Hotspots Information

RBTclub Hotspots / Weight

MEDICAL: Please Note: Articles pertaining to health related topics are for information only. Readers should seek the advice of a relevant practitioner before attempting to diagnose or administer any medication. Mention of any product or procedure should not be seen as an endorsement for said product or procedure.

Apple Cider Vinegar Apple Cider Vinegar- E-Mail me if you found this info works "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" seems to have some veracity. Apples contain a large amount of potassium plus phosphorus, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulfur, iron, fluorine, silicon, and many trace minerals. In long-term studies done in Vermont on herds of cows, many benefits have been observed, e.g., lack of mastitis, itchy skin, influenza, respiratory diseases, easier freshening (whelping), lack of eclampsia, and cramping after delivery of calves. Horses with ACV in their feed raced much better and never came down with distemper, even when exposed. ACV is credited with killing bacteria outright, and in fact was used in the late 1800's to prevent food poisoning. People carried flasks of ACV with them when they were invited to feasts. In those days the preserving of food was often done through salting or soaking in vinegar. People invited to eat away from their homes always put ACV into their drinking water to protect them against food poisoning. If you occasionally use raw fish in your dog's diet, use a little ACV. Fish even slightly "off" can create horrible gastric problems. Credited with: Curing pyelitis, a condition caused by inflammation of the kidney and chronic itching. According to Dr. Jarvis' book, itchy skin is a sign that the skin is too alkaline in nature. You can therefore soak your dog down with water and rub in ACV or make a wash and sponge it into the coat, allowing it to drip dry. It is amazing how quickly this stops itching. We have used it on beginning hot spots, which immediately dry up. If the skin is already broken, we dilute the ACV with water in a 1.1 ratio (think of Willard Water here), put it into a spray bottle and spray it onto the coat. This way, if you have a show dog, you do not need to shave the dog down. The hot spot dries up in 24 hours. ACV is helpful to use internally when a dog's eyes run with clear watery discharge, or the nose runs, or when your dog is coughing a liquid kind of cough. Put a couple of tablespoonfuls in the food a day (for a dog 50# or over) and you will immediately notice a difference. Use a couple of drops, diluted half-and-half with water, in your dog's ears at his weekly grooming session to avoid ear infections. All of the above conditions relate to potassium deficiencies, so if your dog shows any of the following signs, such as lack of mental alertness, mental and muscle fatigue after exercise (agility participants and people who work their dogs take note), susceptibility to the cold, calluses on elbows and hock joints, constipation, itchy skin, cuts, bruises too easily, pimples on skin surface, twitching of the facial muscles, cramps in muscles, sore joints or the beginnings of arthritis, try some ACV in the dog's food and see the difference. Try ACV rinse in bath water and let the dog drip dry. Fleas and ticks do not find an acidic-based skin desirable to live on, so it provides good protection against both of these parasites. Give an ACV dip when going into tick-infested country, and also before you show your dogs in the summer, where the stress of the shows seems to allow even the healthiest of dogs to pick up an occasional flea. ACV normalizes the pH of the skin and you get used to travelling with a dog that smells like a salad. Note: As I've mentioned many times before, I feed my dogs the Natural Diet formulated and tested by Wendy Volhard. Part of the daily diet includes 1-1/2 tablespoons ACV daily for the big dogs, 2 teaspoons for my 35# dog and 1 teaspoon for the 15# Sheltie. The ACV gets added to their raw meat meal. The resource for the above information is Wendy Volhard's book "The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog.

Tea Tree Oil A member writes; re- Dec 2007 RBT Club Newsletter page 21(hotspots/wet eczema); Tea Tree Oil - (Melaleuca Oil). "Tea tree oil in particular, whilst it really does work wonders, It is well known amongst Newfoundland owners that the oil must be diluted, if not and if it is used in any area where there is a large mass of nerves, ie along the spinal area, that the pure or neat oil can cause paralysis of the rear end and even seizures. Although it is generally temporary and by no means are all dogs effected. Tea Tree oil should not be used neat and therapists using oils never use them neat but in carrier oils".... "there may be an indication for different use in Animals? However it is toxic to cats! “when the oil was applied to the skin to dogs and cats. In most cases, the oil was used to treat dermatologic conditions at inappropriate high doses. The typical signs observed were depression, weakness, bad coordination and muscle tremors". Always use diluted. Guidelines on the Tea Tree Oil box states, ‘it can be used neat’. but on the same thought we are not aware of problems until a dog or human is affected, possibly some are affected more than others. A member writes; Re TEA tree oil, my dog suffered cysts and T.T. Oil kept them clean & often prevented infection. and used HEAVILY diluted as a final rinse to deter fleas. I have been using 20 drops to a large bucket of tepid water as a final rinse for my RBT, who had a very bad reaction to "spot on " flea protection, I am sure members know it is a very strong chemical in these flea protection fluids, and I use the same dilution for leg foot wash, ( beard wash ) and for first aid, cleaning grazes, minor damage to dew claws etc. , www.thursdayplantation.com/ for more reading Good feedback from a member; re- Hot spots, Weight Gain & Eczema. Wahl do a very good tea tree professional shampoo, Also for hot spots and wet eczema a huge amount of our customers use flowers of sulphur as a much safer alternative...(ask anyone with goldies!!) see; http://www.northolm.co.uk Also Getting weight back on a male after mating; try; Sports Drink 16oz Its very high in calories so don’t overdo it! Although it is high in electrolytes as well so helps re-hydrate. Just another thing when was your dog last wormed and with what? It may be that the tapeworm is aproaching its 3 month cycle and is feeding off all of the nutrients in the gut (disgusting I know) see; http://www.northolm.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=12