Strengthening A Dogs Immune System

[Mas1981]

I was wondering if it is possible to strengthen a dogs immune system and what products or suppliments are good for this sort of thing?

[Erny]

I'm not a Vet nor anywhere near expert, but I believe that it is possible to "support" the immune system, and for one that is compromised, the support to result in a strengthened immune system.

But I think success (or not) depends on why the immune system is not functioning at an optimum level in the first place.

I also think it is not only what you give the dog (and this would relate to the most balanced diet as possible) but also what you would be better to NOT give (eg. over-vaccination; unnecessary chemical drugs; etc). The latter can serve to labour the immune system.

Whether you need to give a dog more than a balanced diet and a dose of sensibility when it comes to drug/chemical administration, I think depends on whether the immune system is compromised or not.

I feel as though I'm not answering your question, Mas1981 and that perhaps I'm being more obtuse than I need to be. But with the above in mind, I give my dog Active Manuka Honey in times of stress and/or unwellness (eg. Canine Cough). This has antibacterial qualities as well as qualities which support the immune system. This would I'm sure be only one of many, many examples of things that are available that can assist.

Edited August 14, 2010 by Erny

[Mas1981]

I'm not a Vet nor anywhere near expert, but I believe that it is possible to "support" the immune system, and for one that is compromised, the support to result in a strengthened immune system.

But I think success (or not) depends on why the immune system is not functioning at an optimum level in the first place.

I also think it is not only what you give the dog (and this would relate to the most balanced diet as possible) but also what you would be better to NOT give (eg. over-vaccination; unnecessary chemical drugs; etc). The latter can serve to labour the immune system.

Whether you need to give a dog more than a balanced diet and a dose of sensibility when it comes to drug/chemical administration, I think depends on whether the immune system is compromised or not.

I feel as though I'm not answering your question, Mas1981 and that perhaps I'm being more obtuse than I need to be. But with the above in mind, I give my dog Active Manuka Honey in times of stress and/or unwellness (eg. Canine Cough). This has antibacterial qualities as well as qualities which support the immune system. This would I'm sure be only one of many, many examples of things that are available that can assist.

We cant get that honey in WA ( you are the second person to mention it to me today) , is Jarrah honey similar??

Edited to add, how much honey do you give and is it a daily dose?

Edited August 14, 2010 by Mas1981

[Danois]

Your dog has allergies right?

Allergies do not come from an underactive immune system that, if strengthened would alleviate the issues. Allergies are from an overactive immune system.

Hence the use of cortisone and other immuno-suppressant drugs like cyclosporin to treat.

[Staranais]

Hmmm, my understanding is more of allergies as a confused immune system. It's attacking like it should, but it's attacking the wrong thing. I guess you could call that overactive. Definitely not underactive, though. Like Danois says, that's why we use steroids to treat it (or at least, treat the symptoms of it).

With vaccination "weakening" the immune system, I think that depends what you mean by weaken. I think it's more like you're educating it, and making it stronger in some areas, weaker in others.

Sorry, I'm probably rambling. This stuff is complicated. And the more I learn, the more complicated it becomes. Perhaps I should just stop learning about it.

To the OP, I'd imagine keeping your dog fit, generally healthy, & feeding it a good diet (and trying to buy from a breeder who has done the same with the sire & dam) are your best ways to strengthen the immune system. I believe the rest mostly comes down to genetics (so, only breeding from healthy dogs, or buying from a breeder who has done the same). I don't know any specific drugs or herbs or magic pills that specifically make the immune system stronger. I don't even know if that would be desirable in some cases.

As an interesting aside, I know in sheep, the immune system relaxes during pregnancy to allow the animal to "accept" the fetus inside it (which is, after all, genetically different, and would normally cause a huge immune response). Adult ewes are far more prone to get & shed intestinal parasites at the end of pregnancy than at other times, due to this temporary loss of immune resistance. I wouldn't be surprised if this type of thing occurred with dogs during pregnancy too, but have never read about it.

[Mas1981]

My dog has allergies and we are dealing with those through immunotherapy and washes etc, my dog is cortisone intolerant.

He now has oral papilloma's and everything I read ( and it was in the vets book too) it says only animals with a weak or immature immune system get these, the vet sees them very rarely. I am bothered by this and I feel like I should have him on vitamins or something to help him. He is on fish oils and Evening Primrose for his allergies and they seem to help so there must be something for immune systems.

[JackieW]

Here's a couple of links for you. The first one is my usual "go to" place for such questions -

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/the-immune-system/

This other one I came across when I was looking for something else on the site - http://www.animalhealthstore.com.au/boost.html. Greenpet most likely has an immune support supplement too.

I guess it'd help if you knew what your dog was allergic to, so that you're not inadvertently feeding it to him in a supplement.

[stormie]

My dog has allergies and we are dealing with those through immunotherapy and washes etc, my dog is cortisone intolerant.

He now has oral papilloma's and everything I read ( and it was in the vets book too) it says only animals with a weak or immature immune system get these, the vet sees them very rarely. I am bothered by this and I feel like I should have him on vitamins or something to help him. He is on fish oils and Evening Primrose for his allergies and they seem to help so there must be something for immune systems.

That's interesting, re the oral papillomas, as I'm pretty sure that's one of the side effects of Cyclosporin, an immune suppressant. But the fact your dog has allergies, would signify his immune system is working! The reason Cyclosporin works is because it suppresses the immune system so the body no longer sends out the antibodies against the allergen. Weird!!

[aussielover]

Has mason been on and steroids such as prednisolone, cortisone etc. They will suppress the immune system.

I think oral papillomas aren't really all that rare, I saw a case yesterday and have seen quite a few in the last few years. Mainly in young puppies though.

[Mas1981]

My dog has allergies and we are dealing with those through immunotherapy and washes etc, my dog is cortisone intolerant.

He now has oral papilloma's and everything I read ( and it was in the vets book too) it says only animals with a weak or immature immune system get these, the vet sees them very rarely. I am bothered by this and I feel like I should have him on vitamins or something to help him. He is on fish oils and Evening Primrose for his allergies and they seem to help so there must be something for immune systems.

That's interesting, re the oral papillomas, as I'm pretty sure that's one of the side effects of Cyclosporin, an immune suppressant. But the fact your dog has allergies, would signify his immune system is working! The reason Cyclosporin works is because it suppresses the immune system so the body no longer sends out the antibodies against the allergen. Weird!!

Yip the vet said it could be a side effects of cyclosporin but my dog has not been on it at all - he still asked me to make sure as he had not seen it in the notes.

Aussielover Mason was only on cortisone for a week in the beginning of may, he does not cope with it well which is why we took him off and switched vets.

[Erny]

Reading this thread lead me to wondering how many cases of "allergies" do we assume are allergies? I'm sorry if my layman's thinking is off base, but how often could these allergy type symptoms actually be a sign of toxins that the body has been unable to deal with and are therefore coming out by way of the skin? Perhaps toxins as a result of the diets we feed, the vaccines we administer, the worming drugs, the heart worm drugs, the flea and tick preventions ..... ?

If these are all addressed as "allergies" and then we go about the business of immuno-suppressant drugs, aren't we then suppressing an immune system which might actually be functioning at its optimum, and only suppressing the immune system so it will tolerate these drugs and diets? And if I'm anywhere near making sense or correct, is that really the right thing to do?

Just thinking. I see the trends of skin issues discussed here where people and some vets jump to the conclusion of "allergy" reaction, even though they are unable to discern to what. And it makes me wonder. And it bothers me.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Erny

[Mas1981]

Reading this thread lead me to wondering how many cases of "allergies" do we assume are allergies? I'm sorry if my layman's thinking is off base, but how often could these allergy type symptoms actually be a sign of toxins that the body has been unable to deal with and are therefore coming out by way of the skin? Perhaps toxins as a result of the diets we feed, the vaccines we administer, the worming drugs, the heart worm drugs, the flea and tick preventions ..... ?

If these are all addressed as "allergies" and then we go about the business of immuno-suppressant drugs, aren't we then suppressing an immune system which might actually be functioning at its optimum, and only suppressing the immune system so it will tolerate these drugs and diets? And if I'm anywhere near making sense or correct, is that really the right thing to do?

Just thinking. I see the trends of skin issues discussed here where people and some vets jump to the conclusion of "allergy" reaction, even though they are unable to discern to what. And it makes me wonder. And it bothers me.

My dog has allergies for sure, he has intradermal tests and HESKA blood tests, came back that he is allergic to loads of pollens, dust mites and storage mites as well as fleas. He is also allergic to chicken and beef.

I dont agree with administering the immuno-suppressant drugs, and I myself would not give it to my dog but I guess some people do and I cant fault them if it helps stop their dogs tearing themselves apart. The only drugs my dog gets is his desensitization injections and his heartworm, the other things he gets are fish oils and evening primrose oil. I bet he has toxins in his systems because when he was a pup he had loads of antibiotics due to blocked tear ducts, then again when my previous vet thought he had giardia ( turns out he had eaten a whole bunch of pollen and reacted very badly to it).

I would have loved to only treat my dog naturally/homeopathically for his allergies but nothing we tried worked for him, and to be honest I felt so sorry for him as he could not sleep because he was so itchy and his life was a misery.

[JRzipper]

I have a lovely old Bullmastiff bitch who is about to turn 10 years old but when she was a youngster I didn't think she'd make it to three! She is my million dollar baby :D

She had skin issues from when I got her at 8 weeks old, continuous ear infections, multiple benign fatty growths and everytime she she went on antibiotics for anything she ended up with thrush or vaginitis. She also caught any virus going and if she was ill it took her a long time to get her mojo back. She saw a number of vets and specialists and tried a couple of different drug treatments but all they did was mask the problem - stop the drugs and the issue was back.

I did some research to see what else I could do to help her. I started her on a raw diet and that was the turning point for her. Once I realised that starch was something her system couldn't handle we got on top of her problems quite quickly. She gets no grains now but I give her garlic, ginger, brewers yeast, parsley, and apple cider vinegar as part of her diet as all these things help make her unpalatable to parasites. I know a lot of people pooh-pooh this approach but for me it has worked - no fleas or worm problems in the last nine years and we've lived on dusty farms most of this time. She also gets natural supplements to address her arthritis.

This is because the other thing (in addition to changing her diet) that I think made a big difference was to avoid chemicals and drugs as much as possible. No wormers, flea treatment, shampoos (unless they are gentle and ph-balanced), no antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, no rubbish treats, no steriods.

My lovely old girl is in better health now than she was at 12 months old or even three years old and I put this down to a steady improvement in her immune system and digestive system over the years.

[JRzipper]

Edited - repeat post

Edited August 15, 2010 by JRzipper

[Mas1981]

I have a lovely old Bullmastiff bitch who is about to turn 10 years old but when she was a youngster I didn't think she'd make it to three! She is my million dollar baby :D

She had skin issues from when I got her at 8 weeks old, continuous ear infections, multiple benign fatty growths and everytime she she went on antibiotics for anything she ended up with thrush or vaginitis. She also caught any virus going and if she was ill it took her a long time to get her mojo back. She saw a number of vets and specialists and tried a couple of different drug treatments but all they did was mask the problem - stop the drugs and the issue was back.

I did some research to see what else I could do to help her. I started her on a raw diet and that was the turning point for her. Once I realised that starch was something her system couldn't handle we got on top of her problems quite quickly. She gets no grains now but I give her garlic, ginger, brewers yeast, parsley, and apple cider vinegar as part of her diet as all these things help make her unpalatable to parasites. I know a lot of people pooh-pooh this approach but for me it has worked - no fleas or worm problems in the last nine years and we've lived on dusty farms most of this time. She also gets natural supplements to address her arthritis.

This is because the other thing (in addition to changing her diet) that I think made a big difference was to avoid chemicals and drugs as much as possible. No wormers, flea treatment, shampoos (unless they are gentle and ph-balanced), no antibiotics unless absolutely necessary, no rubbish treats, no steriods.

My lovely old girl is in better health now than she was at 12 months old or even three years old and I put this down to a steady improvement in her immune system and digestive system over the years.

I have seen a difference in my dog now that he is off kibble, he looks much better and he has loads more energy then he did before.

[JRzipper]

I did some research to see what else I could do to help her. I started her on a raw diet and that was the turning point for her. Once I realised that starch was something her system couldn't handle we got on top of her problems quite quickly. She gets no grains now but I give her garlic, ginger, brewers yeast, parsley, and apple cider vinegar as part of her diet as all these things help make her unpalatable to parasites. I know a lot of people pooh-pooh this approach but for me it has worked - no fleas or worm problems in the last nine years and we've lived on dusty farms most of this time. She also gets natural supplements to address her arthritis.

I have seen a difference in my dog now that he is off kibble, he looks much better and he has loads more energy then he did before.

That was my experience with my girl too Mas1981. Remember though that your boy's body is pretty messed up if he is having immune system issues, so it will take a while to get his body working properly again. There is probably not one thing that will "cure" him, but think of all the little things you can do to reduce any stress on his system - nutritional, chemical, environmental. I believe that digestion is a big influence on the immune system so maybe also look at including a good probiotic to help there. I did this until I felt that my girl was pretty healthy again but even now she gets a big dollop of yoghurt in her dinner just to assist her digestion.

JR

[kat99]

i was just reading these long two pages hehe ,

i try to give my dogs the best diet every they live pretty much on a natural diet of raw meat and vegies mixed though it now i was reading someone posted about vaccines

1 of my boys are vaccationed another is over due my like 12 mths and i have him booked in for thursday to get done is it a must to gte done to prevent diseases and that ? or is it toxi to there immune system ?

Edited August 15, 2010 by kat99

[shepherdpower]

I had always regularly vaccinated my dogs until 18 months ago, when my 6 y.o. GS had a bad reaction after his booster. I started doing heaps of research on over-vaccinating, and when his next booster was due, I had the vet. take blood for titre testing, to find out if he had enough antibodies to keep him immune from Distemper, Parvo., etc. When the results came back, they showed that he was well and truly covered and did not need re-vaccinating. I found that the last booster he had completely mucked up his immune system and it has taken me months to get him back on track.

If you follow the forums and read how many people do not have their dogs vaccinated after a certain age, it may give you more information on this.

[Babesmum]

hi there,

My little girl has an auto-immune mediated skin condition, but instead of using traditional vet prescribed drugs I've gone the natural option with great results. One of the things she is one supports her immune system, (I just can't remember which one it is!!).

Anyway the link to them is

http://www.holisticanimalmedicines.com

Good luck!

Lis

[Golden Rules]

hi there,

My little girl has an auto-immune mediated skin condition, but instead of using traditional vet prescribed drugs I've gone the natural option with great results. One of the things she is one supports her immune system, (I just can't remember which one it is!!).

Anyway the link to them is

http://www.holisticanimalmedicines.com

Good luck!

Lis

Holistic Animal Medicines is based here in Perth and they are fantastic to deal with.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Golden Rules