Itch, itch, scratch, scratch "thump-thump-thump" I honestly don't know who whines more when our dogs have itchy skin problems, us or them!

As a professional animal communicator and master healer, I am often asked to work with dogs with skin condition problems. This can be a complicated tangled knot to unravel, fraught with a complexity of contributing causes.

Usually your vet will offer steroids to suppress the allergic reaction, antibiotics, and expensive medicated shampoos. All that does is suppress the symptoms for a little while and does nothing to resolve the source of the problem.

In the long term, your dog will suffer from a recurrent itchy skin problem which may be worse over time, developing hot spots and oozing sores. They will also suffer from the many debilitating side effects from the steroids themselves, which can shorten their life. AND, your dog may actually be allergic to the medicated shampoo!

What's a caring, loving responsible dog parent to do?

Allergies are a symptom of a body experiencing toxic overload and systemic overwhelm. There are better ways to approach the problem. Here are the top 12 causes of itchy skin problems:

1. Thyroid and hormone imbalance, including over active adrenals from stress. This can also come from spaying and neutering creating a sudden and dramatic effect like forced menopause.

2. Food allergies including an allergy to rice, wheat, soy, corn, dairy, and nightshade plants like potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.

3. Poor quality polluted water, especially tap water or water that is bottled in plastic which has carcinogens like benzene in it.

4. Heavy metals or other hidden contaminants in your dog's food and environment.

5. Environmental allergens like hay, pollen, grasses, weeds, contact with toxic plants.

6. Chemical preservatives in the food, in the cans themselves or the packaging, bedding, shampoos, toys.

7. Pesticides, both used orally and in the environment.

8. Wormers which are poisons that affect the liver and kidneys.

9. Antibiotics which have destroyed the intestinal balance of probiotics and enzymes.

10. Flea allergies, along with all the topical flea/tick treatments.

11. Parasites like pinworms, tapeworms, roundworms and the like which thrive in a polluted, toxic body.

All of those things must be taken into account and addressed. However, the number 1 cause of skin problems that few vets will tell you about is this:

12. Vaccinations with their many side effects. Over vaccinating your dog can cause a great deal of chronic long term problems including auto-immune disorders and degenerative disorders, like joint pain and arthritis, diabetes, cancer and digestive problems.

So what can you do about it?

1. Go homemade food, that is. No more commercial pet foods. Try feeding your dog a bionutritionally sound diet that includes organic steamed vegetables including garlic in a bit of broth (low sodium is ok), natural raw or lightly cooked chicken or turkey or lamb, a good quality grain, and add in the right supplements like vitamins B, C and E, and full spectrum trace minerals like zinc and selenium. Be sure to include a high quality fat like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil which are all necessary for good health as well as happy skin and shiny coats.

2. Rebuild their digestive system. If they aren't allergic to dairy, offer yogurt or cottage cheese, and/or add probiotics and enzymes to help them digest it.

3. Clean water only. Purify their water with reverse osmosis or another type of quality filter.

4. Use natural flea, tick, mosquito and parasite prevention. You can use an essential oils formula like Cedarcide, mulch your yard with cedar mulch, or try using The ShooTag which are all viable non-toxic alternatives to flea preventions and oral wormers. Beneficial nematodes will clear your yard of fleas and their eggs. There are also herbal remedies for parasites. Remember that if your baby can't touch it, then it can't be good for your dog either.

5. Soothe the itch naturally. Aloe vera gel and coconut oil can help soothe the itch, as can many homeopathic remedies, including rhus tox, pulsatilla, arsenicum, apis, nux vomica, belladonna and mercurius vivus. See a professional's assistance to determine the right remedies for your dog.

6. Vaccinosis Homeopathic Protocol. No more vaccinations while your dog is ill, or you will make the problem worse because you should never vaccinate a dog who isn't well. There are ways to calm the inflammation using homeopathic medicine. Again, contact me or see a professional for assistance in determining the right protocol for your dog.

The good news is this: Not only will your dog start feeling better soon, but you will too. Because what's good for your dog, is also good for you.