Dog skin conditions are very troublesome to treat as often the cause of the problem is an inappropriate diet, full of hollow foods that become irritants to the skin. Lotions and potions generally do not have a long term affect and the many creams that are used, help for a while only to see the condition flare up with vengeance.
The following information is offered to broaden the debate on the effectiveness of good nutrition and a balanced diet for the dog with a skin condition.
Skin conditions are complex and often difficult to treat
The skin is the largest organ in the body and is often considered to be one of the hardest systems to treat. This is due to the exposure to the environment and the affect diet can have, both adverse and favourable. With the many skin conditions that can develop in our dogs, it is a sadness when we see the pain, discomfort and suffering they go through.
Often the successful management of skin conditions starts with the diet, yet this concept is often overlooked for the more aggressive and suppressive treatments such as cortisone based creams and lotions. It should be noted that cortisone is a very good treatment in the initial stages to help bring some comfort, however, as a single treatment may cause more harm in the long term.
Back to the basics can offer profound healing
By going back to basics to consider the foods the dog is being fed, the environment in which the dog is living and what the hydration level is, are the standard ways to gather useful information to help the dog overcome the ravages of skin conditions, and renew and revive the skin to a healthy state.
Consideration has to be given to the age of the dog, the type of skin condition, how long foods have been fed to the dog are the starting point in determining what to change in order to commence a healing process.
Hot, angry, inflamed and pustule conditions are common to see in the modern day dog. In many cases it is pelleted or tinned foods that are the culprits and a slow gradual change to the diet to a natural, cooling diet can start the healing process.
Cooling foods helps the body to balance
Mother nature offers cooling and nutritious foods that are readily available, cost efficient and healing. The trilogy of foods to commence the healing process are:
- Pumpkin
- Kangaroo meat
- Green tripe (raw not cooked see your local butcher)
The blend of the above foods is fantastic as they are cooling and nutritious. It is important that the meat is not cooked and the pumpkin is cubed and lightly steamed to el dente to allow a softening while ensuing nutrients are intact. Add the water the pumpkin has been steamed or lightly cooked in to preserve the nutritional level.
An additional supplement that works well is flaxseed oil. The dose would range from 2.5mls x 2 day for a small dog to 1 tablespoon x 2 day for a larger breed. Added to food works well.
Conclusion
The combina
tion recommended will generally assist the body to ‘cool’ and it’s this that often assists recovery from aggressive skin conditions. In addition, the nutritional value is high in supporting each and every cell in the body.
Foods as medicine are thousands of years old and have helped mankind and animals survive. Today is no different and with the plethora of tinned and dried foods we are seeing an increase in serious dog skin conditions, heart conditions, cancer and other serious diseases brought about by foods that are being consumed.
I do hope this information assists dogs and owners to take the path of discovery into the wonderful world of nutrition for dogs.