Holistic Pet Care

Air Date:
Heard On The Larry Meiller Show

The end of summer is a great time to talk about natural allergy remedies for pets. Larry Meiller learns what the options for treatment are, as well as ideas for dealing with animal companions’ environmental and food sensitvities as well.

Featured in this Show

  • Late-Summer Allergies Are Bothersome For Pets, Too

    It’s not just people who are dealing with allergies at this point in the summer — pets are as well.

    Pets dealing with allergies are an all-too-frequent sight for Dr. Carrie Donahue. Donahue is the owner and founder of Full Circle Holistic Veterinary Care in Madison, where she provides an option for holistic and alternative care in addition to basic conventional veterinary services.

    “The runny, watery eyes, the scratching at the face, scratching all over the body, the chewing at the feet … that’s what I’m seeing now and over the last month or so. It’s been really tough,” she said.

    It’s not always easy to pinpoint what the allergen is that’s making a pet miserable, Donahue said.

    “There are a number of things that are out there in the air, like the pollens, the grasses, and things in the environment,” she said. “And sometimes, it’s hard to really figure out exactly what it is. And that’s the hardest thing about treating it.”

    When the allergens are generalized outdoors, it can be very hard for a canine companion that needs to be walked several times a day to avoid them. Donahue said that cats, on the other hand, will more often develop allergies to substances present inside the home. Those are often found in carpets, or even in cleaning supplies. Outdoor allergens can also affect indoor cats via open windows or materials tracked in by owners.

    One common source of allergic skin reactions in pets is produced by flea bites — or more specifically, flea saliva. The reaction can be severe.

    “Their immune system can go into this over- and hyper-reactive state,” said Donahue. “And one flea bite might be all it will take to send your dog or your cat into an itching frenzy.”

    Whether or not the source of the allergy can be identified, treating the symptoms can make the situation more bearable. Donahue said that for itchy skin, she will often use a salve that contains calendula or chamomile. Both are very soothing, she said, and can be either purchased or made at home. (Recipes are available online, but she said the basic process is to make a tincture with the herb, then mix it with bees wax and Vitamin E.)

    Donahue said that an additional option for allergy symptoms that are really bothersome for a pet is a natural supplement called quercetin.

    “Quercetin helps the liver detoxify, and it helps to suppress the histamine response,” she said.

    For an itchy pet, she added, “It’s kind of like a natural anti-histamine — so a natural form of Benadryl, or Claritin, or Zyrtec.”

    Pet owners can also take a preventative measure to reduce the impact of allergens: wiping down a pet after they come inside. That way, Donahue said, any irritants are removed from the skin.

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Dr. Carrie Donahue Guest

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