How to Heal Your Dog’s Itchy Skin Through Natural Remedies

In this blog, you’ll learn how Dr. Katie, The Natural Pet Doctor, utilised the power of nutrition and natural remedies to support and heal Finley’s skin. With her years of veterinary experience and deep knowledge of holistic pet care, Dr. Katie shares invaluable insights to help you optimise your canine companion’s health and vitality naturally. 

In my practice as a holistic veterinarian, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing many transformative journeys to healing, but none quite as remarkable as that of Finley, a cherished patient in our Blueprint program who battled persistent skin issues that were impacting not only Finley’s life but also her moms through the constant worry and stress over Finley not feeling good.   

You may resonate where Finley’s moms life revolved around using a cone and not being able to leave her at home for long periods of time due to scratching herself raw.  

Finley’s journey was not just about managing symptoms; it was about delving deep into the root causes of her condition and addressing them holistically to restore her to health and vitality. In this article, I share Finley’s inspiring story and the holistic approach that led to her remarkable recovery so that you can also see what’s needed to help your itchy dog truly heal. 

When Finley first came to me, she was plagued by incessant itchiness and skin inflammation under chin, despite conventional treatments like steroids. Finley, a 9 year old spayed female Labrador Retriever, came to me for additional help and support after experiencing chronic ear infections, skin sores on her abdomen and thickened skin under her chin. She was not responding to several years of conventional medications and her symptoms were getting worse.  

The Gut-Skin Connection 

Recognizing the intricate connection between gut health and skin health, I knew that merely addressing her symptoms would not be enough. The gut-skin axis, a complex interplay between the gastrointestinal tract and the skin, plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being. Imbalances in the gut microbiome can manifest as inflammation and irritation on the skin, leading to symptoms like itchiness and redness.  

With this in mind, we embarked on a journey to heal Finley’s gut, recognizing it as a key component in addressing her skin issues at their source, while also rebalancing her immune system.  

The immune influence 

In addition to healing Finley’s gut, it was essential to address her overactive immune system, which was contributing to the inflammation and autoimmune response underlying her symptoms. Conventional treatments like steroids aimed to suppress Finley’s immune response, but they failed to address the underlying dysregulation driving her symptoms. Instead, I sought to support Finley’s immune system in finding balance, using a combination of holistic remedies and fresh food nutrition aimed at modulating her immune response and reducing inflammation. 

Discover more about the role of the immune system and ways to support it naturally in Dr Katie’s blog, The Basics of Dog Immunity and Nutritional Support. 

Emotional support matters 

Beyond the physical manifestations of her condition, I recognized the importance of addressing Finley’s emotional well-being as part of her holistic treatment plan. Stress and anxiety can exacerbate inflammation, weaken the immune system, and even create leaky gut, making it essential to support Finley’s emotional health as she navigated her healing journey. Through a combination of environmental enrichment and targeted supplements aimed at promoting relaxation and emotional balance, I worked to keep inflammation at bay from both inside and out. 

If a pet is stuck in a sympathetic dominant state, which is fight or flight, the body is not capable of healing itself.  Using herbs like chamomile in the food, or making sure that our pets are receiving enough exercise and environmental enrichment is key to helping them shift into a healing, parasympathetic dominant state so that they recuperate.  

Taking care of yourself, as a pet parent, is also key in their healing journey.  Simple tools like journaling, deep breathing, EFT tapping and even writing down gratitude each morning can help us reset our stress levels to be even more resilient to help your pet heal.  

Diet reset 

Central to Finley’s healing journey was a fundamental transformation in her diet. Finley had already been switched from kibble to a lightly cooked prior to partnering with me for her care. However, there seemed to be some limitation to this diet, because Finley’s skin symptoms continued to worsen.  

Recognizing the profound impact of nutrition on overall health and healing, Finley’s family transitioned her to a balanced raw diet rich in proteins like turkey, rabbit, and white cod. These high-quality proteins provided the essential amino acids and nutrients needed for tissue repair and immune function, laying the foundation for Finley’s healing process.  

Using these types of proteins is energetically cooling, tapping into the power of Chinese food therapy.  Prior to our work together, she had been on a lightly cooked diet that included lamb and chicken which are both energetically warm

Additionally, whole food sources of omega-3 fatty acids and zinc were incorporated into Finley’s diet to support her skin health and reduce inflammation. Through the power of nourishing, whole foods, Finley’s body received the vital nutrients needed to thrive and heal. Food was not enough to heal all the symptoms that were off initially, but by using a diet that was supportive to healing Finley’s imbalances, we removed the resistance to healing that was occurring previously by using energetically warm foods.  

To learn more about raw feeding for dogs, ProDog’s guide, Raw Dog Food for Beginners, is an excellent resource. ProDog also offers a wide range of raw dog food meal options, featuring a variety of high-quality proteins. This extensive selection can help you fine-tune your dog’s diet to address health issues. 

In addition to nutrition, herbs played a pivotal role in Finley’s holistic healing journey, serving as powerful allies in addressing her specific needs and restoring balance to her body.  

Adrenal support from glandulars emerged as a cornerstone of Finley’s herbal regimen, working to regulate her stress response and bolster her adrenal glands. This support not only helped Finley navigate the challenges of her condition with greater resilience but also played a crucial role in mitigating the effects of stress-induced inflammation on her skin.  

Additionally, medicinal mushrooms, such as Reishi, were incorporated into Finley’s treatment plan to enhance her immune function and dampen histamine responses, providing much-needed relief from allergy-related symptoms. 

Herbs like Eleuthero and chamomile were selected for their calming and soothing properties, offering Finley a natural means of alleviating anxiety and promoting relaxation. These gentle yet effective herbs not only helped to soothe Finley’s frazzled nerves but also contributed to a sense of overall well-being while allowing her body to start healing the chronic inflammation that was present. 

Nutraceuticals, such as Quercetin with bromelain, played a crucial role in reducing excess histamine levels in Finley’s body, thereby alleviating inflammation and itchiness. Often referred to as “nature’s Benadryl,” this synergistic blend of compounds not only addressed the symptoms of Finley’s allergies but also supported the healing of her inflamed gut lining, addressing the root cause of her discomfort. 

ProDog’s Protect supplement is an all-in-one dietary addition designed to target the root causes of allergies. Protect includes several of the key ingredients discussed here. If consulting with a holistic vet to create a bespoke dietary plan for your pet’s itch and allergy symptoms isn’t feasible, a ProDog supplement blend may be an excellent starting point. 

For personalized advice, you can contact ProDog Raw for free one-on-one guidance from their canine nutritionist team. 

Topical relief and detox 

While addressing the underlying causes of Finley’s allergies, topical applications of herbs like calendula oil provided much-needed symptom relief. Calendula, known for its soothing properties, helped to heal irritated skin and alleviate discomfort, providing Finley with relief from the incessant itching and scratching that had plagued her. Using colloidal silver topically also provided natural antibacterial and antifungal properties to help with the healing process.  

Detoxification support played a crucial role in Finley’s healing journey, helping to rid her body of toxins and inflammatory chemicals that had accumulated over time. By supporting liver and gut health with gentle yet effective detox protocols, including broccoli sprouts, milk thistle, and burdock root, these herbs facilitated the removal of harmful substances from her body, allowing her to experience relief from inflammation and a renewed sense of well-being. 

Through the synergistic effects of these herbal remedies, which targeted not only Finley’s skin but also her gut health, immune system, and detox pathways, Finley found relief from her symptoms and experienced a newfound sense of balance and vitality.  

This holistic approach to healing not only addressed the surface-level symptoms of Finley’s condition but also worked to restore harmony and equilibrium to her entire being, paving the way for lasting health and well-being. 

Through our dedicated efforts to delve into the root cause of Finley’s symptoms and adopt a comprehensive approach to her care, we were able to guide her body back to a state of equilibrium and robust health within six months of our collaborative journey.  

Today, Finley not only thrives, but her once-troubling skin issues have vanished, allowing her to revel in a life brimming with joy, comfort, and overall well-being. Her remarkable transformation stands as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of holistic healing in addressing complex pet skin issues and restoring our beloved companions to their innate state of vitality. 

The path to true healing 

It’s essential to recognize that many health conditions, particularly allergies, are often only superficially assessed, with treatment focused solely on symptom management. This approach fails to address the underlying imbalances that give rise to these symptoms in the first place.  

Without this vital understanding, pets and their owners can become trapped in a cycle of repeated visits to the vet clinic, with no lasting resolution to their pet’s health issues. By embracing a holistic approach that addresses the root cause of illness, we can break free from this cycle and pave the way for genuine healing and lasting well-being. 

As a holistic veterinarian, it is my honor and privilege to guide my patients on their healing journeys, and Finley’s remarkable recovery will forever serve as a source of inspiration and hope for all who encounter frustrating chronic health issues. 

Remember, true healing embraces all facets of the body’s interconnected systems, relying on fresh, minimally processed nutrition and nature’s healing remedies, such as herbs, to address root causes and pave the way for vibrant health and longevity for both you and your pets. 

You don’t need to go it alone 

If you’re struggling with your pet’s itching and are ready to find a real solution, if you feel alone trying to figure out why your pet is scratching so much, just like Finley was,  there are options available to you. 

Dr. Katie Woodley offers a free gut health course, accessible via this link. It’s an excellent starting point for dog parents exploring the root causes of their dog’s excessive itching. 

For raw feeding advice or guidance on supplements tailored to your dog’s needs, consulting a ProDog canine nutritionist is a great first step. They can provide expert recommendations and help you get started with a diet reset for your dog.