Originally Posted by FreedaClark (Post 198191)

The best thing you can do for dog with itching, hot spots, or other signs of allergies (a synonym for a weak immune system) is to give them an antioxidant/mineral, plus bioflavanoids from grape seed extract, plus essential fatty acids, the simplest form of which is fish oil capsules; or flaxseed oil. If you give them enough, they will be healthy and will not have these problems. An expense - yes, but not anything like the expense (and the cost in misery to your dog) that results from your dog being unhealthy. The amount that they need is the amount that produces a result; it will vary with their size and extent of immune system disfunction; over time they will improve and you will need less supplements for them. Unfortunately, the amount of pesticides and other chemical exposures in Florida is often more than a dog's immune system can compensate for without being boosted. Allergy shots (and medicine) are archaic and are not the answer, as they are not dealing with the underlying problem.

Just make sure that you buy pharmaceutical grade products that are labeled as such (or has labeling that says 'USP' - United States Pharmacopoeia - standards are complied with, which means the same thing). Otherwise you have no idea what you are paying for and giving your dog, regardless of what the label says, since the labeling for nutritionals is not regulated in the U.S. (not for nutritional supplements for animals, nor for humans). Your vet (just like your physician) will almost for sure not be aware of this information; and the labeling issues explained above will almost for sure apply to any supplement your veterinarian will sell you; because this information on quality issues for supplements is generally not taught in veterinary (nor medical) schools; the curriculum for which is largely generated directly or indirectly by the pharmaceutical industry, which has no interest in pets - or humans - not needing pharmaceutical drugs and the like.

It's one of the reasons why we have so many unhealthy (since allergies, by definition, are a sign of an unhealthy, deficient immune system) pets - and humans; many of whom are taking mislabeled - because they are not pharmaceutical grade - supplements, without getting results. That is the problem with allergies - they are so prevalent that we have come to accept them as a variation of normal, and to look only for treatment of the symptoms, rather than recogizing them for what they are - a sign that the health of the dog (or human) is beginning to fail for lack of nutrients.