Is your dog licking or chewing itself?
He could be telling you something
It is more than likely he has an allergy - but how can you stop him itching?
The most common cause of allergies in dogs can be traced back to the food they are eating, and many holistic vets recommend switching any itchy dog to a complete and balanced home-prepared diet containing "real foods."
This will decrease the dog's exposure to unnecessary or complex chemicals and carbohydrate "fillers", e.g. cereals and grains used by so many of the larger commercial dog food manufacturers, and give his body the opportunity to utilise the higher-quality proteins and nutrients present in fresh foods.
Mother Nature intended dogs to be carnivores, raw is best, but whether you prepare a diet of cooked or raw, the increased nutrient quality and availability of fresh whole foods will improve the health of any dog who currently receives even the best dry or canned foods.
And in addition, fresh home cooked meals will take the pressure and strain of his pancreas of trying to produce the digestive enzyme "amylase", that is necessary for the digestion of refined carbohydrates, which is not natural for a dog.
"Feeding fresh, unprocessed, organic foods provides more of the building blocks for a healthy immune system", says Dr. Lisa Pesch, a holistic vet in Sebastopol CA. "Dogs who have allergies are more likely to be deficient in trace proteins and sugars (proteoglycans) that are needed by their immune systems. Deficiencies in these nutrients will increase dogs allergic responses".
For more information on diagnosing and treating allergies in your dog, please go to my Allergies section
This article and information forms part of the Carole's Doggie World Holistic Library and is presented for informational purposes only.The information is not intended to be a substitute for visits to your local vet. Instead, the content offers the reader information researched and written by Carole Curtis for www.carolesdoggieworld.com