About a year and a half ago Maggie broke out in a rash. It got so bad I had to take her to the vet. She received a steroid shot and a bottle of pills. Apparently she had contact dermatitis. Her rash would start off in her armpits and her belly.
On a scale of 1 to 10, her rash ranged from a 4 to an 8. We’d have to see the vet when it got to an 8. She’s had 3 shots over the course of 18 months. And the more I learned about allergies, steroids and allergy medication – I knew it wasn’t a long term solution.
I tried everything. Switched our soaps, eliminated suspicious plants, switched her to home cooked + raw diet. Added all the supplements an allergic dog needed. Used the right shampoo … and we got it under control… for the most part. She hasn’t had a “breakout” for 5 months. But she still does have a hint of them.
I could still see the faintest hint of allergy on her belly. As if the spots were taunting me “we’re still here and ready to break out any day”
Simple H2O to the rescue
We’re an active family. And although the vet said “Maggie’s allergic to possibly grass” … I wasn’t about to lock her up in a bubble to hide her from the elements.
We recently started to join our IG friend @GillytheBugg on daily walks. As dog moms do – Gilly’s mom and I would talk all things related to dogs and I learned that she was rinsing off Gilly every time after his walks at the bay (twice a day).
This intrigued me. Prior to this I was just wiping down the girls every night. But I thought – let me try this water rinse.
Much to Maggie and Orbit’s dismay they are now getting a daily water rinse after our walks. Honestly the whole process takes less than 60 seconds. I throw them in the sink, give them a quick rinse, dry them off and call it done.
And after ALL the home solutions to treating my dog’s allergies, this has been the one that I think has really made an improvement.
You see an allergy is the body’s way of expressing that it cannot detoxify itself. The dog’s organs (liver, kidney’s and gastro tract) are overworked and can’t produce enough antihistamines. So the skin starts to react.
Although her diet had improved and her immune system was getting better at handling the allergy – we were still in contact with grass, sand, and all the things outside she might be allergic to.
And rinsing her from possible allergens everyday basically was the final step in helping keep the rash at bay.
The past month – I no longer see bumps on her skin. She feels smooth and clean, and scratching has gone down 90 to 95%. Who knew – something as simple as H2O was the solution.
Anyway – I share this story with you as Gilly’s mom shared her story with me. Also I end with a disclaimer. I am not a vet and I love my vet! I merely wanted to try a different approach which I discussed with my vet as well. Each pet is different and what works for one may not work for another. All we can do is work towards a solution that is best for your pet.
