Treating dogs dermatitis at home is not an easy job. Dermatitis (prefix: dermis, meaning “Skin” & suffix: titis, meaning “swelling or inflammation“) causes moderate to severe swelling on a dog’s body which becomes more irritating and unpleasant over time.
In the following piece of article, I decided to share some effective home remedies for the treatment of skin allergies in dogs.
Home Remedies for Dermatitis in Dogs
Contents
Plain Yogurt
Yogurt possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. You may apply plain yogurt on your pet’s skin and rinse off after 10-15 minutes. It soothes the itchy, flaky, irritating, and sore skin.
Chamomile and Herbal Tea Soaks
Simply dip some tea bags or chamomile into a water (bath) tub and put your furry friend into it. Let the pet’s skin soaking the positive effects of the chamomile and tea bags for some minutes.
You may repeat the procedure after 12 hours or as needed. This will definitely relieve the symptoms of allergic dermatitis for a short period of time.
Tea Tree Oil
It soothes dry, irritating, scaly, itchy, and inflamed skin in dogs. Simply put few drops of tea tree oil onto a (sterilized) gauze or cotton piece and place it on the affected (swollen) area for a few seconds (30 seconds).
Tea tree oil is oil-based, so it cannot dissolve into the water. So you can’t add it into a water tub and have your pet a tea tree oil bath.
Apple Cider Vinegar
One of the best home treatments for allergic dermatitis in dogs at home (without going to a veterinarian).
ACV possesses incredible anti-bacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. It fights against the germs of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, etc. Hence may be used to treat or prevent secondary infections caused by allergens.
It contains anti-inflammatory properties, so would be a great choice when considering using dog dermatitis treatment at home.
It relieves the symptoms, i.e. itchiness, irritations, swelling or inflammation, redness, and dryness of the skin within a few minutes of use.
Just pour some drops of pure apple cider vinegar into a bath tube (containing clean water) and put your dog into the tub for a while (10 to 15 minutes). Let the dog’s body soaking the magical effects. Now take your pet out of the tub and dry him (completely).
You may also give apple cider vinegar to a dog orally. Simply put some drops in drinking water and give them to your pet. It will help in the healing process of the wounds and help dogs to fight against the germs of harmful microbes.
Coconut Oil
It also possesses anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Put some drops of coconut oil onto a sterilized (germ-free) cotton ball or gauze and place it onto the affected area.
Keep the cotton ball or sterilized gauze piece (that was dipped into the coconut oil) onto the affected area of your dog’s skin for a while.
After twenty to thirty minutes (20-30 mins), you may rinse it off with clean (sterilized) water. Don’t forget to dry your dog.
Coconut oil may help in treating dermatitis in dogs at home (without visiting a pet clinic). It soothes dry, irritating, itchy, swollen, red, and scaly skin.
Oatmeal Bath
If your dog is feeling irritated and he is scratching, chewing, or licking his body parts (that could be paws, legs, abdominal area, etc), continuously. It has been suffering from allergic disorders.
An oatmeal bath may definitely help him to relieve the symptoms of skin disorders that are making him miserable.
Add some oatmeal into the water tub (containing pure water). Put your dog into the tub and let him soaks the good effects of oatmeal (that has been added into the water tub). Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and take your pet out. Dry and clean him properly.
Keep in mind that home remedies or treatments are temporary. They cannot treat allergies or severe skin diseases in dogs, i.e. dermatitis, atopic dermatitis (eczema, a chronic hereditary disease), etc permanently. Visiting a vet clinic is the better solution and way to minimize complications.
How Does a Vet Treat Dermatitis in Dogs?
First of all, if a dog is continuously itching, licking, or chewing his skin and making it is prone to infections. An animal doctor may suggest some anti-pruritis or anti-allergic medicines to him.
Anti-allergy medicine may include, steroids, ants, antihistamines, etc.
Steroids
A vet may prescribe steroids, including dexamethasone, prednisolone, betamethasone, triamcinolone, etc for instant relief from allergic symptoms.
Steroids like prednisolone show high effectiveness when used for treating skin allergies in dogs. It starts giving results after the first fours hours of oral intake.
Hydrocortisone (steroid) is available in topical forms, i.e. lotion, cream, and solutions, etc. It can be applied topically and it surely gives results (no debate).
Immunosuppressive drugs
Other options include immune system suppressive drugs. An immunity suppressant drug blocks the cytokines (small proteins) that are released when a body encounters a foreign allergen (pollen, dust, dirt, smoke, smog, food, beef, soap, shampoo, etc).
Apoquel is the best example of an immunosuppressant medication for dermatitis in dogs. It treats swollen, red, irritating, itchy, flaky, dry, and crusty skin very well.
Antihistamines
Ebastine, loratadine, cetirizine, pheniramine, hydroxyzine, and fexofenadine are examples of some anti-allergy drugs that can be used (off-label) to relieve the symptoms of allergies in canines.
They are less effective than steroids or immunosuppressants but also have less percentage of side effects, adverse, or unwanted consequences than them.
A vet may also go with NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) if dermatitis has been severe and causing pain.
You may also like reading: Best Foods for Pets that are suffering with Food allergy
What If I Left Dermatitis Untreated?
Dermatitis or skin swelling (inflammation) happens when a pet’s body encounters an allergen. Their body’s immune system (or defense system) releases specific small proteins (called cytokines) and in response to these allergens.
The cytokines cause swelling and increases the blood circulation to that (specific) area. This is an alarming situation that locates the area that has been affected by the invader (or allergen). This swelling triggers a dog to lick, chew, or scratch the area (for the sake of feeling comfortable).
Scratching the inflamed area initiates the development of bacterial, fungal, or both of these infections. Within a short period of time, it converts into a wound which turns into a hot spot (if left untreated).
A hot spot on a dog’s body may cause hair loss and is a very severe skin disorder.
Antibiotics or antifungal medications are used for the treatment of secondary bacterial or fungal infections caused by scratching, licking, or chewing of dogs.
Dermatitis (skin inflammation) with a bacterial or fungal infection is a complicated (complexed) skin disorder and is probably impossible to remedy by applying simple (grandma’s) home treatments.
Giving a good combination of anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-allergy drugs is the best and fastest way to treat all kinds of allergic disorders in dogs.
Conclusion: [Summarizing all Content]
Home remedies like apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, tea tree oil, plain yogurt, chamomile, and herbal tea soaks are used to treat dermatitis in dogs at home (without visiting a pet clinic).
These grandma’s remedies may provide short-term or temporary relief from itchy, scaly, dry, irritating, red, and swollen (inflamed) skin. But for permanent and instant relief you must take your dog to a veterinarian.
In most cases, dermatitis leads to secondary bacterial or fungal infections that make it more complex to be treated at home.
A veterinarian may prescribe antihistamines, immunosuppressive drugs (oclacitinib maleate), steroids, antibiotics, dog dermatitis shampoo, or antifungal medicines to treat skin infections in dogs.
Medicines and home remedies are used only to relieve the symptoms of the primary disorder (allergy). They don’t treat allergy itself. The only way to treat allergy in dogs is to identify or diagnose the root cause (main reason) which triggers the allergic response in dogs. Eliminated that (allergen) from a canine’s life.
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