Archive for the 'Pets' Category

A Tail of an Itchy Dog

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

My little black dog, Sunny, has multiple allergies. She itches all year long but usually her antihistamine keeps her somewhat comfortable. A few weeks ago she started to violently chew on her hind quarters and had chewed a large sore on her tail. She already had her antihistamine and it was having no effect.

The first thing I did was to spray her tail and hot spots with a solution of water and tea tree oil (a small spray bottle of water or white vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil.) ***TEA TREE OIL CAN BE TOXIC TO CATS AND OTHER ANIMALS*** Tea tree oil is an excellent antiseptic. Dogs hate the taste of the oil so they are unlikely to lick it off. Sunny didn’t like it at all. I’m sure it did sting, especially on her tail but it stopped her chewing frenzy.

When dogs itch around their mouths and/or rear ends it can indicate a food allergy (where the food goes in and out) so the second thing I did was switch her dog food. I have two other large dogs and three cats so I can’t always afford to buy the higher priced natural pet foods. I usually buy the good kind every second or third time. Sunny had been eating a regular, popular brand I bought at the supermarket when she had this outbreak. Most pet food you buy at the supermarket contains lots of chemicals that are not good for your pet and, in Sunny‘s case, can cause allergies. I switched her to a natural dog food I bought at a pet supply store and left the supermarket food for my other dogs. Within one day I saw a big difference. She still was scratching her back on my newly vacuumed floor leaving a big black hairy mess, but the violent itching from her food allergy was gone.

I was still faced with her general itchiness. I felt bad about giving her so much of the antihistamine that causes drowsiness and gives only partial relief. I decided to give her a baking soda bath. I found a tub that was just big enough for her to fit in, filled it with warm water with about ½ cup of baking soda. (Bigger dog, bigger tub, more baking soda.) She didn’t like the idea at first but once she noticed how good it felt she relaxed and kinda melted into the tub. I let her soak for about 10 minutes while I rubbed the solution deep into her fur. I didn’t rinse so the baking soda would continue to sooth her. Because it was a hot day, I didn’t even dry her. I do this every few days, whenever her itchiness starts to come back.

Now I rarely see her scratching and she is happier, more relaxed and much more comfortable. Her coat is shinny and soft and her hair is growing back in over her hot spots. I no longer have to give her the antihistamine. She and I feel much better now.

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Eliminate Pet Stains and Address Behavioral Problems

Saturday, July 26th, 2008

I have a dog door that leads to my backyard so my dogs and cats have always been good about going outside to do their business, with one exception. My little black dog, Sunny, was afraid to go outside in the rain. If it were raining at night she would pee and poo on a particular spot on my living room carpet. I spent a fortune trying to get rid of the smell with all the “eliminates pet odors” products and repellents I could find, including the kind that has the enzymes that should have neutralized it. She even continued using the same spot after I replaced the carpet and pad. The smell was still in the sub-floor boards.

Dogs have a very strong sense of smell and once the odor is there, it’s an invitation for them to go over and over again in the same spot. I had carpet cleaner that would get rid of the smell for human noses, but Sunny still knew. I had given up thinking the problem would never end. I had the choice of a clean carpet or getting rid of Sunny. I chose, of course, to keep Sunny. I finally learned a couple of things that worked.

First, I remembered what my mom always said but being the rebellious one in the family I, of course, didn’t listen. She said to always use white distilled vinegar on pet stains. Still being the rebel, I added baking soda. I took one part vinegar and one part baking soda. I scrubbed it in to the entire area of the offended carpet and let it dry over night. The next day I vacuumed it up. She hasn’t used the spot since. Vinegar is a natural antibiotic and baking soda is great for soaking up odors.

Second, I had to address the problem of Sunny being so afraid of rain which caused the wet carpet problem in the first place. When we had a thunderstorm Sunny would start shaking and jump in my lap. I would hold her close and comfort her. I learned that what I was saying in dog language was that something scary was going on but I would protect her. I was reinforcing her fears. Instead of trying to change her ways, I changed my ways. During a thunderstorm Sunny would jump in my lap and instead of showing her I was protecting her from danger, I would treat the storm as a non-issue. Before long she took my cue and was no longer afraid of the rain. I did that during one thunderstorm then during the next thunderstorm Sunny came running in totally soaked, excited and very proud of herself as if saying, “Look, Mom! I went outside to pee in the rain and I’m still alive!” Now she sometimes calmer during a storm than I am. She’s probably telling me, “Chill, Mom.”

Dogs are quick learners. If it doesn’t work at first, keep trying. The trick is to communicate with them in ways they understand. Except for maybe understanding a few commands, dogs don’t speak Human. They communicate with each other through scents, body language and sounds. They are very keen on picking up our emotions and body language.

Sooo…

1. Instead of spending a fortune on chemical remedies, give white distilled vinegar and baking soda a try.

2. Instead of sticking their noses into it and throwing them outside, try to figure out the root cause of your dog’s problem and deal with it in a way they understand.

Here are two good resources:

Victoria Stilwell
http://www.victoriastilwell.com/

Cesar Millan
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/

Posted in Pets, Saving Money | 2 Comments »