All my dogs have had some problems this year.I have shares in my vet, or rather I am owned by him.At present our Springer Spaniel is going mad daily.Scratch and Itchy have arrived to plague her.Obviously an allergy(she hasn't fleas).Upon making enquiries I find there is a new technology called NAET;which is a method of Acupressure, to treat dogs and humans of allergies.It's on the net, but fairly obscure here at the moment.But I expect is expensive.I was given good advice by a lady in Wellington. She tells me that the plant Wandering Willie is a culprit. We do have it in our parks here, so keep your dogs clear of it.Also I was recommended to try Riotopic/H lotion. Has anyone heard of that? Or does anyone have any further info on this subject? I bathe Abbey in a wash called Dermawash, and it helps. I hate to see her scratching away, and I would love to find something that really works.

Morning to you Geebee,have buzzed in PROTOPIC lotion,and its used for xma[guess who cant spell the proper word] I hope this is of help to you.Just google it,and you may have all your answers.

Wandering Willie(Wandering Jew) is definitely one of the main causes of itchies if you are sure it is not fleas.Dogs tear at their tummies when affected.
I used a wonderful shampoo on my little Westie-I gave the bottle away after she died,so can't remember the name,sorry...It is a blue shampoo with eucalyptus,and I think it was made in Rotorua.The vet had to order it in for me.It was about $20 a bottle,and it lasted for a long time,as It needed to be diluted.
Emelle.

Also try a few drops of teatree oil in a carrier oil. About 1/20 if I remember rightly. You can use any oil as a carrier though the best is canola oil, just the everyday cooking oil.

Thanks for your good advice. My local chemist has been of great help. Having paid out over $250 on anti-biotics for one dog, which still has problem, and another dog which has dermatitis, I was beginning to despair. I discovered some of the animal treatments are actually human treatments as well.For instance I was given a Natural tear bottle from the vet. They charged me$19. I discovered the same thing at my chemist, and it was$6.50.So my chemist has come up with a product called Dermaid, which treats itchiness and allergies. It is $16 and has proved veryeffective for itchy ears.My chemist did say I could get the script from the vets, and the chemist can do it. But my vet isn't too willing to do that. With the mark-ups they have, it's little wonder.Unfortunately my other dog still has an eye infection, this in spite of a variety of anti-biotics.At the moment I have a product called Cromolux which is for eye complaints.But it hasn't worked yet.

Suggestion: for conjunctivitus (? spelling) swab eyes with cold tea bag. May not help infection, but could give some relief. I was given this advice after I had payed about $20.00 for a product from the vet. The teabag worked just fine for later problems!

Perfect solution Iza .. and welcome to the discussions!
I always use cold tea swabs for conjunctivitis in both humans and animals. Of course if it is not conjunctivitis it won't get rid of the basic problem, but for conj' it gets rid of it completely. To think of all the years I didnt know about that. I put it in the frig as the cold also helps...a lot.. and makiong sure some dribbles into the eye to swill around is good. For a pet who wont hold still an eyedropper might be good to try.

having owned 3 longhaired german shepards.who are prone to skin rashes and ellergys.I have found a solution to the problem that works for me,after many vet bills etc
A homoeopathic remedy.Naturo Pharm.Sulpher tabs 30c.
I gave my shepard {45ks}3tabs a day ,hidden in his food,for 7 days then put him on a matinence dose of once a week.you will also find that sulpher not only helps with skin problems but also conditions the hair.
Another product"Colloidal Silver"Can be adminisered by eye dropper to the dogs eyes{and humans} to clear up conjunctivitis and keeps the eye bright and clear.
we do a lot of travelling in our motorhome and I find that these two products keep our 'boy' in good condition.
Vets will not tell you about these things.but word of mouth certainly gets the word around.
hope that you will have sucess,should you choose to try these products
as I have for over ten years now.

A very interesting topic, and I have not had a dog for five years but still love them. All these remedies are good to read about, especially the successful ones and it appears that like humans what helps one does not help another. The question remains as to what causes these distressing symptoms. I also think that commercial dog food could be the first port of call. Could a dog have gluten allergies, also reactions to other ingredients. Have we allowed ourselves to be to easily seduced by the wonder ads. for our pooches and moggies ? Could there be ground nuts and other ingredients which dogs can't digest, afterall who would know. I would suggest that a change to home cooked meals and dog biscuits might be a good thing to try. Also what are you shampooing Fido with. These shampoos contain chemical ingredients that a dog may be allergic to as well. The dog is being taken out of the dog to make him more acceptable in the house. Just my thoughts for what they are worth. Cheers for the dogs and owners.

Joybel_
Yes I agree that commercial products with additives etc could be suspect.After losing our no2 dog to cancer.Zac no3,has been fed no dog rolls,only raw chicken necks and dog biscuits as he will not eat. cooked food or vegs {very fussy eater}But he is doing welland is now coming up to 6.As you say,every owner and dog must find thier way,but forums like this can be very enlighting
Another thought,ALOE VERA extract is excellent for soothing 'hot spots'and rashes,,good for, once again both.

I read a good article in the Lifestyle section earlier on canine skin itches. There is a website on www.petpages.com

Post deleted at 26 Jan 2008 11:21am by Silverfern