Stop the Itching!

Hello. I have a 2 yr old St. Bernard/Great Pyrenees who has skin allergies. I have been researching things to help him. Through researching things to help my Mom's skin heal from radiation treatments, I found a lot of information on emu oil, which in turn was mentioned for helping animals. I am waiting on an order to come in, so I haven't used it just yet. I have myself used a soap with emu oil in it and my dry, itchy, "winter" legs are getting better and better. It's a natural product and has specifically been mentioned for helping skin conditions, flea bite allergies, hot spots, etc., etc.
Here is a link to the site that I've ordered from:
http://www.uniquelyemu.com
They've been very helpful in answering my questions. The emu oil comes from organically raised emus, so there are no steroids, hormones etc. added to them. I can't wait to try it. I've seen a difference in my itchy skin from just using the soap, so I figuire it can't hurt because it's natural. It's not a medication, so it won't be harmful if she does injest it. ("Safe for pets to ingest so you don't have to worry about it causing a problem if they lick it after it's put on. Also helps to promote a healthy coat." From a website I've looked at.)
AND I also agree with Joanna about diet. I'm researching ways to change his diet to a more natural one, to be beneficial for his breed and size and overall health.
AND Beaglepawz had a great suggestion about wiping off her paws after being outside. I never thought about that until I read an article on "being green" not too long ago. It said to wipe your pets paws off after being outside because of pesticides and of course dirt, etc. that they can bring in. It protects them, you, and also keeps your carpets cleaner. It's win-win for everyone!
Good luck! I know how frustrating it is to try and help your baby and nothing works! I'm hopeing that the emu oil is the ticket for Manitou! I'll try to give you an update once we start using it!

First off, it's a shame the shots didn't work. It took several years of allergy shots I gave at home for her to develop immunity. Your dog is probably recting to mold and pollen from this time of year. It can be helpful to wipe her off with a doggie wipe - including the paws - when she comes in. This will help reduce the allergens on her. talke with your vet as she may benefit from Benedryl or another antihistamine this time of year.

My setter has allergies as well, and while I am trying to find a food that helps, in the mean time I most frequently use an aloe spray that I get through a local health food store. of all the things I've tried, I have found this to be the best for temporary relief and it takes affect quickly.

So sorry to hear your girl is miserable with allergies!

Even though she has environmental allergies, I would highly recommend you put her on a completely natural diet. Just as in people, the junk food that passes for "dog food" nowadays (grocery brands, Beneful, Pedigree, Kibbles n' Bits, most Purina and Iams) is full of ingredients dogs were never designed to eat and make their bodies cope with processing. The task of trying to flush toxins from her body that were introduced by way of food can and will make your dog more susceptible to outside irritants.

Now, I'm not saying that a good diet will heal cancer or reverse Alzheimer's. But I am saying this - check out "The Great Physician's Rx for Health and Wellness" by Jordan Rubin. It is a phenomenal book, completely truthful and from personal experience. Everything in that book can be applied to the food we feed our animals, because for hundreds of years, until the last century even, animals were fed natural scraps from the table and thrived on them.

As an added note, by father-in-law, just turned 50 last July, was diagnosed 3 years back with Crohn's disease (a disease of the bowel and intestine system that shuts down your ability to absorb the food nutrients you eat). He went from being in alright health, though a bit overweight, and looking like a typical 50-year old to losing 50 pounds and being hospitalized. He was nearly skin and bones and his doctor put him on "medicine" to cure his disease. Well, it kind of helped his disease, but it changed his personality and made him feel constantly sick, because the "medicine" was poisoning every other area of his body.

He finally, 2 months ago, at the recommendation of a natural health physician, started a clean slate in his life, eating nothing but organically grown vegetables, breads, and meats. I cannot believe the man I see today is the same man I saw last August on his deathbed. He looks like he's in his 30s, is luminous, happy and calm, and has so much energy it puts me, a 24-year old, to shame. He is lean and trim and simply doesn't at all resemble the worn-out grandfather I've been used to seeing. And he's done NOTHING but changed what he puts in his mouth.

I share all of this because not only do I believe in my heart that diet is the factor upon which all life functions, good or (as greatly evident in America) bad, but that food is here for you to THRIVE on, not SURVIVE on.

Look up some information about natural dog food and the wonderful things it can do for your dog's health. The most typical results of a natural diet are healthy skin, gums and eyes, a full and clean coat, lack of typical "dog" breath, less poop and firmer stools - but most of all, your dog is guaranteed to be healthy and happy.

Here is a good website of facts concerning raw food, its overwhelming health benefits, and why its best concerning your pet's natural physiology:
http://www.companionnaturalpetfood.com

I wish you the best of luck for you and your dog!