Natural Solutions for Dog Allergies

Allergy season is upon us! You might be taking your daily Claritin, but we can’t forget about our furry friends this time of year. There are natural solutions for dog allergies, and perhaps some of these ideas will help your dog get relief.

My poor Shih-Tzu, Benji, got the short end of the stick when it comes to allergies for dogs. Not only does he have allergies to certain meats (goodbye chicken!), but also to pretty much being outside. Especially in Florida, where pollen falls down like rain and all the neighbors use fertilizer like it’s going out of stock, we have come upon a few problems.

We started him on a raw diet and everything was going great… so we thought! After treating Benji’s ear infections and finding out the cause, he began to lick at his feet. My brain would scream. There was nothing in his toes, no rash or bug bite, but every time he would come from outside it would be an issue. His paws began to smell!

Something I learned in school is this: dogs can show allergy symptoms from the outdoors in their paws, and the more they lick the more they cause yeast to build up. Yes, that’s all fine and dandy, but what do I do about it? For a little guy who is allergic to all these things in our grass, I had to come up with a solution. Our veterinarian is pretty keen on prescribing medications, and for a pup who already has a weakened immune system, I would rather not use medication unless it’s our last resort. What I have found has changed our lives.

There are a few ways to help with this:

Foot Bath

I have set up a little plastic tub to use right by our door so that I can stick his paws in there when we come from outside. This cleans his feet. It doesn’t smell good to him so he doesn’t want to lick, and it doesn’t track the pollens inside the house to further irritate his allergies!

I found the recipe from Dr. Becker, holistic veterinarian, and she recommended doing a foot soak every day, but for multiple daily use I had to lower the amount of ingredients. 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide, and 1-4 cups of white vinegar. This has worked wonders! I would say this alone helped clear things up about 70 percent.

This brings us to tip number two.

Herbs Oregano

Herbs oregano has been known to have antifungal properties which combats yeast. The oil from Oregano as it is much more potent. I use a small amount on Benji’s food and this has helped a lot, and he loves the taste.

Kefir

Kefir contains probiotic, antibiotic, and antifungal materials that fight against yeast as well, and it’s something to seriously consider when treating yeast in your dog. Most love the taste, and it’s easy to use. Recommended dosages are as follows:

Small size dogs or cats – 1 tsp. – 1 tbsp.

Medium size dogs – 1 – 2 tbsp.

Large dogs – 2 – 3 tbsp.

If I forget to give him his foot bath, or add one of these items, it starts up again. This shows me that his body is reacting great to these treatments and we haven’t had problems since. I hope these tips help with your​ dog and can give them the same relief it did for mine. Happy autumn!

Your Turn

Does your dog have any itches or allergic issues? Let us know what has helped in the comments below.

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