Friday, August 20, 2010

Yellow lab has hot spots/skin allergy...how to heal without steroids?

Hi Ed P,


may times what appears to be a skin allergy on a dog is really a food allergy! Try changing your dog to a good-quality, mild food (my dogs, who both have had skin problems, are doing very well on Blue Buffalo and Nutro Natural). You may also consider aking your vet for 3G vitamin supplements and perhaps "Missing Link", which is a vitamin supplement aimed to replace nutritional vitamins and minerals into pet food that is often missing from commercial pet foods. We use this on our dogs now. One of ours was so bad she would literally lick the fur off her skin. With the diet changes, she is doing great.





If worse comes to worst, you can always try making food for your dog. there are recipes on the website of Dr. Michael W. Fox, the popular "Animal Doctor" newpaper columnist, here's his website:


http://tedeboy.tripod.com/drmichaelwfox/


There's a link to "Recipes for Dogs and Cats". His readers have written in about using these recipes with success. You may also try searching the web for archives of his columns (i.e. the WashingtonPost.com website may have some). He always has readers asking him about skin problems, and he's always recommending supplements and diet changes you can try before using drastic measures.





Good for you for not wanting to use steroids. Stick to your guns on that.

star of bethlehem

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