O M G! Calendula Tea Rinse

[_PL_]

Love it!

A rinse on the two dashy crosses I have here makes their red coats gleam!

The runty puppy boy also has a touch of demodex on his temples: I love that I can rinse him with the tea and keep him naturally & organically clean and soothed while he is being treated. Great stuff.

Steve I've linked to your shop in my puppy journal. Everyone should try it. :)

[Steve]

Thank you Steve, I was hesitating between that and the herbal one

I've been using organic whole flowers (from a supplier Erny recommended in the past) and feed her the brewed flowers too. I try my best to squirt it on but it's really hard to tell if I'm actually getting to the skin on a long coated dog. I shall persevere!

ETA would you use your shampoo, then conditioner and finish off with a tea rinse or would that be an overkill? I sometimes only do a tea rinse but think her coat looks better and feels nicer being washed and conditioned.

Missed this bit - the shampoo and conditioner both have Calendula oil in them so it depends on what the problem is and how dirty the dog gets. I think with a couple of mine if I just put the tea through it might turn to mud some days Just depends on how you live with them and what your preference is. A dog that looks clean and smells good is easier to love when it sits on your couch but from an itchy skin point you don't need to shampoo them first.

Dog's coats are naturally oily which prevents water from getting to the skin so just pouring it over wont work as well as applying it down lower into the coat and onto the skin in long coat dogs.

[Steve]

Love it!

A rinse on the two dashy crosses I have here makes their red coats gleam!

The runty puppy boy also has a touch of demodex on his temples: I love that I can rinse him with the tea and keep him naturally & organically clean and soothed while he is being treated. Great stuff.

Steve I've linked to your shop in my puppy journal. Everyone should try it. :)

Thank you Ill give you a code so anyone that comes from your recommendation will give you a donation from me to seniors and silky rescue. Give me an hour or so to sort it out for you.

[fbaudry]

Thank you Steve, I was hesitating between that and the herbal one

I've been using organic whole flowers (from a supplier Erny recommended in the past) and feed her the brewed flowers too. I try my best to squirt it on but it's really hard to tell if I'm actually getting to the skin on a long coated dog. I shall persevere!

ETA would you use your shampoo, then conditioner and finish off with a tea rinse or would that be an overkill? I sometimes only do a tea rinse but think her coat looks better and feels nicer being washed and conditioned.

Missed this bit - the shampoo and conditioner both have Calendula oil in them so it depends on what the problem is and how dirty the dog gets. I think with a couple of mine if I just put the tea through it might turn to mud some days Just depends on how you live with them and what your preference is. A dog that looks clean and smells good is easier to love when it sits on your couch but from an itchy skin point you don't need to shampoo them first.

Dog's coats are naturally oily which prevents water from getting to the skin so just pouring it over wont work as well as applying it down lower into the coat and onto the skin in long coat dogs.

Thanks Steve,

I guess my dogs don't get really dirty, but they are city dogs who are inside probably 20 hours a day, in a small house with carpeted areas, rugs and access to couch etc so i find it more pleasant if they're bathed regularly. Penny started getting itchy shortly after her 3rd puppy shots (coincidence?) and responded immediately to cortisone. The vet wanted her to be on that, which I wasn't happy with. She was put on R/C hypoallergenic for 8 weeks, and if anything was even itchier. I almost had to beg to get a referral to a dermatologist vet; the skin prick test showed a mild reaction to a number of pollens, grasses and mites but nothing too drastic. She's been on desensitization injections for 13 months now, and I sometimes think they're working, and other times despair at the lack of progress.

Interestingly, she has been boarded twice for around 3 weeks at a time and even though she doesn't have a very good time there, she came back in a better nick skin wise, but was itchy again within 3 days of being home.

I started adding Innerhealth to her dinner a couple of weeks back, and am still applying calendula tea to her sore spots even though it doesn't seem to help her much. She enjoys drinking it though.

I think I'll follow Erny's suggestion of getting a DNA test done as the next step

[Steve]

Thank you Steve, I was hesitating between that and the herbal one

I've been using organic whole flowers (from a supplier Erny recommended in the past) and feed her the brewed flowers too. I try my best to squirt it on but it's really hard to tell if I'm actually getting to the skin on a long coated dog. I shall persevere!

ETA would you use your shampoo, then conditioner and finish off with a tea rinse or would that be an overkill? I sometimes only do a tea rinse but think her coat looks better and feels nicer being washed and conditioned.

Missed this bit - the shampoo and conditioner both have Calendula oil in them so it depends on what the problem is and how dirty the dog gets. I think with a couple of mine if I just put the tea through it might turn to mud some days Just depends on how you live with them and what your preference is. A dog that looks clean and smells good is easier to love when it sits on your couch but from an itchy skin point you don't need to shampoo them first.

Dog's coats are naturally oily which prevents water from getting to the skin so just pouring it over wont work as well as applying it down lower into the coat and onto the skin in long coat dogs.

Thanks Steve,

I guess my dogs don't get really dirty, but they are city dogs who are inside probably 20 hours a day, in a small house with carpeted areas, rugs and access to couch etc so i find it more pleasant if they're bathed regularly. Penny started getting itchy shortly after her 3rd puppy shots (coincidence?) and responded immediately to cortisone. The vet wanted her to be on that, which I wasn't happy with. She was put on R/C hypoallergenic for 8 weeks, and if anything was even itchier. I almost had to beg to get a referral to a dermatologist vet; the skin prick test showed a mild reaction to a number of pollens, grasses and mites but nothing too drastic. She's been on desensitization injections for 13 months now, and I sometimes think they're working, and other times despair at the lack of progress.

Interestingly, she has been boarded twice for around 3 weeks at a time and even though she doesn't have a very good time there, she came back in a better nick skin wise, but was itchy again within 3 days of being home.

I started adding Innerhealth to her dinner a couple of weeks back, and am still applying calendula tea to her sore spots even though it doesn't seem to help her much. She enjoys drinking it though.

I think I'll follow Erny's suggestion of getting a DNA test done as the next step

Describe her sore spots.

[fbaudry]

Mmmm... Hard to describe or photograph, but they tend tho look sort of yellow and crusty, but the ones she can reach are sort of scabby from her scratching and biting. Looking superficial sometimes you could even think it's flea dirt - except it is kind of attached to the skin.

Her eyes and ears also bother her when she's going through a particularly itchy phase.

[trifecta]

Mmmm... Hard to describe or photograph, but they tend tho look sort of yellow and crusty, but the ones she can reach are sort of scabby from her scratching and biting. Looking superficial sometimes you could even think it's flea dirt - except it is kind of attached to the skin.

Her eyes and ears also bother her when she's going through a particularly itchy phase.

Where on the body are the crusty spots? On the skin? Facial area & ears? Where the skin meets mucous membrane ie. mouth area, eye rims, nose, anus, vagina, under the nails?

[fbaudry]

A bit everywhere really...

Tail base, anus, thighs, inner thighs, armpits, chest area, around nipples, joint of front legs where they meet the body, middle of he back, flanks...

Not all at once but these are the most commonly affected areas. They're hard to find on the areas where the coat is heavier (long haired breed with feathering)

[Jed]

fbaudry, have you ever tried a Cider Vinegar rinse after a bath? Sounds a bit like yeast to me.

The other thing I would consider is putting her onto the Transfer Factor which is actually bovine colostrum, which is said to boost the immune system. Google it for supplier and price, if you are interested

[RiverStar-Aura]

Mmmm... Hard to describe or photograph, but they tend tho look sort of yellow and crusty, but the ones she can reach are sort of scabby from her scratching and biting. Looking superficial sometimes you could even think it's flea dirt - except it is kind of attached to the skin.

Her eyes and ears also bother her when she's going through a particularly itchy phase.

Hmm ... Doesn't sound like hotspots to me. The one Zeus had was more like a bald patch with red inflamed skin. If your poor girl is really chewing at them you might need to also look into a collar for her.

Having these sores dry out is a good thing and if your girl is constantly at them, it can make the infection worse. I haven't read all the posts, sorry, bug has she been checked out by a vet? I'd get a skin scraping done and check for burrowing mites (dermodex mites maybe?).

Definitly give the Calendula rinse a try, but you really need to see about getting your dog to leave the wounds alone. The poor thing, I really feel for dogs with itchy skin.

[fbaudry]

Jed, it's definitely not yeast (wish it was that simple!)

RiverStarAura, she started itching after her 3rd puppy booster.

Nothing came up on skin scrapings, we went onto an elimination diet for 2 months with no changes at all, and we've been seeing a dermatologist vet for 18 months. She's been on a desensitization vaccine for 13 months now but I'm yet to say if it's working or not. She's not itching all the time, and I can't identify a pattern at all (weather, flowering plants etc).

She seems better coming back from boarding, and she is totally rich free when she's in season (dermatologist said they used hormone injections in the past to relieve allergies, but the sidle effects are too high and they do not precisely understand the correlation).

A collar might help with the spot she can chew at, but not all the parts she scratches with her hind legs.

The vet we were seeing at the beginning was really reluctant to refer me to a dermatologist, and didn't have an issue with her being on cortisone on a permanent basis, which I wasn't happy about.

[Steve]

A bit everywhere really...

Tail base, anus, thighs, inner thighs, armpits, chest area, around nipples, joint of front legs where they meet the body, middle of he back, flanks...

Not all at once but these are the most commonly affected areas. They're hard to find on the areas where the coat is heavier (long haired breed with feathering)

If you have crusty spots or broken skin you will need to be a bit more aggressive about treating them Apple Cidar vinegar will do the job but its got a bite even when its watered down. betadine spray or liquid which has iodine in it will also do what the ACV does but more expensive and less bitey. I can also give you a recipe to make a spray which includes Calendula but specifically designed to deal with open wounds. Even though you have to deal with what you see and what may trigger it the real problem is what is going on inside with the immune system.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Steve

[fbaudry]

I'd be interested in your recipe Steve!

Let me know if there are any ingredients I can get from you.

On the ACV topic, I've started adding a little bit to their drinking water and Penny has no issue drinking it, but Will won't touch it even when he's really thirsty. Ben a couple of drops in a 1 litre bowl is enough to put him off

Edited February 24, 2014 by fbaudry

[_PL_]

fbaudry, I always recommend Maritime Pine Bark extract (liquid) for immune system help. It's amazing stuff, you just pop it in their mouth or on food. :)

[Steve]

I'd be interested in your recipe Steve!

Let me know if there are any ingredients I can get from you.

On the ACV topic, I've started adding a little bit to their drinking water and Penny has no issue drinking it, but Will won't touch it even when he's really thirsty. Ben a couple of drops in a 1 litre bowl is enough to put him off

A blend of Lavender[Augustifolia] organic peppermint and organic sage added to the Calendula to target the crusty spots works well. Combine one part of the herb mix to 4 times the Calendula and place into a glass or stainless pot.Not Aluminium. Cover with water and bring to a gentle boil over moderate heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to stand until cooled. Strain the cooled fluid through a sieve. Then soak the dog's skin and coat and let him drip-dry.You can spray it on when ever you think of it.This will kill yeast and bacteria sooth it and make it feel relieved and stop the itch.

Edited to add this type of Lavender is edible and so are all the other herbs so it wont hurt if they get to eat some of the spent herbs to boost the immune system.

Based on what you have said kelp [Ascophyllum nodosum] should help and wont do any harm for the iodine especially if you use fluoride water. You pay the postage and Ill put a package together for you to give a try to.

[Jed]

I'd be interested in your recipe Steve!

Let me know if there are any ingredients I can get from you.

On the ACV topic, I've started adding a little bit to their drinking water and Penny has no issue drinking it, but Will won't touch it even when he's really thirsty. Ben a couple of drops in a 1 litre bowl is enough to put him off

Mine wont drink if there is ACV in the water. I put it on the food and mix it in. Gets a slightly better reception.

[trifecta]

I agree with you that this is an auto-immune condition, which is why I asked about the location of the crusty sores.

My Kelpie has pemphigus erythematosus (not suggesting that yours has!), but it took a homoeopathic vet to recognise it. Exposure to the sun & other environmental triggers make it flare up, but on the whole we keep it well under control with diet, limited time in the sun in spring & summer & avoiding certain types of grasses when they are growing vigorously, such as paspalum. Incidentally, the homoeopathic vet advised against ever vaccinating the dog again; Ringer was a foster failure, expounded at about 7 months of age &, of course, vaccinated & desexed shortly after joining our household.

[StubiePie]

Jed, it's definitely not yeast (wish it was that simple!)

RiverStarAura, she started itching after her 3rd puppy booster.

Nothing came up on skin scrapings, we went onto an elimination diet for 2 months with no changes at all, and we've been seeing a dermatologist vet for 18 months. She's been on a desensitization vaccine for 13 months now but I'm yet to say if it's working or not. She's not itching all the time, and I can't identify a pattern at all (weather, flowering plants etc).

She seems better coming back from boarding, and she is totally rich free when she's in season (dermatologist said they used hormone injections in the past to relieve allergies, but the sidle effects are too high and they do not precisely understand the correlation).

A collar might help with the spot she can chew at, but not all the parts she scratches with her hind legs.

The vet we were seeing at the beginning was really reluctant to refer me to a dermatologist, and didn't have an issue with her being on cortisone on a permanent basis, which I wasn't happy about.

Hi fbaudry, I thought I'd share my dog's skin condition story here.

My toy poodle had terrible skin for about 2 years, after many vet visits and tests, plus steroids trials, shots, ointment, vet recommended diet change and medicated shampoo, nothing worked! For 2 years, her skin condition got worse and worse, to a point her whole chest area, front and hind legs and paws became hairless and raw and crusty from the constant scratch and chew, her belly area is constantly bright red, my mean friend joked about her being drunk all the time. The only thing that could stop her from chewing herself was the cone, but as soon as I took it off, she went crazy at chewing which really made matters worse. At times she bled from the sore wound, it really broke my heart to see her like this.

I contacted the breeder and it's not something her parents had, so the breeder couldn't put her fingers on the condition either. I go home every day to find piles of dead skin flakes on the sofa, on the floor everywhere.

And she was thin for her size, 2.1 kgs at the time. Diet I have tried including every grain free premium and super premium brands kibble and can, BARF patties, homemade balanced raw (Dr. Karen Becker's book), home cooked elimination diet (Pork and sweet potato, Kangaroo and sweet potato/pumpkin), I see changes from homemade balanced raw diet, but it didn't eliminate her skin problem.

I tried organic raw apple cider vinegar rinse and spray method too, it made her skin more itchy and red, so that's a no go either. And fish oil, Krill oil, flaxseed oil, cod liver oil, coconut oil, vit E oil, you name it, I've tried them all, still no change.

I didn't give up, I researched on similar cases on the internet and doing food trials and trying different methods from successful cases. One day, I realized all her hair loss was at the bottom half of the body, the hair on her back and top of her head are completely normal, so I threw away a sofa and an armchair, which have been peed on and cleaned using chemical cleaning stuff, so I thought let's start fresh, I bought a new bed for the girls and new blanket and everything. And at about the same time, I started a new diet on her, which is raw chicken neck for breakfast and wild caught Alaskan can salmon (no salt version) with a bit of mashed sweet potato for dinner, nothing else. After a month, I started to see the changes, she still scratches but a lot less chewing, after another month, scratching and chewing reduced again, and 1 more month after that, I can hardly find dead skin in the house. She also put on weight, I remember she weighed 2.7kg at one stage and looked a bit chubbier and a lot healthier. I still bathed her with the Malaseb medicated shampoo each week, not sure if that helped her too. She was on the same diet for 6 months and I always wiped her feet clean every time she comes back from a walk or backyard, she continued to improve, and all the hair started to grow back, at first the texture of the poodle hair was really weird and in a darker color, after a couple of trims the hair became the same colour and texture as usual. All up it took 9-10 months for her to completely recover from the her skin condition.

I am not sure if it's the chemical free new sofa new dog bed or the food or something else that helped her, but what I found is GP vets they don't know too much about dog's skin problems, every one of them said she has food allergy and prescribed me with steroids, but in fact I know it's a lot more complicated than just food allergy, she had a suppressed immune system at the time, so the steroids she was on probably made it even worse, once her immune system is functioning properly, this so-called food allergy went away. Now she's on a dehydrated diet call Foodie Pooch, she eats all 4 varieties (chicken, kangaroo, lamb and pork) and I give her 2-3 eggs a week salmon and sardine twice week and chicken necks to chew on, with Greek yogurt and coconut oil and liver treats, and she still does scratch and lick her paw a bit after each bath, that's why I was really happy to find this thread and wanted to try the calendula tea bath for her. And I did try the Blooms brand on the weekend (that's before I purchased the organic stuff from Steve), the result was quite amazing, no other shampoo used just the tea, she didn't scratch or lick one bit after the bath, and it cleaned really well leaving a nice tea scent on her coat. So I can't wait to try Steve's organic calendula this weekend.

BTW, she's off flea treatment the whole time while recovering, not sure if that helped her, the area where I live doesn't get much fleas and she's an indoor dog, I use lavender and other herbs as a natural flea repellent.

I really hope you can find a way to help your puppy's skin problem!

[VizslaMomma]

Fbaudry, you mentioned carpets in the home & rugs. I wondered if you ever had them cleaned professionally with the load of chemicals they use? Friend in Drummoyne had issues with her poodle-cross. turns out the dog was responding to the chemicals after the carpet cleaning.

[fbaudry]

Last professional clean up was in 2008... Long before Penny came here. Carpet will go when we renovate, at least downstairs...

Thanks for sharing your experience StubiePie; your little girl seems to have had a horrible time with her skin. I too jumped on the bandwagon every time someone came up with a new miracle cure on DOL. Fish oil, cod liver, coconut, flaxseed, ACV, calendula... Ticked all the boxes but haven't found the magic cure. I realise they're not a panacea but I was hoping some of them might help alleviate the symptoms. My two still get flaxseed with their home made dinner and sardines once a week.

I know what you mean re regular vets; mine too just wanted to go down the steroids route and wasn't impressed I wasn't feeding a commercial diet.

If only I could be sure the carpet was the issue, I'd rip it up straightaway! I know their beds aren't the problem, because they gad them whilst boarding and she came back ok.