Sen Yai has had persistent skin problems, which we first noticed in response to his chicken allergy. Once that cleared up, seasonal allergies kicked in and he started turning pink and bald again. I tried everything: Neosporin, fancy canine creams, unscented baby powder… The Dermacton I found by accident really helped keep him from itching, which in turn reduced his hair loss. I definitely recommend that, especially since they offer a full money-back guarantee, and if you send in a photographic testimonial, you get a free jar.
But the instantaneous, total game-changer? Local honey. The best part is, this remedy works on dogs and humans! The idea is that there are little bits and fragments of pollen in the honey which, when ingested, help the body develop some extra immunity. The body can then better tolerate pollen in the environment, which means less itchy scratchy pink baldness.
Here’s the key:
1. It must be local honey.
It’s no good for your dog to be developing immunity to the pollen of Pittsburgh if you live in Sacramento. Local honey is hardly any more expensive than non-local. The best of the best is raw honey, which is thicker and has a layer of creamy debris at the top, but the honey I’ve been giving Sen Yai has a more liquid consistency and is clear amber, and it does the trick too.
2. Don’t use more than one teaspoon per day.
The last thing you want is for your dog to develop cavities. Also make sure you’ve got a bone or a flossy rope toy around so that Fido can clean his teeth.
3. Proceed with caution and ask your vet before giving honey to puppies/babies or seniors.
Puppies can be susceptible to botulism particles that some honey contains, just like human babies, whom doctors recommend keeping away from honey until their second birthday. Geriatric dogs, if heading down the road towards diabetes, can have a very bad reaction due to the sugar. So just be sure to check with your vet!
If your dog doesn’t seem to improve after a week, just eat the honey yourself. That’s a much more elegant solution than having unused steroids and meds lying around. Plus, it’s hundreds of dollars cheaper.