Tired of hearing that constant thumping of your dog’s elbow or jingle of their pet collar? Your dog is trying to tell you that it has a terrible itch. If you see your dog scratching constantly but there is no sign of fleas or ticks, then it is likely you are dealing with dog dry skin or dog skin allergies. In either case, we are going to study some easy dog skin allergies home remedies that can help your pet.
1. Start with a bath
No matter what the cause of your dog’s skin itch: start with a bath. A good bath with the right products will help remove parasites, pollen, and dander and dust that may be responsible for the dog dry skin and allergies. Use a PH balanced, vet approved dog shampoo; never ever use human shampoos no matter how mild or herbal, as they can harm the dog’s skin. If you dog has fleas or ticks, give her a cool water bath with a vet approved flea/tick shampoo. Use a flea powder or spray and continue treating her for fleas once a month. Don’t overdo the bathing if your dog has extremely dry skin or dandruff. Use a lemon juice or vinegar wash to counter it.
2. Use oatmeal
Add colloidal oatmeal to your dog’s bath. Oatmeal is a wonderful dog dry skin home remedy and you can use products like Aveeno containing oatmeal in the bath water for the pet to soak in for 10 minutes.
3. Add lavender oil
Lavender oil is very soothing and can calm the dog itch. Add a few drops of Lavender oil to the final rinse of the bath and see the difference.
4. Epsom salts
Add some Epsom salts to your pet’s bath water and soak your pet in it. This is a surefire remedy to soothe the itch.
5. Get rid of fleas and ticks
You might think that your dog has no fleas but is still scratching. Fleas and ticks can be extremely deceptive. They are very good at hiding and you may have treated your dog a month or two ago but most flea and tick products become ineffective within this time. Also, simply treating the dog is not enough; you must also treat its environment. And that means vacuuming, cleaning, washing and repeating this cycle weekly. You must also trim your grass and treat your yard with flea products. This is one of the most important of all dog skin allergies treatment for flea allergy dermatitis.
Related Content: Easy Ways to Get Rid of Fleas
6. Clean the air
If you dog does have dog skin allergies, you must avoid taking her outdoors when the pollen count is high. You must also use an air conditioner having a HEPA filter. Do not forget to wipe down counters, tables, and other areas where pollen and dust tends to accumulate. Replace your furnace and air conditioner filters from time to time to prevent dog skin allergies.
7. Change your dog’s diet
It might seem unlikely, but dogs could develop an allergy to certain ingredients in their food. Alternatively, if you have recently changed your dog’s food, you may want to read the ingredient list to ensure your dog skin allergy is not attributed to any of them. Many dogs are allergic to gluten so you must consult your vet to rule out that possibility. If your pet is allergic, you may want to switch to a gluten free, grain free food or try feeding it raw meat. You can feed her vegetables, chicken, duck, or salmon and see if the itching goes away. Never change the diet too suddenly-rather, do it in stages so your dog does not suffer from diarrhea.
8. Add Omega 3 essential fatty acids
Essential fatty acids like Omega 3 are the best dog dry skin remedy especially in winters. However, you need to give your dog these supplements for at least 4-6 weeks to see results. Talk to your vet about adding some salmon oil to her kibble. Also you can increase your pet’s intake of fish.
9. Divert the pet’s attention
Sometimes, dogs like to chew or lick on a particular spot when they want your attention. In such a case, you can give her a rawhide bone or a chew toy to divert its attention.
10. Ensure there are no cuts or nicks
Many times, dogs chew on their paws when they have cuts or nicks. Have these examined by the vet who might prescribe over the counter aluminum hydroxide preparation or an antibiotic ointment to heal them quickly. Likewise, dogs chewing or licking a spot continuously on the paws may indicate a thorn or burr stuck in it. Remove the object with a pair of tweezers.
11. Spritz some witch hazel spray
Witch hazel is a natural astringent and helps soothe and heal dog dry skin and other allergies.
12. Coconut oil
One of the best remedy for dog itchy skin, coconut oil soothes and heals. It is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal and helps hydrate the dry skin giving much needed relief.
13. Apple cider vinegar
Do not apply apple cider vinegar on open wounds or irritated skin. Make a 50:50 solution of ACV with water and spray over th dog’s itchy skin. One of the best dog itching remedies, apple cider vinegar is particularly useful in case of yeast, mold and other issues.
14. Give an antihistamine
Dog itching? Benadryl is one of the best antihistamines for dog scratching but having no fleas or ticks. This is a remedy to fight only the symptoms so you will still need to determine the root cause of the dog skin allergies for permanent resolution.
15. Exercise your pet
For itchy dogs that scratch all night, a bout of exercise for 30 minutes or more can help.
16. Trim the fur
For dogs with tons of hair, you may want to trim the extra a bit in order to take a closer look at its itchy ‘hot spots’. Trim gently using an electric trimmer and take a look as to what is happening on the skin. Be careful not to trim or scrape the skin and bring the issues to your vet’s attention.
If these 16 easy ways of dog skin allergies treatment do not work, then see your vet immediately.