Canine skin allergies & atopic dermatitis in dogs are amongst the most common chronic diseases in dogs. And a dog’s skin is their largest organ too. It comprises approximately 15% of an adult dog’s body weight. Hence a dog’s skin health is considered a reflection of their overall health. However, caring for your dog with skin allergies is very daunting. Finding the right balance of food & grooming takes time, patience and a lot of discipline. Canine atopy does not have a 100% recovery treatment. And if left unattended, the symptoms get worse with time.
Refer these links for canine skin allergies & canine atopy for a more detailed medical understanding from a veterinarian’s point of view.
Common signs of allergy on dogs:
- Constantly itching their neck, armpit, behind the ear & snout.
- Gnawing at their paws and legs & biting into the skin, especially on the rump.
- Redness & skin inflammation around armpits, paws, belly.
While there are no 100% recovery treatment for dogs with skin allergies, we’ll cover a few food & care that ensure a reduction in the symptoms.
Diet for dogs with skin allergies have been extensively covered in our earlier blogs. Do refer to why a low carbohydrate diet is beneficial to canine skin allergies. And strengthening gut health is key for atopic dermatitis in dogs. Maintaining the diet through the year, is beneficial for canine skin allergies.
Grooming for environmental allergies in dogs
While your puppers gut health gets strengthened with the food care, do note their daily, weekly & monthly grooming especially during seasonal changes is going to need work. In the initial days of changing their diet, the number of times you’ll need these grooming tips will be more. However, it would reduce over time. Grooming maintenance will be required during seasonal allergies in dogs. What is most important is, to make their grooming routine as simple and doable for you too, to maintain consistency.
Regular home grooming for seasonal allergies in dogs will include:
Daily Routine
- Wiping their paws with dry cloth after walks
- Spraying chamomile tea after walks. Especially on areas where your dog has itchy skin. Massage the tea in with your hands or simply brush after spray.
- You can spray chamomile tea on your dog 2-3 times a day.
Weekly Routine
Wiping your dog down with damp cloth. After which a generous spray of chamomile, focusing on areas your dog has itchy skin. And gently brush or massage the solution in to their coat & brush.
Using chamomile tea topically on dogs also keeps them fresher between baths.
Chamomile tea recipe for dogs:
1 teaspoon loose chamomile tea
250ml drinking water
Boil the 2 together and simmer for 10 minutes. Once the tea is cool down, strain the liquid into a spray bottle. Always store chamomile tea spray in your refrigerator. Even during the winters in Bangalore, it does go stale and looses efficacy.
You may need to make this solution every 3-4 days, depending on the size of your dogs or the number of dogs you have. But this spray is a blessing allergy on dogs.
Some of the benefits of topical application of chamomile tea on dogs:
- Soothes skin inflammation
- Chamomile tea is known for it’s anti microbial properties
- It has a calming effect on dogs who are stressed, especially with all the itching
Note:
- Chamomile spray is not meant for open wounds.
- It is safe if your dog licks the tea in small quantities.
Monthly Routine
Bathing your dog more than once a month is not recommended.
For baths we use our own soap nut liquid. This recipe applies to a medium dog weighing 15kgs with fairly thick coat. Adjust the same based on your dog’s size & coat thickness.
Drinking water 1.5 litres
Soap nuts 3 in number
Boil the water with the soap nuts. Once it comes to a boil, simmer it for 30 minutes. When the water is cool mash the soap nuts with your hand and remove the seeds. Leaving the mash in the solution is perfectly fine. The solution does not spoil for up to 2 days with the weather in Bangalore. 
Direction for use
We use this liquid directly on the dog’s dry coat. Massage it in gently on their coat in small portions. Leave the solution on for about 5-10 minutes and rinse.
Consider switching to natural cleaning products in your home. From floor cleaners to dish wash to laundry detergent will require replacement. We love the cleaning products from Forest Lab here in India. Because they use soap nut/ reetha as the base for their products along with fermented pineapple skin.
The food & care for dogs with sensitive skin has been shared with you after nearly 4 years of caring for a dog with sensitive skin & tummy. We hope it helps you with your pooch. For basic grooming for dogs, click link. And don’t for get to share what you do on comments!