Cat and dog allergies

[Christine Natvig]

What can I do to help my cats and dogs with allergies? My cat is constantly sneezing and my dog has watery eyes and itchy ears. The ears then turn into yeast/bacterial infections.

[Nadia Ketoure]

Hello Doc Jones,

We have a 9-year-old Maltiepoo who has the skin around her eyes inflamed, scratched til she bleeds and infection in her ears.

She is my sister’s dog. I told her to stop feeding her chicken. Is the antihistamine mix useful for dogs? or a bone broth regimen? Support the immune system? This dog has been taking medication for her ears and also eye drops (not herbs).

How to help dogs eliminate toxins?

Thank you

Nadia

 

Nadia

[Dr. Patrick Jones]

So, first things first; Cats rarely sneeze because they have allergies. Cats sneeze because they have sinus infections. Sinus infections in cats are often viral and often caused by a herpes virus. It’s not one people or dogs can get so don’t worry about that but it is contagious to other cats. They can be frustrating because herpes viruses tend to stay in the body for life. The best we can do with herbs or with medicine is suppress them or decrease the intensity of their outbreaks. The herpes causes sores in the sinuses which then become infected with bacteria and the next thing you know, you have a sneezy snotty kitty. You take the cat to the vet who gives antibiotics to kill the bacteria and all is well…until the next herpes outbreak a few weeks later when it all starts again and everyone gets deja vu.

There are some herbs that have some good activity against herpes viruses. Have a look at the INFXN – HRPEZE formula and the Immunity Support formula. The challenge is getting cats to take either of those. And, even if they do take them, the formulas aren’t curative of the herpes. They just help to keep it in check. The recipes for both of those formulas are in the Infectious Disease Formulas lesson in the Formulas & Formulations Section.

Another good thing you can do is supplement the cat’s diet with Lysine. Lysine is an amino acid that competes with arginine for absorption into the body. Since herpes viruses require arginine to replicate, increasing lysine makes it harder for the arginine to get through. You can buy lysine gel/paste for cats at big pet stores or online. Your vet probably has it too. It’s not a prescription product.

Now, if anyone is still here, let’s talk about dog allergies. :0)

Dog allergies are also only rarely manifested by sneezing. Mostly allergic dogs itch. The first thing I do with allergic dogs is try an elimination diet. Lots of dogs are allergic to beef, chicken or corn so go to a pet store and find some food with ingredients the dog has never seen like lamb and rice, duck and pea, salmon and sweet potatoe, aardvark and asparagus….you get the idea, ingredients he’s never seen before. Then feed ONLY that diet and see what happens. Make sure he gets nothig else to eat. No snacks, no treats, no table scraps, no Doritos, nothing. Otherwise your experiment is ruined. If that diet fixes things, he has a food allergy. Easy peasy, just keep feeding him that food and nothing else.

If the food trial doesn’t change anything, he’s allergic to other things (pollens, dust mites, Dad’s after shave…). In those cases we really aren’t going to be able to eliminate the allergens so we try to control the allergies with herbs. Have a look at this lesson for that info on herbal allergy interventions.  https://homesteadacademy.com/courses/homegrown-herbalist/sections/the-body-systems-anatomy-physiology-pathology/lessons/immune-system-lymphatics-iii-allergies-autoimmune-disease-leaky-gut/ 

All of the herbal allergy stuff we do for people is safe for dogs too.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

• This reply was modified 11 months, 4 weeks ago by Dr. Patrick Jones.

7 users thanked author for this post.

Sydney Alix, Alice, Brooke Sarazyn, Wyatt Black, Kathleen Miller, AOwens, Michelle Koch

[Lori Bennett]

Thanks Doc Jones,

When do you expect to load the video on this one?  My dog was definitely allergic to certain foods.  Shes doing much better on a Salmon fish diet grain free.  She still licks her toes though but not nearly as bad as she used to.  The left paw seems more sensitive.  What herbal support do you offer in the shop?  in addition she damaged her trachea and has coughing fits.  It sounds like from the vet there is no helping her but is there herbs that would help?

Thanks,

Lori

[AOwens]

Thank you for your clear answers to so many questions!  I also love the humor 🙂

We have two cats, and only one sneezes a lot.  There is a lot of thick green mucus when he sneezes.  No watery eyes, or runny nose, but he does have trouble breathing when he wants to play hard.  Do you think this could be caused by the herpes virus and sinus infection?  We adopted the cats from a humane society in February, and when we brought them home, they were in a (very farm-ified) cat carrier with straw in it.  I sometimes wonder if the cat could have a foreign body stuck in his nose.  I have thought about giving ground mullein in some wet food, but haven’t tried it yet.

Thanks a bunch!

AmandaO

[Dr. Patrick Jones]

It could very well be a herpes infection. Cats are very prone to herpes sinusitis.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

1 user thanked author for this post.

AOwens

[Wyatt Black]

I have a 9-year-old mixed breed (Chihuahua/Corgy) female who is constantly dragging her bottom. The vet has said nothing is wrong. We changed her food to Royal Canin SO at the Vet’s suggestion. Any thoughts on how we can help her get past this?

[Dr. Patrick Jones]

Did the vet check the anal glands. That’s almost always the cause of butt scooting.

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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