[billy_big_bud!]

howdy pet lovers. i was just wondering if anyone has a link for how to treat pet ailments in a holistic manor? my best girl seems to have some irritated spots on her that i have diagnosed as mange. i dont want to bring her to the vet to treat it not only because i dont want to spend 150+ dollars for a visit and medication but i also want to try and avoid giving my dog un nessasary chemicals. dont get me wrong. if my dog is sick and needs meds that cost me my last dollar i wouldnt hesitate but i cant help but think that since dogs have had this ailment for dozens of years there must be a holistic simple solution like, baking soda and vinegar or something like that. any ideas?

[shroomologist]

My German Shepherd just had the same thing. I took her to the vet and it was a bacterial infection/allergic reaction. She needed some special shampoo and some pills. It's getting much better now, but the vet bill was $200 bucks. Oh well, that's part of being a pet owner. It's kinda like having a kid.

you need to go to the wet m8 thats why they are there and remember all the love your dog is giving you u can set a price on that ....Btw i lover dobberman.....she is A GOOD LOOKING GAL ..Louis did a dam good job when he wanted a gaurdian

[JJScorpio]

If you have diagnosed it as mange you better get her to a vet. I doubt that is what it is though.

A lot of dogs itch from dry skin when the weather gets cold. Try giving the dog a teaspoon of butter with her food a couple times a day to put a little more oil into the skin. You can try something like cocoa butter directly on the spots if the spots aren't where the dog can lick them.

It's probably best to get some cream from the vet for the spots....

[Dr Dog]

They sell this stuff called aloe pet around here, supposed to be good for all sorts of pet skin ailments

They may have it around where you are, they make enough money sellin this stuff to have billboards

i say use olive oil in the food and topical, here in the south us rednecks will get used motor oil from changing our own oil cause we know how and rub the old oil on the affected areas, sounds nasty but rub burnt motor oil all over it , really soak it,peace, im sure someone here will vouch for this old timey technique.

[Tarkus]

If it is mange though, and depending on the type, you can treat her yourself. I used a Lyme Sulfur dip on my dog, and it worked rather well. It took a lot of dips, and made her turn greenish (yellow from the sulfur, and she had blue skin) and stink like hell, but it was working big time. It took more dips than it would at a vet, but A) it was a lot cheaper! and B) it wasn't harsh chemicals like they use at a vet (hell, the concentrate eats rubber, dissolves ink, etc). I ordered it online, ordered the 30 ml bottle and they gave me the 60 ml every time. The last I left her she had been given about 24 dips, I think, and it made a remarkable improvement!! You could actually pet her without cringing.

But it only works on one type of mange, and you MUST GET IT DIAGNOSED FIRST!!!! Do not self diagnose, please. Hopefully it is just hot spots or something.

What kind of irritation are we talking about? Pleas describe if you can...

Dont forget Fish Oil Pills!! They seem to work wonders on all sorts of pet fur ailments. My Lab had a bald spot on his tail..a months worth of fish oil pills did away with it and his coat looks great!

id have to say go to the farm supply and get some "nustock" its a sulfer based product that works wonders on mange, cuts , ect. they may not have that brand but im shure there will be something simmilar. most of the stuff will be a sulfer base but there are a few that are not like the generic "blue save" that stuff works wonders too.
my stud horse got hurt bad in the leg and even the vet said he only had a 25% chance of living and the new stock/diesel fuel treatments worked wonders and hes a fat happy racking horse to this day. i know it may sound odd to use diesel fuel but my horse liked eating the bacon greese soaked bandages off his leg.

[stinkyattic]

I concur with fish oil (my old Boxer had skin problems and they cleared up after I put her on a diet that included canned mackerel, $.75 for 14 oz at the dollar store, and got her off dog food with corn in it).
Also, the farmers supply always has a great selection of veterinary products.
I think you need to get a definite diagnosis, though. There are two types of mange, and one (sarcoptic) is EXTREMELY contagious, so prompt and correct treatment is important.