Pet Grub

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Skin and coat problems occur frequently. Hot spots, loss of hair, scabs, matted hair, dry skin, oily skin along with licking and chewing are just some of the problems dogs and cats are experiencing. Luckily, there are simple remedies that can help.

It has been my experience that unhealthy foods are a major reason why so many pets have skin and coat problems.

I also believe that there may be a connection between the use of drugs and the beginning of skin and coat problems.

Vaccinosis, otherwise referred to as a side effect to a vaccination, appears to happen most often about 2 weeks after an inoculation. I have talked to many people whose dogs or cats have lost hair, broke out in rashes, or that have even encountered liver, kidney or bladder problems, and even behavioural changes soon after vaccinations.

Of course, there are many other potential problems that can occur after vaccinations and if your pet has problems, then I would suggest talking to a holistic vet if you want your pet to come off drugs, clean the body of toxins and so on.

The problems that occur after vaccination have nothing to do with what the pet was vaccinated for and so doctors and vets tend to ignore the possibility of a connection. For example, if the dog lost its hair soon after being vaccinated for rabies, there is no connection between loss of hair and a rabies vaccine.

Vaccines are big money makers and so few vets are willing to admit there may be a connection between vaccines and problems seen in our pets. In addition, many vets are steeped in the medical knowledge they were taught in school, not realizing that there are alternatives.

Holistic veterinarians are aware that some vaccines contain questionable ingredients that may cause problems. Holistic vets; therefore, usually do not vaccinate and prefer to build the body's own natural immune system through wholesome food and natural remedies. Holistic vets also help pets recover from vaccinosis.

We, as guardians of pets, should support innovative vets, holistic or otherwise, who are not afraid to change their ways when sound new ideas and alternatives are presented.

If you are at all concerned about vaccines, then I would suggest contacting associations like the National Vaccine Information Center at 1-800-909-SHOT. This organization can provide you with additional information. There are also numerous books now on the very subject of vaccinations and their dangers.

So what can you do to help skin and coat problems?

One lady, whose Saint Bernard lost just about of all its hair, saw positive results by feeding wholesome homemade food. Her dog Chuckie had scabs all along it legs and had to wear a cone to stop it from chewing itself. The Saint Bernard actually looked like a miniature, trunkless elephant, but soon after introducing wholesome food, Chuckie began improving. The scabs healed over, hair grew back in and Chuckie now looks like a Saint Bernard.

As always, I first suggest feeding wholesome homemade food and the introduction of some gentle herbs or quality nutritional supplements to help with detoxification.

Wholesome foods help minimize toxins entering the body and the glandular supplements along with the herbs help maximize toxins leaving the body. These are the first steps to helping skin and coat problems which, according to a survey done in the United States many years ago, is the most common reason for our pets to need a visit to a vet.

Next, I think it is a good idea to look back in time and try to determine when these problems began. Once you've determined when the problems began, then try to remember if any drugs like antibiotics, cortisone, along with other drugs were used. Are you still using drugs? When was your pet last vaccinated? What foods have you been feeding?

Determining your pet's history will hopefully help you identify possible causes. At this time, you should consider seeking professional help from a holistic vet if you believe the problem is serious enough. Skin problems can be an early warning of kidney problems to come. Therefore, skin and coat problems do require proper care and attention.

If you choose not to use a holistic vet at all or at the moment; or if you decide that the situation is minor enough to use simple remedies, then here's some things that you can do.

For supreme skin and coat care, I like to take a natural herbal shampoo and mix it half and half with some aloe vera juice or concentrate. For best results, I mix this just prior to bathing and then store unused portions in the fridge. Storing the unused portion in the fridge helps to maintain the beneficial qualities.

I find this combination is excellent for conditions of dry skin and hair.

This combination is also excellent for all types of skin and coat problems including, but not limited to scratches, razor burns, insect bites, hot spots, and among other things, just general maintenance for healthy skin and coat.

A good natural herbal shampoo, if used with or without the aloe vera concentrate may also help to unclog hair follicles. Sometimes, hair cannot grow because the hair cannot get out.

Another great idea is to buy some neem tree herbal shampoo and to it, add some essential oil of neem tree. Neem tree is a traditional ayurvedic herb from India that is exceptionally beneficial to hair and skin. Neem tree is wonderful for such problems as eczema, etc. For most people, I suggest using the neem tree oil in conjunction with neem tree shampoo before the aloe vera combination. You can also buy neem tree cream which is a lotion and to that add some neem tree oil.

There is also an oil that comes from Tahiti called oil of tamanu. It's an expensive product but it sure is worth the price! The oil of tamanu is a traditional Tahitian oil made from the tamanu nut. The oil needs to be made with unripe nuts following a very strict procedure. How the ancient Tahitians ever discovered this oil is beyond me because the method of making is as mentioned, so very strict.

This oil though is absolutely wonderful. You can spray it on the skin because it has incredible healing properties. It also has natural analgesic properties — that's to say, it removes pain! I know it removes pain because I once used it once on a very bad sprained ankle and I could not believe how fast it worked!

The oil of tamanu is also good for healing and even removing scar tissue. I once used this oil on a pet one month after a biopsy done. Of course the biopsy left a major scar! But I am happy to say that the scar disappeared and the vet could not believe what happened — I'm telling you, this product is incredible.

The oil of tamanu works very well on burns and in Tahiti, the oil is given as gift for newborns because it helps remove diaper rash. The uses of this oil are endless. It's used for most types of skin problems. Like I said, it's expensive but worth the price.

When I first began using the oil of Tamanu I had to actually order the product from Tahiti. The good news about ordering from Tahiti is that I had the opportunity to talk to Michel Guillemet, the scientist who did all the research and testing to prove the validity of this oil. What's even better though is you can now order this product from North America (although I still order it directly from Tahiti).

I must say, I really like the oil of tamanu and I have been using it now since about 1994. It's fair to say, I am really passionate about the benefits of this oil — but back to the skin and coats problem now — feeding wholesome food though is important because the raw meats provide the B–vitamins which helps to grow healthy hair and also the B–vitamins helps the skin to repair. The raw fat in the meat helps nourish the skin. Raw fat is easily digested by a carnivore. Carnivores need need a normal amount of raw meat fat in their diet. Cooked fat is too hard for your pet to digest and therefore may be a factor in your pet's skin problems.

The use of digestive enzymes will help maximize digestion and absorption of nutrients. Enzymes can also help get the blood circulating better. Plus, this is an excellent situation, if you are not doing so already, to incorporate some essential fatty acids in your pet's diet. EFA's helps in cases of hair loss and helps to get the blood circulating.

Anyone who has had a teething puppy knows that everything and anything that puppy wants to chew on will be destroyed. Is there anything that can be done?