Monday, May 10, 2010

cuts, stings, hives and stink: home care must-haves for summer misadventures

We've barely broken a sweat with the warmer weather, and already our dogs have been majorly skunked, one ripped a toenail bloody and another broke out in hella hives. Yay Summer!

These mini-emergencies all required multiple trips to our doggy medicine cabinet, and now, a trip to the drug store to replenish our supplies. Here's a shopping list of items we keep on hand for dog misadventures, with some advice that might come in handy, for first time dog owners especially....


Hives!

If your dog walks in the room looking like this one day - try not to panic. As horrible as this looks, it's just a bad case of allergy related hives. They're so common in our sensitive breed that they've come to be called "bully bumps" by many.

Our more 'delicate' pit bulls seem to get a bad case at least once a year, especially in the spring when allergens are peaking. If your dog develops hives practically overnight, think of where he rolled, romped or played recently. Out on the freshly cut lawn maybe? .. thru a weedy field at the park? Sally rolled herself alllll over a clump of prickly weeds after being skunked to get herself these attractive bumps. (Sigh. Skunk fun ... another emergency - Remedies below)

The hives usually come along with a flame red belly and feet. Since it looks awful, many people freak out and rush their dog to the vet for an expensive office visit and shot of cortisone. Not always necessary.

What to do? Most longtime pit bull owners keep Benadryl in their cupboards for these special occasions. Benadryl (or, diphenhydramine) is a first-generation antihistamine that can also be a life saver if your dog is stung by an insect.

Our vet advises dosing 1mg per pound of dog every 8 hours until the symptoms are gone. So, a 50-ish pound dog would get 50mg - or, two pink pills. (To be honest, we use three pills for our 55lb girl) While it's considered to be one of the safer over-the-counter remedies for both dogs and people, there are always caveats, so do your research and make sure and buy the pink pills rather than the off-shoot products that Benadryl sells, like kid's formula, etc.

Hot Tip: If you or your dog are stung by a bee, make a paste using the powder inside Benadryl pills with a few drops of water and pack it unto the sting site. Works like a charm to bring immediate relief.

Allergies can make your dog truly miserable, which pushes all our "fix-it-now" buttons. While you wait for the Benedryl to kick in, try giving an Aveeno oatmeal bath to soothe the flaming red belly and paws. Even better if you can follow by rubbing on calendula-based diaper rash cream (find it at your healthfood store). Treat your baby like a baby -- Lots of cooing and "poor doggie" talk helps. Our girl Sally rolls over and falls into a state of snoring bliss when she gets herself some belly rubs with calendula cream. After napping away the rest of the day (Benadryl acts as a mild sedative) she usually wakes up calmer and with happier skin. In the photo above, it took about 12 hours for the hives to disappear.

Be aware that good nutrition is really the best thing you can do to minimize or eliminate your dog's hyper-reaction to allergens. A dog that gets hives all the time is telling you that her immune system is out of wack. To support it, you can shop some of the better kibbles that avoid preservatives and fillers, or - if nothing's working - you may even want to take the plunge and feed raw diet. The raw diet is controversial in some circles, but it's been a life saver in ours. We swear by it.

Skunk Season

These three items are a miracle cure for stink. If your dog gets sprayed, make a mayonnaise-like paste out of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and a little dish soap and work it into his fur as best you can. Let it sit on his coat for a few minutes while you take photos of his sorry, depressed, and very naughty face. We soak our dogs' collars in this solution too, and they've come out just fine with only a slightly musky smell leftover.

Torn Pads and Smaller Cuts

Every self respecting pit bull over-does it at times and ends up with an owie or two on his feet. A vet will charge you crazy-money for first aid care that you can do at home, so make sure and have some vet wrap and antibiotic cream on hand for the basic paw pad cuts you'll be dealing with this summer.

If you keep your dog's wounds clean and covered while they heal, you shouldn't have to load him up with antibiotics - a bad thing for anyone. But do prevent him from licking while it seals. As a rule, the faster you clean the wound and apply the antibiotic cream, the quicker it will heal (that goes for your cuts, too).

Torn toenails can be extremely painful, but if your dog allows it, pull off the broken piece (quickly - it hurts!) or trim it with clippers. Then wash, disinfect and bandage to curb the bleeding and prevent infection. If the nail is up too high near the base and/or neither you or your dog trust your hands, then your vet can help. People with a longtime history with dogs tend to treat broken nails at home, but we know how scary this can be your first time - especially if your dog is a squealie drama queen.

We keep small cotton socks around in addition to vet wrap for those footsie emergencies. To hold the vet wrap in place and prevent the inevitable chew-fest, we fortify with a little duct tape. Yep - Duct tape ... a thousand and one uses.

It doesn't hurt to have a plastic cone-of-shame on hand either so you don't have to stand watch over your dog 24/7 those first couple of days after a cut. And of course, don't forget batteries for your camera. Pathetic much, Sally?

The wound will need air to heal completely, so remove the bandage for keeps once it's started to seal. Hopefully we can all keep our little emergencies to a minimum this spring/summer. Best luck to you with yours!

76 comments:

Liza Zandonella said...

GREAT info! Thanks.

Robin said...

duct tape? really?
don't get me wrong, i love duct tape, for a variety of fixes. i know about using it w/ moleskin for hiking blisters, but, on a hairy leg?
i would think the adhesive that makes it so valuable in certain circumstances would take plenty of that fur w/ it when time to change sock?

Donna said...

Robin - I know - crazy! But it's turned out to be one of the best helps to keeping bandages on around here. Pit bulls barely have much in the way of hair on their ankles -- not sure i would use it on a long haired dog though.
I think Sally has wide masking tape on in the photo. Silver duct tape tends to be very sticky, but you can kick back the adhesive by sticking it on your pant leg first.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the timely info. Our pit-mix Keiko started showing hives this week!

Diane said...

Great info!

Also, the health food store has caledula gel, which I use for hot spots as well as the uses you had for calendula lotion. My understanding is you do not want to apply lotion to hot spots but applied in gel form the calendula is soothing and healing.

The Aveeno bath is great tip. Need to try that.

who wouda thunk it?? said...

Love your humor on this topic!

Two Pitties in the City said...

This is great info...thanks! I always panic when these things happen, so it's great to have the information upfront.

Cindy C said...

My dog lost his first toe nail a few months ago. I've never seen so much blood in my life come out of something so minor.

Use Flour or Baking powder to get the nail to stop bleeding, then GENITALLY wrap the paw with the bandage because it is VERY EASY to wrap it too tight and to end up cutting off the blood flow completely to the bloody digit.

Lack of blood = expensive vet visit.

Thanks for tips Donna!

Jen & piddy Bianca said...

some pits & other 'like' breeds can have an adverse reaction to Benadryl...
I don't believe its to serious, and it still works to curb the allergic reaction.
It just doesn't have any sedative effect -
QUITE THE OPPOSITE:
My little piddy-girl got wicked hyper and raced around the room like a spaz for about 4hrs.

Donna said...

Good tip on the flour or baking powder, Cindy C.
I have to confess that I put my dog outside and let him bleed til it clotted when his toe nail broke recently. He was so baby-wah-wah, that getting near him with flour was adding to his drama. But if you have a dog that will put up with some touch after an injury - yes - a form of styptic powder is a great idea and will make for a quicker road to recovery.

Hey Jen - just a thought - I'm not sure how fast Benadryl is supposed to work on high energy dogs like pit bulls, but I'm wondering if Bianca was reacting to the allergies more than the Benadryl during her freak out? Our Sally was running around like a frenzied maniac for a couple of hours during her recent hive crisis until we finally got the Benadryl in her, and then it took some time before she chilled out. She was just miserable and acted like she was covered in ants. She didn't feel right until the drug finally started to take hold and do its job...maybe two hours or more after she took her first dose. Maybe a vet is reading and can fill us in on timing with Benadryl?

Meg said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Cornstarch works GREAT for clotting. you could put cornstarch on a washcloth and wrap it around the toe. Since cornstarch is cheap, you can pour a good amount out and not cost $$$. The washcloth is soft, so hoping it wouldn't hurt when the foot is wrapped for a few minutes.
If you want, you can buy regular medical 2 inch paper tape at any drugstore. It holds well.
love my "grand pit" Francis and his companion Cassie, a Weimie.
Barbara

Donna said...

Thanks for both tips, Barbara!

Claudia said...

For the cut tape inquiry: we tape it on the sock itself, not the hairy leg ~ one wrap around, leaving enough to fold back over it and it works fine.

RN tip- you need to be able to put your pinkie in the top to assure it is not taped too tight.
Also we have a soft “comfy cone“ brand of e-collar- if we aren’t around to supervise.. Booker our PB tolerates it just fine. The hard E- collars CAN freak dogs out.

K. said...

Our rednose breaks out with the hives almost non stop and it's getting to be pretty expensive with the antibiotic/steroid mix every few months. Is there anything to do when they break out all over their body? Poor Penny needs a break :(

Christine said...

This is great. My dog has been suffering from allergies and the vet is having a hard time determining what she is allergic too. She just recently got hives again and this time I am looking for a natural remedy to help her, rather then the expensive medications he prescribes everytime she gets hives. I'm going to try the Aveeno Oatmeal bath for sure. Thank you for sharing!

Home Health Care said...

Also, the health food store has caledula gel, which I use for hot spots as well as the uses you had for calendula lotion.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful article. Thanks! Also for bleeding, yarrow works WONDERS.You can buy it at the health food store. We have a bottle on hand in our camping gear :)

Angie said...

Thank you for all the wonderful tips!

Anonymous said...

thanks for the tips! I was also wondering about snake bites - we're east of San Diego and their are quite a few rattlers out here - do you know if vets sell a snake bite kit for dogs? I will definitely head straight for the vets office, but we're a ways out of town so I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to help on the way to the vets?

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous - I actually read yesterday while at my vet's office that there's a vaccine that dogs in areas with a high rattlesnake population can get to make them immune to the venom. I would ask your vet about it.

Terry said...

My rednose has really bad allergies. She can't even be in the sun more then 5 minutes and you can watch the hair stand up in spots and its hives all over her body. She will be tested soon then allergy shots. Until then her Dr. has me give her a claritin once a day. She can't even be a dog so thats why I decided to have her tested. Thanks for the great info.

weecyn said...

Slight correction, I think - you stated that "A dog that gets hives all the time is telling you that her immune system is suppressed." If the dog had a suppressed immune system, it would not be able to react to allergies or an antigen challenge of any kind. The problem is that the immune system is hyperreactive, not suppressed. It's in overdrive and needs to be taken down a notch. This happens a lot in allergy season and if the dog is not getting along with her food - the immune system starts freaking out at the tiniest little thing. Benadryl acts to suppress one part of the immunoinflammatory response.

Rivka said...

I love your advice except for a couple of things.

1-I would suggest using styptic pencil or sponge instead of flour, baking soda or cornstarch. My experience with all of those seems to be they form a nice clot but then when they fall of your you take them off you are right back at the initial bloody mess. Plus my pittie is allergic to wheat.


When Brenya was young her paw pads split. I duct taped the paws with guaze wrap underneath and got her into the vet as soon as possible. When the vet saw what I did he told me under no certain terms am I to NEVER use duct tape on her again.

I do have Benedryl and Aveeno here plus I have Dawn dish soap.

This is just been my experience.

Anonymous said...

Great information, thanks. We have an American Bulldog, and she just developed "bully bumps" a couple days ago. Not knowing what to do, we looked online and have been giving her Benadryl. They come and go throughout the day, but have been getting better. We're not sure if it was something inside or outside the house that she got herself into, but with that sensitive "bully" skin, it could have been anything. Thanks for sharing.

Jane Eagle said...

My wonderful vet turned me on to a 95% effective way of getting dogs NOT to chew on a bandage: when everything is sealed and covered, apply some Vicks Vapo-rub to the bandage. They do not like the scent, and almost every dog will leave it alone :-)

Anonymous said...

I have similar issue with two of my 4 Pits. Its an auto immunity disorder. What I learned is that those antibiotics and prednisone is killing the dog. It is detroying their pancres. What I then discovered is that dogs can't take vitamin c as a vitamin but they do synthesize it in their liver when the eat raw meat; that's why raw diets are so good. But for me with 4 pits with weights ranging from 90, 72, 68 and 65 lbs, a raw diet was out the question. What I did do was purchace lean chopped beef cubes that's sold in every grocery store. Its usually labled as beef for stews. Give your dog a cube or two a day. It takes about a week to two before a visible difference is noticed and they never look show ring perfect but they have found relief and I feel better knowing that the treatment I'm using isn't killing them anymore. I helping them cure themselves the was they would do in the wild.

Anonymous said...

This is awesome information! My pittie has already had some run-ins with the summer itchy's - so it's great to know I can treat without making a trip to the vet (and subsequently having to sell my first-born!). I will be taking your advice to heart and get on prepping a Pittie-First-Aid kit!

Do you have any advice for long claws? Kilo's previous owners never cut her claws and the quicks grew out for approx. two years before they got any attention. She's now 8 years old and her claws are so long that even a light jog irritates the nail beds - then they get itchy - then they get infected and the cycle goes on. We are diligent to cut them, but the quicks are just not receding.

To make matters more fun, she is also a Squealy Drama Queen.

Jess Jones said...

Torn nails can be very painful. I would recommend dog pain medication from the vet. Our dog needed to be on pain meds and an anti-inflammatory for a few days when she tore her nail.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes hives do require a vet visit, our pittie got bad hives and needed to be on a steroid and antibiotics. The vet said that if we hadn't come in it would have gotten much worse. Also torn nails can be very painful. I would recommend bringing your dog to the vet. Our dog needed to be on pain meds and an anti-inflammatory for a few days. Sometimes just removing the piece isn't enough--- My dog had to be sedated and had most of her nail taken off.

Luisa said...

To Anonymous 9:27 AM] wondering about rattlesnake bites: you might look into the vaccine made by Red Rock Biologics. A woman I know in your neck of the woods credits this product with saving the lives of several of her working border collies. More info here: Lassie, Get Help: Hello, Rattlesnake.

LorLyGuer said...

Great article! Glad I read this before anything like this happened to our pittie, who we rescued in Dec. I feel like a first time mom all over again...freaking out every time something minor happens (I recently took him to the vet for what I thought was a cracked tooth, it turns out it was plaque). My pup tries to snap at bees/yellow jackets that buzz around him. What should I do if he actually gets one? Should I give him a dose of Benedryl?

Anonymous said...

Noteworthy to add hives with body swelling can also be an allergic reaction to venom and the dog should be taken to the vet.

Roelof said...

HIVES or little black spots: It is not just fresh meat that will help. It also helps to change to a good quality grain/corn free kibble (Orijen, Taste of the Wild, etc). The grain impacts the immune system. In any case most dogs grow over it in time.
A natural tip against mosquitos, ticks, etc: Take 1 litre of water, add a glas of apple vinegar and a spoon of baking soda. Sponge the dog of with this and let it dry up.

Anonymous said...

This is some great info on the hives!
My retreiver/shepherd mix just showed the canine hives tonight, the photo you posted helped with quick identification and saved me a lot of worry!

Laura said...

Im a vet tech and I dont believe there is anything that a vet would send home for snake bites. There is a vaccine for snake nites, it doesnt prevent issues from a bite, it just buys you time to get your pet to the hospital. Unfortunately, the best thing to do is try your best to keep your dog from getting bit. Hard I know....good luck! Ask your vet about the rattle snake vaccine.

Anna said...

Just a warning- My brother's bulldog is INCREDIBLY allergic to neosporin!! He got a little cut on his paw one day and we put some on him and less than fifteen minutes later his face swelled up like crazy and he started having trouble breathing. We gave him a couple benadryl then tried to figure out what could have caused the reaction, and then we realized it was the antibiotic ointment itself!! So I would test a LITTLE bit out first to make sure your dog isn't allergic to the neosporin!

Anonymous said...

My boxer mix was breaking out in hives and it took us forever to figure out she is allergic to "Carpet Fresh" the powder you spinkle on your carpet before you vacuum? Benedryl worked very well! Not only did she break out in hives but her eyes and face swelled too! Scared us to death!

Anonymous said...

My pit mix has had the hives and been stung by a wasp, the Benadryl is a life saver. But now in the colder months she had been chewing and getting a pinkish red patch here and there. Is there something i should try before calling the vet or should i go ahead and pay for it. She is due for her rabies shoot soon and was planning on waiting till then. Any advice is welcome. Oh and the "raw"spots seem to be on the insides of her hind legs.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip. We've been worried about the bumps on our Chow/Pitbull mix. We tried Benadryl and it was working, but we obviously weren't using enough.

Anonymous said...

My part-pittie gets an itchy rash on her belly and legs every summer which we can only partially aliviate with regular baths. But she still scratches, chews her paws and scoots her belly across the carpet. When it gets bad, it gets infected and then it's time for an expensive trip to the vet. Anyone else have experience with this long lasting kind of rash? Other treatment suggestions?

Jill said...

My pittie had a cancerous mass on her leg that became necrotic and had to be constantly bandaged, while she still was happy and had good quality of life. It was a nightmare to keep the bandage on, until out of desperation I reached for my K-Tape (flexible sports tape I use for my achilles when running). This was perfect -- it moved and breathed with her, but didn't slip and didn't irritate her when I pulled it off. It's good for pitties, but I don't know if I would use it on a furrier breed. This discovery improved both her and my quality of life in her remaining days.

Unknown said...

It sounded like the duct tape goes over the vet tape so there wouldn't/ shouldn't be fur contact

Anonymous said...

I'm a vet tech, and I recommend that any pet with facial swelling should be taken to the vet ASAP. When the face swells due to an allerhic reaction, their airway can swell shut as well. By the time it becomes apparent that the airway has been compromised, you may not have time to get your pet to the hospital. Serious allergic reactions can also include a major drop in blood pressure, which can be fatal if left untreated. Anaphylaxis is nothing to mess with. It needs the immediate attention of a veterinarian.

Unknown said...

Hi Donna, in our case its definitely the benadryl not the cause of the allergic reaction. The vet won't even give/recommend benadryl for him any more. I know of no other otc like benadryl, without causing the same effect, that I can get outside of the vet, do you?

Anonymous said...

I've tried just about every thing! happy jack, 3way oniment, shots all temperary fixes. she does not like the expensive dog food i feed her diamond brand but she won't eat it. I will try aveno bath product & will up her to 3 benedryl was only giving her 1 & will try sum raw meat dnt think I will give her shots anymore thank u for all this info i bn singing bluepit blues for a yr now I know my fur baby is miserable

Lisa C. said...

In regards to using duct tape on fur...we have had to do this with our dog when she has broken toenails. We take a roll of gauze wrap and wrap that around the foot(higher up, not on the foot itself) and then use the duct tape. The gauze wrap acts as a buffer from the adhesive on the tape. Our dog is also sensitive to adhesive, so this eliminates that issue as well.

Steph said...

This is great info. My big boy has suffered from allergies 24/7 365 since he was 8 mos old. He's 6 yrs old now. I've done the Temaril-P series, Atopica, and cotizone injections. Only Temaril-P works but due to the expense and the adverse effects of long term steroid use we haven't used it in quite sometime. Benadryl only sedates him but I do use it from time to time to give him relief. Springtime is especially hard.

Fyi too much Bendryl can have the reverse effect as some have stated. Start with the lowest dose possible and gauge your dog's reaction. it takes a bit of tinkering to find the correct dosage. For him, he weighs 80+ lbs., 3 is too few and 4 has him bouncing off the walls I give him 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 tabs.

Anonymous said...

Hi all, thanks for your great suggestions and info. We have a 3yo Amstaff and he was getting 'bully bumps' regularly. We went down the antihistamine path, but it would only temporarily quell the problem. Then a really great vet suggested we try altering his diet to see if we could eliminate the hypersensitivity. After several dietary changes, e.g. kangaroo (we live in Australia) and sweet potato, chicken and brown rice, each meal given continously over a 4 week period. We found Beef was causing his hypersensitivity. We now have one very healthy and bump free pooch.

Soozi said...

love your article ..but unfortunately allergies are not that simple.I have just spent 1200 on a dermatologist And intradermal allergy testing. I will now be doing sublingual immunotherapy now that all my Pitties allergies have been identified.. he too is covered in bumps all year long and has to be on antibiotics to get rid of them.and he is also always on benadryl.I have absolutely refused and resisted a topic a for the past two years because it is a very dangerous drug and can cause several cancers. So for us the sublingual immunotherapy seems to be the best thing and the dermatologist says it works much better than allergy shots.

Anonymous said...

I came home one day and my dogs eye was swollen. I figured it was a bee sting. I gave him one benedryl before best and it was back to normal by morning.

Anonymous said...

My male pit who is 9 years old gets a rash on his belly and the insides of his thighs. It happens after he goes in the sun. The vet gave us some spray and some meds and it cleared up but it comes back. Its not too bad but it makes me nervous.

Dan said...

This is great info. I like when " Treat uour babies like babies" because thats what they are. My dog Brutis gets into everything until I read your blog I didn't know some things. But when he's not feeling just rite I give him a Tylenol. you have a lot of great information on hand and I'm glad I found it thank you very much!!!!!!

Dan said...

It's always great to hear stories like this!!!!!!!

Angel said...

Very good info for dog owners, etc...

Lynnda L in Mpls said...

I have Dalmatians, who are prone to allergies which usually show up as chewing on body parts, licking paws, and black gunk in ears as opposed to hives. Over the years with my dogs & fosters I have found: 1. eliminate food with corn in it [helped ear gunk], 2. work on getting dog healthy prior to allergy season -- Note: many dogs show allergies in their 2nd or 3rd year' 3. fish oil is an excellent anti-inflammitory so it can help with arthritis as well as allergy inflamamation, 3. some dogs have food intolerences so careful experiementation by feeding simple food -- one protein & one carb -- can help figure out some itchiness [my year-round itchy dog was made more itchy by chicken, but not turkey], 4.homemade diet rocked for my dogs'skin -- I also eliminated grains and gave lots of cooked veggies, 5. homemade raw diet can be no more expensive than high quality kibble *if* you are disciplined in the store, use your freezer, & buy at the wholesaler/use buying club, 6. prepping many meals at a time & freezing in appropriate size container makes feeding time go quickly [I have found raw meat to refreeze fine], 7. don't forget to get educated/do your research so you get some variety if you are going to do homemade, 8. if doing raw, be sensible about bacteria load on the meat & where you get it from [I avoid chubs of beef from a factory plant, for example & shop at stores that have big butcher departments that process the meat there]. thoughtful improvements in your dog's diet can have great health benefits -- become a label reader and an informed veterinary consumer. [You ask questions of your doctor, don't you? So find a good vet who will answer your questions. For solid health info try articles on DogAware.com: Mary Strauss is a great journalist.]

feliciag1489 said...

I use chlorphineramine (spelling??) for my dogs. Benadryl doesnt work for my great Danes aallergies anymore because the vet put him on it for 2 weeks while he was having a severe allergic reaction. By the end of the service week. The Benadryl wasn't even helping so she put him on Allegra which worked for 2 days. Then i tried chlorphineramine, which its what i take and what my cocker spaniel takes. That stuff works better than Benadryl

Also, Benadryl makes my parents piddys and my cocker spaniel insanely hyper too.

If you have a Publix in your area, go to the pharmacy and ask for chlorphineramine (bottle says AllerTab or AllergyTab). You do not need a prescription.

I give FOUR 4mg tablets to my 140lb great Dane. I give half a tablet to my 20lb cocker spaniel.

I would start at one tablet for an average size piddy (45-55lb dog) and if nothing happens in an hour, give another. This stuff works fast.

My vet prescribed it for my cocker, she charged me $60 for a 1 month supply (15 pills, cut in half). I went to Publix and they charged me $2.99 for 90 pills...

Anyways, this stuff works great and you can take it too! It is non drowsy.

Btw. I used to be a vet tech

Anonymous said...

My Pibble's allergies were food related. He is allergic to beef chicken and/or corn. He has been on salmon and sweet potato food by Infinia for the past year and no skin/allergy issues since. He is on a tablespoon of flax seed oil mixed with plain greek yogurt every day for arthritis(inflammation).

Anonymous said...

My bulldog has allergies my vet recommended Kangaroo kibble. I know it sounds weird but Kangaroo is hypo allergenic and therefore if your dogs has allergies you can rule out that it is from their food. It can help narrow things down for you. My bully has been on it for 2 years now and his skin and coat has improved greatly.

Unknown said...

Try looking up a site on how to correctly Dremol nails. Iv think her name is Dawn and she had dobbies. She explains how to get the quick 2 recede. It will take some diligence but will be worth it. Failing that, you could get the very the cut them all back through the quick under anesthesia but that is more painful for the dog and not ideal having 2 use anesthesia.

Anonymous said...

Good post! Here are my comments and additions!

* First my add to this list of stuff for home treatments. One of my pit pups got a red itchy rash on his belly right at the front of the crease where each hind leg joins his body and also right in front of his penis. At first I was concerned that it might be an allergy thing and since the skin was red and kinda dry/flaky sometimes I tried rubbing in some coconut oil (which is also perhaps a bit anti-microbial). It helped the flakiness but then I realized I was smelling the 'hot spot' smell too and so maybe adding moisture wasn't so good. So I went the other way. I rinsed it off with diluted apple cider vinegar once a day followed by powdering it with cornstarch. In just one day it looked a lot better, after 2 vinegar rinses I just did corn starch once or twice a day as needed to keep it all dry and by day 4 he was all better. No food allergies and no reoccurrence! Yea!

* As folks have mentioned Benadryl, while known for acting as a mild sedative can and does cause hyperactivity or agitation in some folks (or dogs!) either just as their 'normal' reaction to it or in cases of overdose. In large enough overdoses in can cause flushing, dry mouth, super constricted pupils, and agitation. But it DOES work well for dogs just as it does for people in most cases.

* When it comes to bee stings in MAY be a good idea to AVOID things like Benadryl unless you or your dog has a serious reaction. There is some discussion amongst beekeepers that feel that treating beestings with anti-histamines and/or anti-inflammatories may contribute to increasing the severity of future stings. So it's worth considering if you only have a mild welt to deal with!

* For broken toenails or other minor bleeding cayenne pepper makes a good styptic powder. It sounds like it would be awful I know but it doesn't hurt! I don't have much luck with flour. I just end up with blood AND flour all over!

* For the overgrown toenails I'd recommend the Dremeling as well. You can grind down MUCH closer (or even INTO the quick) without the dog minding much. (not recommending you TRY to get into the quick, just saying they don't seem to care as much). You may be able to get the quick to recede better that way.

Bette said...

These are some of the best tips ever! I have to give one of my black labs benadryl almost every day.He's allergic to just about everything,including human dander! It works great for him! When he broke off his toenail the first time I did try the flour and the baking powder,neither one of those worked. So I just held a towel on it till it quit bleeding,then wrapped it! :)

Unknown said...

Yes after its clean and bandages over than apply duct tape making it harder to chew the bandage off!!!

Anonymous said...

Anyone have recommendations for once the allergies/hives have gone long enough that the hair is falling out and there is a possible staph infection?

Unknown said...

Yes we have a doggy medicine chest which lots of home remedies. ..that work wonders Thanks for redress in some of these things and reminder that Vets aren't always the best they make more when you buy more ...up steriods, antibiotics
Yes sometimes it's needed but these stings breakdown the immune system ...
I love that you feed Raw....
I raw feed my 2 English Bulls due to many allergies and they are much better and happier for it =)

Anonymous said...

Gently.... not genitally. Unless you have a prehensile. ....never mind.

Anonymous said...

Actually don't panic about prednisone just by what you read on the internet. There is a difference in immune suppression vs anti inflammatory doses. And if it is auto immune as you say then it would NEED the immune suppression dose.
Itch=give anti inflammatory dose. Which is WAY less.
Auto-immune (body's immune system ramping up and attacking itself)=immune suppression dose. Way more.
Either way your vet does NOT want to permanently kill your dogs immune system and trust me they know way more about it than paranoid internet experts.
Also, I've never seen a pack of puggles or westies in the wild. And dogs in the wild died after 6 years. I'll stick with the extensive nutrition my vet and I discussed to try and get more than 6 years out of MY dogs. Wild dogs don't heal themselves magically, they just die before we see the effects of some of the diseases we see in our pups. But then again death, arsenic, and cancer are just as all natural as a raw diet so they must be good.
Sincerely, auto-immune owning pet parent with an amazing vet that helps educate me because I don't contradict her with internet fads and quackery.

Ps he is doing great and I already got 3 years beyond our expected treatment outcomes because we work as a team.

Anonymous said...

I'm with Laura. If there were a magic bullet every hiker would own it too and not have to pay $2500 a vial for 7 vials of antivenin needed when bitten.

On the same note, look into avoidance classes. They saved my dogs life because he knew NOT to go closer but also his behavior warned ME! And he is a Jack Russell so that could have been very very bad.

Also have the number to your nearest emergency clinic in your phone. Most day clinics don't stock the stuff because it is so expensive and rarely gets used in time since it expires quick.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't make you immune, it buys your dog extra time (in some cases almost double) to get in and get treated. Most without it die in the car, most with it get in and hospitalized in time. Its a good deal either way.

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I read that too and thought readers should know better. The immune system is a tricky thing and can be a real witch if too low OR too high!

Unknown said...

This post is awesome! It seems to be every time summer comes around I pour money into vet visits because of all their allergies! Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Great article! It's somewhat funny to me because our pit got sprayed by a skunk, tore a nail, and broke out in hives all within a two-week span. I will be trying the benadryl for the hives. Have you ever run into severe dry skin issues with your pits? Ours scratches her face until she bleeds. She also gets something similar to diaper rash between her legs and belly during the winter/spring. And she just started licking her paws CONSTANTLY over the past year. I found an aloe spray for dogs that seems to keep the dry skin under control, but I have to apply multiple times a day, every day. It starts all over again if I miss a day.

Anonymous said...

Dogs cant take tylenol.! Or motrin. Bad for the liver. Aspirin is better, if needed.

Pepper R said...

Yall are WONDERFUL!! My Boxer Saydee broke out tonight covered in hives and her eyes swollen! My poor baby, I have 4 boxers Mom, Dad, and their 2 daughters.....looking back she also broke out about 2 weeks ago, but it was just a few hives, and she was fine without treatment....As soon as I saw this site, and yall said give Benadryl I was like "why didn't i think about that!! Lol...i think i just panicked!! Also, the med that you recommended Felicia G .....it is good to have both on hand!! So, thank you soooo much ladies!! Yall saved me alot of money!! Big difference between 200 dollars and 6 dollars!! Also Walmart has Generic Benadryl for 88 cents for 24 tablets of the 25mg, and it worked great!! Have a great day yall, and thanks again!!��

Anonymous said...

I've been dealing with food allergies and hives for months, my bully is already grain intolerant and corn allergic. I swapped meat proteins to kangaroo,then venison, controlled everything that passed her lips. Come to find out it was legumes- peas,chickpeas,lentils. After less than a week on a legume and grain free food, the hives cleared, purplish red rash on her belly and legs is almost gone, no inflammation between her toes and no more twice daily Benedryl. Just a thought for those dealing with severe hives that seem to come and go constantly.

Unknown said...

Awesome info! My boy gets hives so randomly and I even have him on Immuplex for his immune system. It seemed to help a ton but now it seems like he is getting his bully bumps more often with no environmental or food changed. I'll try that baby cream!!