125769307

itchy dogs don’t have fleas

Apparently it is very common for dogs to have/develop the itchies. Fleas were ruled out by the vet. So I have been doing research about what to do about my itchy dog. Cici suddenly appears to have allergies and has become itchier than normal, chewing and licking on her paws.  Of course, nothing stops her from rolling around in the grass, eating grass.

 

Here’s a photo don’t know if you can see the discoloration on her paw but this is NOT normal for her.  She was sleepy and not being very cooperative about taking the photo so may have to take another one later.

She was eating raw food patties and Paul Newman’s kibble. And we ran out and I got Dogswell kibble. Could that be the culprit?

We are experimenting with her food including giving her Mulligan Stew, canned turkey and chicken. She LOVES the food and so far, she is still itchy, it is only a couple of days on this food though.

A friend recommended Ziwi Peak, which looks great, is from New Zealand and is rather costly.

Am also thinking of going back to feeding her a partly raw diet, with patties from Stella and Chewy’s.

She LOVES Dr. Harvey’s and Honest Kitchen, also pricey.  We have tried Thrive, YUM, and not tried the Keen Thrive is grain free, Keen is low gluten.

Have fed her chicken that I make for myself as well as turkey.  No grains work best for her.

And I even started giving her some Bach Flowers Rescue Remedy drops as well as Raw Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water and Lavendar Essential Oil.

Could be overkill. Am not up for having her do steroids or take an allergy test so that is what we’re doing.

Here’s some articles I found helpful, too.

http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/2009/12/15/skin-deep/

http://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/evr_dg_itch_and_scratch_bite_and_lick