Hey, all you itchy dogs out there, got some good ideas to share with you. My Butler says I have atopic dermatitis because I'm allergic to something I breathe in. I scratch my belly and chew my feet,
and have little red, flaky itchy spots all over. If you do too, SIT, because I'm going to tell you what my Butler does to make me feel better. Finding itch relief things, that's one thing my Butler really excels at. That and making dinner.
Here are our top 10 things that releive itching:
1. Neem. Wow, I love neem, it smells just terrible! I'd love to roll in it, but my Butler puts it in shampoo and washes me with it. Makes taking baths tolerable because the shampoo stinks so much better. Here's what you do, you get plain ol' liquid castille soap, dump in some neem oil, some neem powder, and dilute it with water. Shake it up. We call it "shampew" because of the smell - like garlic and poo. Yum!
2. Neem. We just started this. I get a tiny treat once a day. A little neem gummy bean. We figure, neem works so well on the outside, maybe it will work from the inside too. I always appreciate additional things to eat.
3. Neem. Get your Butler to mix some neem oil with some organic aloe gel and some organic glycerin. Shake it up. The glycerin acts as an emuslifier to hold the aloe and oil together. Cooling, not greasy like a lotion, deliciously stinky, healing.
4. Here's what we use to keep my ears clean. Mix a solution of 2% boric acid and 2% acetic acid. It's a good ear cleaner and after-shampoo rinse. My Butler also uses this to wash my feet and belly after a walk to prevent me from digesting in the dirt when I chew my feet.
5. Real food. The one thing that I can't tolerate is processed food. Don't get me wrong, I love processed food, any kind of food, really. But it makes me really miserable-itchy. So, no kibble, no 'Greenies' (which made me barf anyway), no store-bought cookies, no rawhide chews, no doggy toothpaste, no In 'n' Out. You itchy dogs got to get your owner/mom/care-taker/guardian/master to make your meals from grocery store things. Stew, omelet, peanut butter sandwich, frozen berries and yogurt, ice cream, watermelon, salmon and rice. Clean, quality, chemical-free food.
6. Tea tree oil. Wow I hate this stuff! My Butler puts it on or in something, I can smell it a mile away, and I run for the dog door. But, it makes the red itchy spots go away. Wish she'd just use neem oil, it tastes so much better when I lick it off.
7. Exercise and activity. This keeps me busy and happy and I love to go to school. I love to go on walks, without Beagle Pal, just me and my Butler. Even though I'm allergic to stuff in the air, and even though I sniff everything, being outside makes me feel better. And visiting people, seeing my dog trainer Favorite Person, relieves my itchiness because people love me.
8. A clean environment. My Butler got a HEPA vacuum and uses HEPA air filters for the house. This helps a lot. If she keeps the bedding washed and my sofa vacummed, I feel better. Why doesn't she do this everyday?
9. Cool, damp weather. Now, since I live in southern California we only get 5 or 6 days a year that are cool and damp. And I love those days. No allergies to breath in, no itchiness to scratch. We go on long walks and my Butler gets lost and we back track and I run in the grass and it's the best weather.
10. A Butler. This is the number one thing you itchy dogs need. You need someone willing to try all sorts of things to see what works. Someone who knows no limits to doing that which is necessary for your health and comfort. Someone you can train to do what you need to feel better. I am so thankful I got a Butler.
I know I'll never get rid of the allergies, I'll always be an itchy dog. It's part of what makes me The Beagle. I wonder if my Butler could make neem cookies . . .