Holistic Pet Care: Remedies for Itch and Allergy Relief

Pets can get itchy skin for all types of reasons. But pet parents now have a choice of remedies for addressing these issues and for those who prefer the natural or holistic approach to pet care, there are more alternatives available these days than ever before.

Holistic pet care fosters a direct approach to identifying the root cause of the symptoms that are driving your dog or cat crazy and increasing the risk of redness, skin irritation or damage, and a potential for infection due to excessive scratching, biting, or licking in various areas of the body.

The first thing to determine is the reason behind the itching. If it’s an allergic reaction to something, the next challenge is finding out what your pet is allergic to and how to eliminate that from impacting your pet’s quality of life.

Common Allergens for Pets

The following are some of the most common reasons why your cat or dog may start demonstrating signs of discomfort and irritation. There are many possible sources of allergic reaction that need to be addressed in a timely fashion:

Insects and Parasites

Perhaps the most common nuisance making your pet’s discomfort unbearable is the itching and irritation that comes from an infestation of fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. These parasitic pains in the neck can spread disease and infection not just to your pet, but to other members of the family as well.

Environmental Dust & Pollen

The change of the seasons can affect more than your allergies, it can cause dogs and cats to react with itching and discomfort leading to inflammation and infections in the ears and the skin from excessive scratching, biting, and licking.

Food Allergies

Sometimes the wrong food can bother your pet in ways that manifest as skin irritation, hot spots, itching, sneezing or a sensitive stomach. A holistic approach to solving a food allergy would encompass a change or adjustment in diet to remove the allergens.

Holistic Treatment Alternatives

When your dog or cat is having an allergic reaction, the immune system is working overtime to ward off what’s making your pet miserable. But the source of the problem could be due to any number of causes and while the symptoms may be the focus when administering effective treatment, it’s the source of the allergen that needs to be addressed or the symptoms will keep returning.

Topical sprays and ointments or anti-allergy pharmaceuticals containing steroids and harsh chemicals may end up doing more harm in the long run as these can be hard on your pet’s internal organs and bodily systems and they don’t address the cause for the itchy skin and allergic responses.

Holistic veterinary care gives you and your cat or dog an advantage in finding the cause of the allergies by examining all aspects of your pet’s health and wellness. Instead of simply prescribing something that may or may not eliminate the symptoms, understanding how all aspects of your pet’s wellness play a role in their health and happiness can better inform your veterinarian’s diagnosis and administer a treatment plan that works thoroughly and effectively.

Natural Remedies and Treatment Options

There are many options to consider when you want to choose a holistic, all-natural approach to itch and allergy relief remedies for your pet. Acupuncture has become a more popular method for reducing the cause and symptoms of food allergies and negative environmental influences as of late, along with therapeutic massage which can be a preventative treatment and a way to address the cause of allergic reactions that your pet is currently suffering.

Herbal remedies are also an effective alternative to eliminating the cause and symptoms of allergies in pets, with licorice root shown to be highly beneficial for reducing inflammation and calming skin irritation and itch from allergic reactions. Nettle is another good option that reduces the production of histamines and decreases inflammation due to itchy skin and hot spots.

But choose your herbs carefully, you want to be sure that whatever you are administering to your pet works to modulate their immune system while also reducing inflammation, itching, and skin irritation. This is because the immune system is in overdrive when an allergic reaction occurs and anything to help balance it will be beneficial for treating the problem, whatever the allergy source may be.

Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques work by interacting with and manipulating the biofield, and this emphasis on the flow of energy in the body can also be a natural remedy for reducing itchy skin brought on by allergic reactions. Bioresonance energy products that work through the use of bioenergetic frequencies can be an essential part of bringing relief to your pet.

All of these options can be effective but it also depends on what type of allergy your pet is suffering from, finding the cause to eliminate the symptoms and, above all, ensuring they don’t return in the future.