Ever since I adopted my sweet little Bichon, Bridget, she’s had airborne allergies….and the kind of annoying itching and scratching that is crazy-making for both her and me!
When she first came to me she had huge sores all over her body from scratching, but after a visit to the vet, a cortisone shot and lots of TLC, she started to feel and look a lot better. But over time, the scratching and itching came back.
I had pretty good results with one of the over the counter antihistamines for about a year. Then it seemed that nothing would work, including other brands of antihistamines. She continued to itch and I continued to try other remedies.
There are a few remedies that I’d like to pass on to you in case you’re in the same boat as I. One is the Bach Flower Essence, Rescue Remedy combined with Bach Flower Essence White Chestnut. Rescue Remedy is pretty well known for its calming effects on the body and White Chestnut calms the mind from over obsessing. For humans, it’s a powerful sleep aid; I’ve used it myself many times when I’m going through a stressful period.
Bridget responded to the essences fairly well (4 drops 4 times a day, in water, food or directly in the mouth), but it wasn’t quite enough to complete the picture and bring the itch to a halt.
I then found a homeopathic remedy called HomeoPet Skin & Itch that works wonderfully, given three times a day with food or directly in the mouth. It’s available at New Seasons here in Vancouver, WA for just under $13.00 or online at Amazon for $11.20. This product received some great reviews on Amazon, with a few not so good mixed in throughout.
Another remedy is Stinging Nettles. I have used capsules and also the loose herb. You'll need to check online for the correct dosage to suit your dog's weight. This also seems to calm Bridget's need to scratch.
If you’re like me (always seeking for a better solution), I highly recommend you try some of these suggestions if nothing else has helped and you don’t want to spring for allergy testing or put your animal on steroids. Now I sleep a lot better and so does Bridget!