Once again, it’s time for Thankful Thursday! I hope this post inspires you to consider the things in your life that you are grateful for. If you have a blog, consider posting about it there and link back here. If you don’t have a blog, please feel welcome to comment here on what you are grateful for in your own life. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing, then just take a few moments to reflect on all that you have. If you’d like to tag other bloggers that participate, feel free to do that.

It’s commonly known that Grady has been suffering from allergies for most of the summer.  I did my research and my shopping and cooked up my potions until I found one that worked to prevent the awful Staph infections he has suffered from in the past.  I’ve been feeling quite pleased with myself – we’ve made it through the summer without needing a single visit to the vet, not one steroid or antibiotic.  But there’s been one nagging question:  why does he keep licking?  His skin looked fine – maybe just anxiety from our move and the resulting upheaval in pack dynamics?  Fleas?  Food allergies?  Nothing seemed to fit and nothing relieved the itching and licking – bad enough, but never quite that bad as to warrant a visit to the vet.  A couple of weeks ago, I started to notice that Grady was becoming a little greaseball.  At first, I blamed myself for slacking off on our weekly bathing ritual.  Then the wheels FINALLY started to roll in my rusty brain.  I recalled back to late last summer, during one of Grady’s numerous vet visits, when he was diagnosed with a yeast infection.  At the time, he had Staph, yeast, hot spots, sores, bald spots – you name it!  I had no idea what a yeast infection on its own looked like.  But it popped into my head and so I started hunting around online for some information on yeast infections in dogs.  It didn’t take long to confirm my suspicions.  I immediately booked Grady in for an exam, where he was prescribed anti-fungal medication to combat the infection.  So why did I choose this for my Thankful Thursday topic of the week?  Mostly because I am so glad that Grady is finally feeling better.  I got my dog back after such a long time that I forgot what I’d been missing (2 days after he started his meds, I came home to find that he’d helped to shred the bag of styrofoam that was ready to go to recycling).  I’m also thankful that I learned something new about Grady’s predisposition to skin afflictions.  Maybe next time I’ll catch it a lot sooner and spare us all the extended suffering.

I’d like to take a few minutes to talk about yeast infections in dogs and what to look for, in case you might be having a similar problem.  Last summer, Grady went to 4 different vets for treatment before yeast was diagnosed.  If you have a dog with allergies, or any type of skin condition, please consider having him checked for a yeast infection.  Yeast often piggybacks on other infections and the use of antibiotics to combat bacterial infections can allow the yeast to take hold.  Once you get the original infection cleared up, the symptoms return rapidly as the yeast proliferates.  So what should you look for?

• Excessive itching or licking, can be anywhere but often ears, lips, genitals, inner thighs, and between toes are affected
• Greasy hair and skin
• Stinky dog smell
• Discharge from ears
• Gas/bloating
• Joint pain

It is important to note that there may be no obvious skin lesions present.  Grady’s skin looked healthy and normal, even despite the scratching and licking.  If you notice excessive itchiness, take your dog in for a checkup.  Yeast can be diagnosed quickly and easily and your pooch can be on the mend before you know it.  If you’d like further reading on the topic, check out the following links:  Patterson and Frank article, Brooks article

Happy Thursday to all and please visit these other sites that frequently participate in Thankful Thursday:

Akal Ranch, Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch, and Tired Dog Ranch.

Animals in my household tend to have allergies and the resulting skin eruptions that go along with them.  I’m not sure if it’s the muggy Florida summers that breed mold and invite bugs or if I’m just unlucky with my animals.  Either way, Florida summers are increasingly becoming the bane of my existence.  Grady has been my biggest problem child over the past couple of summers (although Tiny gives him a run for his money!).  Last summer, his allergies kicked in around May and didn’t abate until late September.  The only way to keep him healthy was an almost continuous round of antibiotics and prescription strength antihistamines during that time.  He suffered from numerous bacterial and fungal infections and scratched incessantly.  It was heartbreaking to watch and to have nothing further to offer to relieve him, aside from the dreaded steroid shot.  So, I stepped outside the realm of modern medicine and began doing some research into herbal remedies for skin afflictions.

Clockwise from top left: Closeup of the raw, pus filled sores on his legs; Grady's rear leg; Severely affected in groin area; Looking spotty and miserable.

This summer I was ready when the itching started.  I had thoroughly researched my options and chose to try herbs to relieve Grady’s symptoms.  I used several resources to learn about herbs, including herb shoppes and reliable websites.  However, the best resource I used was a book titled All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets by Mary L. Wulff-Tilford and Gregory L. Tilford.  This book has become my herbal bible and I highly recommend adding it to your bookshelf.

The recipes I used for Grady over the past month have worked amazingly well and thankfully I took some photos to document the remarkable improvement.  Grady suffered from hives and hot spots over his entire body and had severe itching.  Within a week of using the herbal rinses, the skin dried out and the infection cleared up.  Within a week of using the herbs orally, the hives were gone and the itching relieved a great deal.  The only additional medication he received was a prescription antihistamine when he first got the hives.  Initially, it did provide some relief but I soon discontinued it when it stopped helping him.  I attribute the dramatic improvement in his condition to the herbs, because he has been off the antihistamines for over a month now. 

Grady after one week of treatment with herbs

It is important to do your research when using herbs for medical purposes.  While they are natural, they can be overused or misused like any other remedy.  In addition, some animals may have conditions that preclude them from using a specific herb.  Please research your information well and understand what you are giving your animal and the potential side effects.  With that being said, herbs are a fantastic alternative to traditional medicines:  they are generally cheaper and safer than their counterparts and offer an alternative when prescriptions just don’t work.

Grady’s treatment consisted of the following:

• Weekly bath with Tropiclean Neem Shampoo.  This product is amazing and really helps to alleviate his itching.  It provides a deep clean and really eliminates his greasy skin.  Neem oil is traditionally used in India to treat skin conditions and may help to repel fleas as well.
• 1 tsp ground Burdock powder in food once daily.  My research indicated that this herb provides best results when given in large doses, but I always introduce new food additives gradually to prevent stomach upset.  The small dose helped him, so I didn’t increase it.  Burdock is known for treating several skin conditions and for cleansing the liver.  I chose this herb for oral use because it was recommended as a treatment for hives. 
• Poultice made from green clay with 10 drops Echinacea and 10 drops Oregon Grape, mixed with water to desired consistency.  This was smeared on the worst abrasions and really soothed and healed the skin.  Warning!  This can be messy!
• Herbal skin rinse, doused after bathing and sprayed onto affected areas multiple times daily.  Recipe is as follows:

Herbs were added to a tea infuser and steeped for 15+ minutes.

1 part Calendula

1 part Comfrey

1 part Yarrow

1 part Peppermint

1 part Sage

1 part Juniper Berries (optional)** See preparation instructions below.

Combine herbs (I used 1 tsp = 1 part) and infuse in approximately 10 oz. boiling water in a tea infuser.  I let the herbs steep for at least 15 minutes before straining and I used the same herbs to steep twice.  Let cool before using and store refrigerated.

**Juniper berries must be decocted before use.  These are prepared separately by simmering the berries for approximately 20 minutes over low heat.  The resulting liquid is strained, diluted by 50%, and stored refrigerated.  I added a volume of this equivalent to approximately 1/5 of total volume to the infused tea.

I chose this series of herbs for my rinse for specific reasons.  Calendula is an antibacterial/antifungal and soothes irritated skin.  Comfrey is somewhat of a miracle worker in treating skin conditions and speeds the healing process.  It is also an anti-inflammatory and analgesic.  Yarrow is a pain and itch reliever and is good for treating allergies.  Peppermint soothes the skin and relieves itching.   Sage is a strong antibacterial/antifungal that is widely effective.  Juniper is a strong antiseptic and astringent and I used this when Grady’s skin was most severely affected, then discontinued it. 

From top left: Juniper berries; Peppermint, Sage, Juniper berries, Yarrow, Comfrey; Comfrey; Calendula; Sage

While this combination of herbs did not entirely alleviate the itching, Grady was much more comfortable after being treated with the spray.  The raw skin and sores were literally healing overnight but the ongoing battle was preventing him from scratching new ones.  When the oral Burdock was added, the combination worked well to resolve the problem.  Incidentally, I sprayed the herbal rinse on myself several times after being bitten by mosquitos and it did relieve the itching and reduce the swelling very rapidly.

Tiny is doing pretty well so far this summer (touch wood) so I have not yet had the opportunity to try this rinse on her wounds.  Hopefully it works as well for her!  I’ll keep you all posted when I get the chance to try it.