Lasareina Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Came across this on the K9pro site and wondered if anyone has tried it? Hunter periodically gets little bumps on the back and shoulders which scab over and I'm starting to think they may be hot spots rather than the allergy reaction I assumed. It doesn't seem to bother him at all and I would like to try something natural and chemical free to see if it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I will be following this thread as I was thinking of adding this product to our caravaning doggie first aid bag :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Came across this on the K9pro site and wondered if anyone has tried it? Hunter periodically gets little bumps on the back and shoulders which scab over and I'm starting to think they may be hot spots rather than the allergy reaction I assumed. It doesn't seem to bother him at all and I would like to try something natural and chemical free to see if it helps. why not try calendula tea ? it's great for all sorts of things :) read about it HERE!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 i have some calendula tea at home which I will also try ... Hunter isn't very fond of me pouring it on him, I think I probably need a calendula cream. I feel like its not concentrated enough when brewed and applied as a liquid although that's probably just in my head. I guess the same thing could be said for the salt spray come to that! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 you don't need to pour it .. I use a sponge - warm the liquid..and part hair on a longer haired dog ..then rub on/in with the sponge . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I used something similar on a horse. I nearly got my head kicked in!!! It is quite ouchy if you are spraying onto open wounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essentialdog Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 As a formulator, my guess is the calendula cream would contain about 1% calendula extract or approx 5% calendula infused oil. I use a high quality calendula infused in olive oil - can be used as a spot on treatment and is fantastic for healing hot spots and wounds. Another good remedy is directly applying the inside pulp of an aloe vera plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 good point Jules I guess it would be a bit ouchy might have to have a proper go with the calendula tea or get some cream/oil maybe. Mum has a huge aloe vera plant so I might give that a shot as well! thanks for the help guys :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I haven't used Vet Aid Sea Salt Spray on a dog, but have used it on horses for a) rain scald & b) a fungal thing going on underneath the mane. I have also used it on myself & didn't find it ouchy at all. It worked really well on the horses.... only needed a couple of applications. I had a problem with the nozzle becoming blocked & the pump failing, but to their credit, k9pro replaced it no questions asked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) Could be hives? And this might be the system's way of ridding the body of toxins that the liver isn't dealing with. Which could possibly relate to some dietary (and ergo, digestive) issue? All surmise and only one of any possibilities. Go the Calendula Tea. And I'm more a fan of straight brewed tea, rather than the creams, for things such as you described. It helps the skin heal and dry up, rather than becoming 'clogged' with the cream base. Also doesn't attract nor hold dirt or scurf. I've used it very successfully with cases of hives outbreak (both severe and otherwise) with my boy. And see THIS THREAD for recent use and success. I like the KIS principal. :) ETA: I haven't tried Sea Salt Spray. But I am inclined to prefer Calendula Tea, where it will work. There's nothing particularly 'drying' about it. It's gentle to healthy skin, yet carries effective anti-fungal, anti-bacterial qualities. Edited September 16, 2014 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 (edited) oh I will have to go google hives now - so many thinks it could be with skin issues, and I find my vet hasn't been very helpful in the past except for suggesting steroids if it gets worse. What fun would it be if it was easy i guess :laugh: He is on a raw diet based on BARF which doesn't really change at all so I'm hoping it isn't diet. He did used to get a lot of rashes when we had him on kibble, got a bit better on grain free kibble, and then hasn't really had them at all since being on raw. I did notice this morning that he has started licking his foot as well so hopefully this isn't the start of a saga! ok I will kick my butt into gear again with the calendula and give it a proper go. Edited September 16, 2014 by Lasareina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 oh wow ... I think it is hives! it looks way more like that than hot spots. thanks Erny... I will go do a bit of research on hives now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 This is the time of year hives are more likely to occur. With lawn going to seed & things like that. If your dog lays on your lawn for instance. My male always gets slightly itchy feet at this time of year only for a couple of weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 yeah I think it must be something in the garden chaninging as everything else is pretty much the same. The only other thing i can think of which is different is a new fabric softener, so maybe it is that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 (edited) oh I will have to go google hives now - so many thinks it could be with skin issues, and I find my vet hasn't been very helpful in the past except for suggesting steroids if it gets worse. What fun would it be if it was easy i guess :laugh: He is on a raw diet based on BARF which doesn't really change at all so I'm hoping it isn't diet. He did used to get a lot of rashes when we had him on kibble, got a bit better on grain free kibble, and then hasn't really had them at all since being on raw. I did notice this morning that he has started licking his foot as well so hopefully this isn't the start of a saga! ok I will kick my butt into gear again with the calendula and give it a proper go. Hope the Calendula Tea resolves the symptoms. I've managed to keep my dog clear of cortisone by using CT to control the symptoms. Just something as 'food for thought' (and no intended pun). We do tend to look 'outside' for the "cause" to problems that haven't presented before. But just because they haven't presented before, doesn't mean the problems wasn't just bubbling up inside. It could be that the system was dealing with the problem (eg. liver working to clear the system of toxins) but then, after a while, because the system is working so hard it becomes tired and isn't able to deal with it as well as it was. Ergo, the body looks for another route through which it can look after the body by ridding itself of those toxins, and this is commonly via the skin. Possible theory : My boy is super-sensitive to what he eats, more than I've ever experienced or known of through other dogs. In the early days, his system seemed to 'cope' with the food I fed him. Then it 'blew'. Altered diet and things would settle, then after a period of months (anywhere between 6-10 months), it would happen all over again. BARF was one of the diets I trialled - it didn't work either. For other dogs who perhaps aren't quite so sensitive, I raise the possibility that there still could be something bubbling, but because it isn't as sensitive, perhaps it can take longer before the system chucks it in a bit. So what I'm saying is, don't close your mind to the diet or some small part of the diet contributing in some way or another. Many people will spend hours/days/months or even years working to find what grasses, what external triggers can be associated with their dog's skin issues. I'm inclined to look inwards, and work to find out why the dog's system can't cope with these common allergens, and then strive to balance the system, to make it stronger. At least in the meanwhile, the use of the Calendula Tea can keep things at bay, sooth them, heal them, and help to thwart secondary skin infections that occur. But in itself, it is not a cure to the reason for the outbreak in the first place. Here's a picture of a portion of Mandela's body showing hive break-out. This particular hive break-out was the worst he had (this was back in 2010) - they covered pretty much his whole body - and was when I found and began using Calendula Tea. Before CT use, the hives would erupt and the scabs would have an 'oil' feel to them. After use of the CT, the hives reduced in size 50% and the scabs from the erupted hives were dry. The skin then began to heal and hair would re-grow. Over the years, we've had hive out-breaks since then but the hives are considerably smaller and tend to be only a few by comparison to the big out-break. Edited September 17, 2014 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 (edited) This is Mandela's coat in more recent times (last month). He hasn't had a bath for almost 1 year and even then I don't use shampoos or conditioners (I only ever use CT to wash him in). Edited September 17, 2014 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Oh wow !! Look how healthy Mandela is now He is glowing Erny. Just beautiful :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 (edited) Thanks BCC. It's taken some work and it's not over, but he's a long way from where he was when things were thrown at us left, right and centre, almost all at once. Even the naturopath we were under back then for 12 months ran out of ideas for him. Mainstay success over the past 2-3 years has been his current diet (courtesy Augustines Approved); Natural supplements courtesy Ross Wilson at Coburg Health (via hair DNA sample), including use of Lugol's Solution for times of boil out-break in feet; and Calendula Tea (courtesy Dr Bruce Syme). Edited September 17, 2014 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 Amazing :) A lot of trail & error by all account. It is whatever works for your dog, isn't it. I love Augustines. I tried the Superboost when Sonny was recovering from a food intolerance. Also used it from time to time when Stella wasn't well with rapid, noticeable improvement in over all condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lasareina Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 Wow Mandela has a gorgeous coat Erny! That was certainly a worrying break out though, the poor boy! I'm not really sure how I could make his food less likely to cause any issues... unless maybe it is one of the veggies we mince up in it? His diet is pretty much beef mince, chicken wings or chicken frames, minced up fruit or veggies, an egg, animal naturals omega oil and VAN health booster supplement. The veggies/fruit usually include carrot, apple, banana, celery or silverbeet. I have just ordered the some meat from Instincto which supplies meat specifically for raw feeding here in QLD... it is all preservative free so maybe that will help. We are currently feeding human grade though so I thought it would be ok. Hunter only has 1 or 2 little bumps at a time, and other than this (and the sudden paw licking ) seems in otherwise good condition. Coat is nice and shiny (although doesn't look as shiny as Mandela, especially in photos :laugh: ), bright eyes, no poop issues, weight seems good etc. I'm trying to find a recent photo where he isn't wet or in a life jacket haha... obviously meed to dig the camera out more often.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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