O M G! Calendula Tea Rinse

[LisaCC]

The chemicals in calendula help new tissue grow in wounds and decrease swelling in the mouth and throat. Here's a study re active chemical properties. Link

Calendula rinse is best for dogs that have hotspots and eczema.It reduces the itch.

I can also whip you up lotions, creams and ointments with calendula extract for using on places such as sore paws, humans including a very beautiful one which has a goat's milk base and has worked like a miracle for humans and dogs.

When using the extract rather than the tea - oil and water don't mix so I have another magic addition which I use made from sugar cane to make the oil and water mix. To prevent bacteria you can add a few drops of rosemary oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil all of which are also great for itchy skin too.

And when you make it - anything you don't use you can freeze and use again tomorrow.

Dont use it orally if pregnant or breast feeding and Taking calendula orally along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.

Would this work on itchy paws?

My boy has improves a lot since I switched to grain free food but every now and then he still goes crazy on his feet.

[teekay]

So I've bought some Calendula flowers from my local Go Vita shop and am keen to try it on my Samoyed x GR tomorrow but just want to clarify. I don't shampoo her first? Just use the rinse? Do you just pour it over or rub it in? Sorry if these are dense questions but I want a clear picture in my mind before I do it. And how much do you think I would have to make up?

[teekay]

Would this work on itchy paws?

My boy has improves a lot since I switched to grain free food but every now and then he still goes crazy on his feet.

I was reading something the other day that was talking about licking at paws indicating a yeast problem? Unfortunately I can't for the life of me remember where I read it but it must have been a link from amthread on here. It also mentioned rust coloured fur on the paws. Does Nova have that at all?

[BC Crazy]

My male BC has itchy paws sometimes too. He has them atm. Not bad but he does bite at them & when I had a look, they look a little red around the pads. So yeast cause this to happen does it?

[Erny]

So I've bought some Calendula flowers from my local Go Vita shop and am keen to try it on my Samoyed x GR tomorrow but just want to clarify. I don't shampoo her first? Just use the rinse? Do you just pour it over or rub it in? Sorry if these are dense questions but I want a clear picture in my mind before I do it. And how much do you think I would have to make up?

Your assumptions are right.

Don't shampoo (shampooing can often upset the skin's pH balance, which sends things into a cycle of stripping and then over-doing things to correct the swing).

It's really a matter of saturating the skin, so whichever way you do it, that's the aim. Whether you use a (e.g.) flannel saturated and squeeze it to the skin (for a Samoyd or any thick/long-haird dog you'd need to part the hair to get to the skin) for specific target areas, or whether you do it as a bath and wet the dog all over until saturated to all of its skin - it's whatever works the best to be able to wet your dog up.

You can give a light towel off - just to take the excess from the coat, if you like. But doesn't matter too much. For the feet, I tend to pat dry (not rub) so the skin between the feet don't stay wet for too long.

How much tea you use depends on the amount of water. For 'spot' rinses, I use a single serve coffee plunger and for that I put in about 2 tablespoons of tea (probably a bit more because if I have a reason for it, I err on the side of generous).

A bath takes more - for this I put at least a fist full of the tea into the toe of a cut down stocking. I tie off the stocking. I fill the tub with about two inches of the hottest water and let the stocking I've prepared bob around in it until the water cools to at least tepid. Lift dog into bath (rubber mats to stop dog slipping) and use the stocking to wet the whole of the dog's body. My dog will respond to 'drop' even in a bath (not that he likes to) and that helps me to get the calendula tea bath water to soak up to and under his belly. I use the stocking to soak anywhere else.

Hope that explanation helps. There's no real science to it - just get the skin soaked with the brewed tea and leave it in. :)

Edited January 18, 2014 by Erny

[teekay]

Thanks Erny :)

[Erny]

Cheers :)

[teekay]

My male BC has itchy paws sometimes too. He has them atm. Not bad but he does bite at them & when I had a look, they look a little red around the pads. So yeast cause this to happen does it?

Ok I found the link. It was on here in a different thread. Here it is

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

Bugger ETA, that's not the link I was thinking of. I'll keep looking for it :)

Edited January 18, 2014 by teekay

[LisaCC]

Would this work on itchy paws?

My boy has improves a lot since I switched to grain free food but every now and then he still goes crazy on his feet.

I was reading something the other day that was talking about licking at paws indicating a yeast problem? Unfortunately I can't for the life of me remember where I read it but it must have been a link from amthread on here. It also mentioned rust coloured fur on the paws. Does Nova have that at all?

He was checked for yeast when I mentioned it to the vet and there wasn't any. It was all the time before I switched foods, and not just his feet, but now it's rarely, I saw him with his entire back foot in his mouth yesterday!

[teekay]

Ok found the correct link now :)

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

[Steve]

So I've bought some Calendula flowers from my local Go Vita shop and am keen to try it on my Samoyed x GR tomorrow but just want to clarify. I don't shampoo her first? Just use the rinse? Do you just pour it over or rub it in? Sorry if these are dense questions but I want a clear picture in my mind before I do it. And how much do you think I would have to make up?

Your assumptions are right.

Don't shampoo (shampooing can often upset the skin's pH balance, which sends things into a cycle of stripping and then over-doing things to correct the swing).

It's really a matter of saturating the skin, so whichever way you do it, that's the aim. Whether you use a (e.g.) flannel saturated and squeeze it to the skin (for a Samoyd or any thick/long-haird dog you'd need to part the hair to get to the skin) for specific target areas, or whether you do it as a bath and wet the dog all over until saturated to all of its skin - it's whatever works the best to be able to wet your dog up.

You can give a light towel off - just to take the excess from the coat, if you like. But doesn't matter too much. For the feet, I tend to pat dry (not rub) so the skin between the feet don't stay wet for too long.

How much tea you use depends on the amount of water. For 'spot' rinses, I use a single serve coffee plunger and for that I put in about 2 tablespoons of tea (probably a bit more because if I have a reason for it, I err on the side of generous).

A bath takes more - for this I put at least a fist full of the tea into the toe of a cut down stocking. I tie off the stocking. I fill the tub with about two inches of the hottest water and let the stocking I've prepared bob around in it until the water cools to at least tepid. Lift dog into bath (rubber mats to stop dog slipping) and use the stocking to wet the whole of the dog's body. My dog will respond to 'drop' even in a bath (not that he likes to) and that helps me to get the calendula tea bath water to soak up to and under his belly. I use the stocking to soak anywhere else.

Hope that explanation helps. There's no real science to it - just get the skin soaked with the brewed tea and leave it in. :)

Some times you need a shampoo too - long as you get one designed for dogs with the ph balanced for dogs and no soap - depends how the dog lives and how dirty it is. We have a shampoo for sensitive skin which has calendula in it.

[Erny]

So I've bought some Calendula flowers from my local Go Vita shop and am keen to try it on my Samoyed x GR tomorrow but just want to clarify. I don't shampoo her first? Just use the rinse? Do you just pour it over or rub it in? Sorry if these are dense questions but I want a clear picture in my mind before I do it. And how much do you think I would have to make up?

Your assumptions are right.

Don't shampoo (shampooing can often upset the skin's pH balance, which sends things into a cycle of stripping and then over-doing things to correct the swing).

It's really a matter of saturating the skin, so whichever way you do it, that's the aim. Whether you use a (e.g.) flannel saturated and squeeze it to the skin (for a Samoyd or any thick/long-haird dog you'd need to part the hair to get to the skin) for specific target areas, or whether you do it as a bath and wet the dog all over until saturated to all of its skin - it's whatever works the best to be able to wet your dog up.

You can give a light towel off - just to take the excess from the coat, if you like. But doesn't matter too much. For the feet, I tend to pat dry (not rub) so the skin between the feet don't stay wet for too long.

How much tea you use depends on the amount of water. For 'spot' rinses, I use a single serve coffee plunger and for that I put in about 2 tablespoons of tea (probably a bit more because if I have a reason for it, I err on the side of generous).

A bath takes more - for this I put at least a fist full of the tea into the toe of a cut down stocking. I tie off the stocking. I fill the tub with about two inches of the hottest water and let the stocking I've prepared bob around in it until the water cools to at least tepid. Lift dog into bath (rubber mats to stop dog slipping) and use the stocking to wet the whole of the dog's body. My dog will respond to 'drop' even in a bath (not that he likes to) and that helps me to get the calendula tea bath water to soak up to and under his belly. I use the stocking to soak anywhere else.

Hope that explanation helps. There's no real science to it - just get the skin soaked with the brewed tea and leave it in. :)

Some times you need a shampoo too - long as you get one designed for dogs with the ph balanced for dogs and no soap - depends how the dog lives and how dirty it is. We have a shampoo for sensitive skin which has calendula in it.

Agree, Steve, which is where I was a bit careful to say "can often". Although if a dog already has skin irritation, I prefer to avoid anything that suds until that at least has been brought under control. In my own experience (for myself and my dog) I find the straight Calendula Tea rinse the best, although there can be specific times/reasons why a Calendula Tea (e.g.) lotion might be the choice to make. (Eg. I used the Calendula Tea lotion when I had a tattoo done - for its soothing, healing effects and also as something to moisturise.)

Edited January 18, 2014 by Erny

[Yonjuro]

I just want to check if this is okay...

I used around a teaspoon in 400ml of boiling water, left for about half an hour to steep. and then transferred when cool to a spray bottle and soaked by husky puppy who has been scratching a bit. I massaged into his skin.

Is this about the right strength, the tea was a pale yellow?

Edited January 18, 2014 by Yonjuro

[BC Crazy]

Ok found the correct link now :)

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

Thanks teekay for the link. Will read with great interest :)

[Steve]

Ok found the correct link now :)

http://healthypets.m...like-crazy.aspx

Thanks teekay for the link. Will read with great interest :)

Calendula will cover yeast

[BC Crazy]

Will it Steve. I sure my boy has this issue as he has ticked off just about every symptom. I will find your link to purchase some then, thanks. I was going to buy some for my first aid kit but since Sonny seems to be biting his feet more with the warmer weather I will buy it sooner. He also has some brown rust like staining around his mouth that I notice also gets a lot worse when his feet annoy him. I'm thinking this too is some kind of yeast infection???? I did treat it with Angel Eye's & it went completely away but as soon as I finished the bottle, the infection returned.

[Erny]

Yes - Calendula Tea helps with yeast issues. Used on the skin, it helps to cleanse the skin of the yeast build up and its antibacterial qualities helps to ward off secondary skin infections that can arise as a result of the yeast issue.

But if the initial cause of the over production of yeast persists, the Calendula Tea won't cure. But it can help.

ETA : BC Crazy - if you used Angel Eye's and the problem completely disappeared until you stopped, this is a big indication that the problem causing the yeast infection has not been addressed. For example, if you're feeding your dog a diet that might be promoting the over-production of yeast and you keep feeding that diet, any treatment you give to address the symptoms will do only just that - treat the symptoms. But it won't stop the over-production or whatever imbalance until you address the actual cause.

Remember that sometimes things are less direct than what we imagine. For example : If a body's digestion is working hard to digest a particular something that is a component of a diet, it may mean that its system is not working to its optimum and something, somewhere in the body misses out on something. If that misses out on something, that generally affects something else and so on and so forth. And then we have an "imbalance". And that can allow the over-production of yeast (amongst other things) because the body can't keep things as in balance as it otherwise might.

So there is not always a black and white answer as to what single thing to avoid - it might mean a complete look into what foods will allow the digestion to work less hard and nourish each organ as well as any system could. 'Cleaning' up a diet and working from very simple but balanced is, in my humble and not-professionally-educated opinion is the way to go. And again, in my opinion, that means taking a peak at the olden days when the food we fed was more simple and natural to dogs.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Erny

[BC Crazy]

Erny, thanks so much for your advice. I had a feeling this was the case. My next question is where do I go from here???

I have him on a 70% home made raw diet atm & 30% premium quality grain free dry food.

When you say take it back to very basic but balanced. Could you advice me on this or point me in the right direction for help

With this as I am unsure but so want to get it right as we do alot of exercise & I don't want him running on empty.

Edited January 18, 2014 by BC Crazy

[Erny]

I'm no nutritionist expert, BC Cazy. Most of my own learning has come from first-hand experience with my current dog "Mandela" whom I'm sure you've read around the traps here of his early problematic beginnings, to now. When it all started, I really didn't know where to go or what to do. The only thing I did do was I avoided use of antibiotics and cortisone (that's where the great use of Calendula Tea came in - phew!, life saver!!) and worked as hard as possible to find out what the problem was. My boy did not do well on any dry food (top of the range stuff was all I tried). In my boy's case, hives, boils, and other skin eruptive lesions, as well as yeast over-production, were all a part of his symptoms. So, my boy is a big exaggeration of what you may be experiencing, but nonetheless not necessarily dissimilar. Hope that makes sense.

After running the gauntlet of all the likely/possible dry/commercial foods (yep - I was scared to go to a DIY diet back then because he was just a growing pup), veterinary lines inclusive, I finally ran out of likely, plausible alternatives. (And yes, I'd had every plausible test run imaginable - as much as I thought feasible and not detrimental to his condition.)

So then I turned to the Augustine's Approved recommended diet. I'm not here to push or sell this diet - others may have knowledge of what a complete, total balanced raw diet is - but I needed something to not only BE right, but to help my boy's system, which was obviously under a good deal of stress and needed nurturing. In essence, this diet is about raw meat, selection of raw (blended) vegetables (to a ratio), the addition of coconut oil and also the AA's own product of a mix of herbal supplements. Each component included for nutritional value and also to promote harmony within the system.

What is right for one dog isn't always right for another. In my dog's case, the salivary tests I undertook through Dr Jean Dodds showed my boy was sensitive to every commonly available meat protein source and even to those not so common. (Disclaimer : whether this test is relevant for Aussies is a question mark in my mind, as the base line for testing would be relevant to what the USA cattle/sheep/etc are fed, not necessarily what the Aussie Cattle/sheep/etc are fed. But it was a basic guideline, at least. And my dog pretty much confirmed certain things as he had already begun to refuse to eat beef, then lamb, then chicken. But anyway, I digress …)

So I went for one simple meat protein - one that is as organic as one can reasonably readily get and one my dog would eat. i.e. Kangaroo. And I had to balance it with something. And that's where (for me) AA came in. That was two years ago - the longest so far I've been able to feed my dog anything without him turning off it and him being the most abdominally comfortable that I've seen him since he first began to exhibit symptoms (which was about 5 years ago).

I guess I've rambled on a lot here when really what I'm saying here is "start with the KIS" mind-set, and work upwards from there.

ETA: If the home-made raw diet you have him on is one which could be considered as balanced, why not increased that to 100% and drop the commercial? Give it time - watch (patiently) and wait, to see if the yeast balance rights itself. You can use the calendula tea rinse in the mean time, to keep the symptoms in check. If it doesn't right things, then perhaps the problem relates to the raw-diet components. But at least you're working one thing at a time to narrow it down some.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Erny

[Rosetta]

Does the tea stain the coat on white fluffies?