# Itching and probiotics and other solutions



## Lili66 (Jun 14, 2015)

My groomer said that some dog owners use probiotics to help with itching... I think he said that people give a little yogurt or kefir or something with probiotics. Any experience with this helping or not helping?

I've given Apoquel for three months and it helps, but am nervous about continuing it indefinitely. 

The anti-inflammatory shots help for about 3 weeks. So that didn't seem like a long terms solution either. But, that might be the best solution.

Just asking my vet about Zyrtec. Do people give a "pet Zyrtec"?

Thanks.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lili66 said:


> My groomer said that some dog owners use probiotics to help with itching... I think he said that people give a little yogurt or kefir or something with probiotics. Any experience with this helping or not helping?
> 
> I've given Apoquel for three months and it helps, but am nervous about continuing it indefinitely.
> 
> ...


I am not sure why probiotics would help with itching. Probiotics are a good idea in general, all my dogs get them. But I feed them a specific probiotic supplement, with a known number of probiotic units, not just by giving them some yogurt. The other problem is that unless you KNOW your dog doesn't have a dairy intolerance, you could be making things worse.

The short answer is that, yes, Zyrtec can be used for dogs, and no, it is not a specific "pet" formula... Kodi takes regular, human Zyrtec. However, itching is a medical problem and one that can have many causes. You really need to be working on it with your vet. If you don't think your vet is getting to the root of the problem, ask for a referral to a veterinary dermatologist.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I was wondering if your dog itches all the time or if it is seasonal. I do give my dogs some raw milk kefir daily and feel it is beneficial, however they did not itch beforehand so can’t say that it helped with itching. It would be good to try to get to the root cause of the itching, whether environmental or food related. Could even be the shampoo they use. Over vaccinating can also cause itching. Others here may have advice on getting to the root cause. Some people say supplementing with fish oil can help, however I do not use it myself.


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## Lili66 (Jun 14, 2015)

Thanks - I guess the probiotic idea for itching didn't make much sense to me either... My vet wants to do allergy testing, so I guess we will go with that route. She said that they test and then make up a serum for injection. Emma is almost 5 years old and she said that a lot of dogs develop environmental allergies around that age. The itching started in September... so it is not caused by cold weather. I know the injections are pretty expensive and I am a new dog owner and not sure how normal the itching is. 

Am curious about whether it would be better to go to a vet dermatologist for this... Or if this is pretty standard and that I could get what I need from the allergy test and serum injection she offers.

Thanks for the comments.


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## Lili66 (Jun 14, 2015)

krandall said:


> Probiotics are a good idea in general, all my dogs get them. But I feed them a specific probiotic supplement, with a known number of probiotic units
> 
> Would my vet be the best resource for asking about probiotics? Or is this an alternative thing, that I research and buy independently usually?
> 
> Thanks -


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Not sure where you live but here in Missouri August and September are peak season for fleas. Even if your dog is on flea tick meds, the flea has to bite the dog first. Sometimes it only takes one flea bite to set them off. If she is biting around tail area this is a big clue she may have a flea bite. Since this is a common dog allergy, I assume the vet will check for this. Ideally the vet gets to root cause and the allergen can be avoided instead of having to inject her. Good luck!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lili66 said:


> krandall said:
> 
> 
> > Probiotics are a good idea in general, all my dogs get them. But I feed them a specific probiotic supplement, with a known number of probiotic units
> ...


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> Lili66 said:
> 
> 
> > You don't need to get probiotics from a vet. (although many have them for sale too... mine has them for sale, but freely tells people that they are cheaper online! LOL!) The ones my vet recommends, because they are shelf-stable and do not require refrigeration are these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G4V0KKO/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> ...


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Lili66 said:


> My groomer said that some dog owners use probiotics to help with itching... I think he said that people give a little yogurt or kefir or something with probiotics. Any experience with this helping or not helping?
> 
> I've given Apoquel for three months and it helps, but am nervous about continuing it indefinitely.
> 
> ...


Willow took Apoquel for awhile too but it made me nervous from what I've read about. It did help with the itching though. She gets Cytopoint which helps somewhat for awhile.

I tried Benadryl after asking the vet about it in order to get the proper dosage. It really made her lethargic so I stopped that. I also asked the vet about Zyrtec, but he said not to try that one on her. It was because she is so small (7-1/2 lbs.) that it would be difficult to get the proper dosage.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

you have to find out what is causing the itching, first .... here is some info https://www.hemopet.org/cytopoint-dogs-itchy-skin/


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

A probiotic is good for gut health and gut health is linked to immunity. Maybe indirectly a probiotic could help and definitely cannot hurt. As far as paw licking, my Mia does not do much of that unless we have many damp rainy days in a row and her paw pads need trimming. Her paw pads need to be trimmed about once a week! If I keep them well trimmed, she does not lick her paws. I do not use clippers on them, just scissors, so maybe if they were clipped I would not need to do it so much. However, I am too nervous to use clippers on paw pads.


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

mudpuppymama said:


> As far as paw licking, my Mia does not do much of that unless we have many damp rainy days in a row and her paw pads need trimming.


Well, we live in the Pacific NW and if it's not raining, it's still damp from dew! The vet is pretty certain that moisture, mold spores and dust is what probably affects her feet. When we camp in the dryer, eastern part of our state of Washington, she doesn't lick nearly as much so I'm pretty sure it's where we live. Maybe we should move!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I would like to move somewhere that does not have ticks! Does anyone have suggestions? Other than Antarctica?


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Lili66 said:


> Would my vet be the best resource for asking about probiotics? Or is this an alternative thing, that I research and buy independently usually?
> 
> Thanks -


 It's not alternative, my vet recommends them and they helped my dog a lot with digestion. I like my vet a lot, but he also recommended Purina Fortiflora just because that's what he stocks. So unless there is a specific reason for your vet to recommend a specific probiotic, I think you decide based on your budget and your own research. Just be careful you get your information from reputable resources because there is a lot of misinformation and advertising garbage out there with regard to probiotics for humans and pets lately.

There are a few old threads on probiotics; I know I asked for recommendations at one point.

For itching i'm skeptical, but I try to keep an open mind.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> krandall said:
> 
> 
> > Karen - just looked at this probiotic on Amazon and some of the reviews are saying it helps with allergies and itching. Are you using this product on Kodi? I'm still trying to find something for Willow's feet licking. She gets Cytopoint injected which helps somewhat but it'a not always convenient to make the run to the vet when she seems to need another. It's a ways away. She's currently getting Proviable DC but I don't know if it really does anything or not.
> ...


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> Jackie from Concrete said:
> 
> 
> > Yes, all my dogs get it, but not because of allergies or itching, just because it is good for digestion. I haven't seen that it has any impact on his allergies one way or the other.
> ...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> krandall said:
> 
> 
> > Karen - are you still using Proviable DC? I've been using it trying to reduce staining. I really don't know if it helps but I'm afraid to take her off in case it gets worse! If you still use Proviable, do you give both the Proviable and Dogzymes on the same day?
> ...


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*probiotic*



krandall said:


> Jackie from Concrete said:
> 
> 
> > I am not using the Proviable DC anymore, and her staining has not returned! So hopefully it is gone for good. (I haven't given it to her in over 6 months now). But when I did, I gave her both. I think the Dogzyme one is a better regular probiotic, and didn't want to mess with that.
> ...


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Melissa Brill said:


> krandall said:
> 
> 
> > I just wish the dogzyme didn't smell so badly! No, it doesn't smell like it's gone bad, but I just really don't like the smell  I do need to get back to using that though even if the capsules don't smell as bad and are easier to use
> ...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Melissa Brill said:
> 
> 
> > Oh I didn't know dogzyme would smell. I assume it gets sprinkled on the food. Now I wonder if Willow would object to it. She eats the Proviable capsule, but once it broke and leaked the powder on her food and she was very reluctant to eat it.
> ...


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*smell*



Jackie from Concrete said:


> Melissa Brill said:
> 
> 
> > Oh I didn't know dogzyme would smell. I assume it gets sprinkled on the food. Now I wonder if Willow would object to it. She eats the Proviable capsule, but once it broke and leaked the powder on her food and she was very reluctant to eat it.
> ...


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

Melissa Brill said:


> Jackie from Concrete said:
> 
> 
> > Perry doesn't mind it at all and eats it fine, and I don't think most people would even notice the smell - I'm fairly sensitive to smells because certain ones will trigger a migraine so even minor ones are on my radar (even some of the shampoos that other people who are sensitive to smells think are fine and recommend, I find too strong - like the CC pro-line shampoo - luckily the smell wears off after a few hours/ 1/2 a day).
> ...


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Karen and Melissa - thanks for your info on Dogzyme. I think I'll order some for Willow. The comments on odors are interesting. I've always felt I have a good sniffer. One smell that I absolutely hate that makes me almost gag is the smell of Windex. Don't know why but yuck!


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

Another Dogzyme question........I see on Amazon that you give 1/4 tsp. per 25 lbs of dog weight. However, Havies are generally less than that. Willow is a petite 7-1/5 lbs. I'm just wondering if you give the 1/4 tsp. or do you reduce it by the percentage of what your dog weighs? For Willow's 7-1/2 lbs. that wouldn't be much at all.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

EvaE1izabeth said:


> Melissa Brill said:
> 
> 
> > I think it's because people who are sensitive to smells also have different preferences. I'm sensitive to smells but some don't bother me as much because I like them. However, I can smell something long after it's faded for the rest of my family. DS has inherited it, too. He has the weirdest aversion to the smell of milk! But since he doesn't like milk, it sort of makes sense.
> ...


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Another Dogzyme question........I see on Amazon that you give 1/4 tsp. per 25 lbs of dog weight. However, Havies are generally less than that. Willow is a petite 7-1/5 lbs. I'm just wondering if you give the 1/4 tsp. or do you reduce it by the percentage of what your dog weighs? For Willow's 7-1/2 lbs. that wouldn't be much at all.


I just use the scoop that is in the container. I guess maybe I could use less. But I don't think you can hurt them by using more.


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## EvaE1izabeth (Nov 14, 2017)

krandall said:


> EvaE1izabeth said:
> 
> 
> > I think they must have changed the formula of the BioGroom Silk. I used to use it all the time on Kodi, and now haven't been able to tolerate it for several years. Now I use CC Spectrum 10, which has a much milder fragrance. I also realized that spectrum 10 is so much more concentrated that it is actually a much better value as well.
> ...


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