Offering a Blend of Western & Eastern Medicine


• Acupuncture • Herbs


• Nutritional Therapy • Behavior Counseling • House Calls Available


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1524 Mahtomedi Avenue, Mahtomedi, MN 55115 Susan M. Swanson, D.V.M.


www.HolisticCatClinic.com


naturalpet


NATURAL REMEDIES FOR ITCHY PETS


Gentle Ways to Calm Allergies by Sandra Murphy


ather than routinely giving drugs to dogs and cats to relieve dry, itchy, skin or food allergies, consider more gentle natural alternatives. As with people, knowing what an animal is allergic to is key to finding the right remedy and preventing future outbreaks. With dogs, about


R 20 percent of itching


and scratching can be attributed to food in- gredients. Symptoms can show up as early as 5 months or as late as 12 years old, often combined with inhalant or contact allergies. Chronic ear infections are often traced to food allergies. “If a pet is suffering mightily, see your veterinarian for shots or pills for immediate relief. Then ask the vet to allergy test for the specific problem,” advises Veterinarian Laurie Dohmen, owner of Purple Moon Herbs and Studies, in Hartly, Delaware. “This isn’t something you can do yourself. I’ve seen pet owners use what worked for a friend’s dog and make their own pets sicker, despite research and good intentions. What works for one pet won’t necessarily work for another.” While food elimination testing works, it’s a long process that must be done with precision. “If your pet even just nib- bles the eliminated food, you have to start all over again,” says Dohmen. Whether commercially prepared or home cooked, the number of ingredients can substantially extend a test period. Each item must be completely avoided for about six weeks for an accurate assessment. Environmental allergies, which encompass everything un- related to food, range from common grasses to inhaled pollut- ants. New carpets or rugs, cleaning supplies, a neighbor’s pesticides, dust and pollen are among the culprits that can cause an allergic reaction. Common symp- toms are itchy ears or skin, ear infections, sneezing,


22 Twin Cities Edition NaturalTwinCities.com


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