What to do about Dog Shedding & Scratching Concerns
Your dog’s skin is an indication of her overall health. One of the first things to check on your dog when she is not feeling well is the condition of the skin. First, you need to get past the fur and take a close look at the skin. Do you see or feel anything that should not be there? The symptoms and causes of skin problems in dogs are varied, but there are some things you can do yourself before you need to contact a vet. You can reduce the number of vet visits by understanding the cause and treating this at home, when possible.
SYMPTOMS:
- Scratching, itching or chewing at skin
- Hot spots: These are red, moist and irritated lesions that are typically found on a dog’s head, hip or chest area. Hot spots grow quickly as dogs tend to lick, chew and scratch the affected area.
- Hair loss or bald patches
- Scabs, redness, inflammation, rashes or lesions
- Swellings, lumps or skin discoloration
CAUSES/CURES:
- Fleas, ticks,ear-mites, lice or other parasites: There are many over-the-counter products that will rid your dog of the parasites he may have. Be vigilant and you can rid him of them, but also be careful in choosing these products. Some over-the-counter flea and tick medications can lead to more problematic skin issues. Go natural.
- Ringworm: This is a very contagious fungal infection and humans can get it from dogs. You will want to treat this immediately with a topical ringworm treatment. Black-Leaf Tincture is an herbal remedy for ringworm.
- Food Allergies: Believe it or not, it is very rare for dogs to develop allergies to common ingredients in pet foods such as beef, chicken, wheat or soy (regardless of what the test results say). The majority of dogs who develop rashes and sores after eating certain ingredients are actually battling a problem in their GI Tract. This is often referred to as “Leaky-gut syndrome” and must be treated nutritionally, not medically. Avoid dog foods that have carbs and starches like potatoes, white rice, sweet-potatoes or tapioca in the first five ingredients.
- Skin Infections: Dogs can develop irritating bacterial infections when the skin is damaged because of excessive biting and/or scratching. Treat the infections with natural topical products meant for the specific bacterial problem. Give your dog a high-quality supplement to use as a preventative measure against these skin infections.
- Grooming Products: Many shampoos and grooming products can irritate your dog’s skin. Be sure to only use grooming products that are meant for use on dogs.
- Metabolic or Hormonal Issues: Several common hormonal problems can cause a change in skin color, coat consistency, thickness, and distribution. A good pet nutritional supplement will help your dogs metabolism and prevent many problems.
Nzymes.com is the company you need to help your dog with the skin problems she has, and just as important, prevent skin problems from ever starting. N ZYMES.com has a “Healthy-Skin Program” that consists of four separate products to correct problems and prevent them from coming back. Visit our website to learn about this program. As always, we offer a 100% money back 120-day guarantee for all of our products.