Jack Russell and Seasonal Allergies
Answered by: Kerry Hackett
Question from: Nino Nobile
Posted on: October 30, 2006

I have a Jack Russell terrier, 3 year old, who the last 2 summers starting July to the end of September has been itching and scratching removing fur in some places on his feet. My vet has prescribed steroids for her and I’ve been using them for over a month now and she still scratches, a little less. I’m wondering, is there anything else i can do that works better and is less harmful than steroids?

The immune system of any living creature maintains a delicate balance from day to day, season to season, year to year. Think of it like a see-saw. On one side you have the immune system, on the other, an ever-changing load: nutrition and metabolism, genetic predisposition, emotional balance, seasonal pollens, etc. Many animals (and people) exist without realising that they have sub-clinical immune conditions. In this scenario all it takes is for one more stressor to set an immune reaction into motion and voila, scratching, itching and fur removal result. Therefore, one way of dealing with this problem would be to lighten the load weighing against the immune system. The first place to start might be to look at a homemade diet for your dog. Please see the works of Richard Pitcairn, "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats", "The Complete Herbal Handbook for the Dog and Cat" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and "The Barf Diet" by Ian Billinghurst for further details. In addition, please see this website (www.richters.com) for the posting entitiled "Dog and Allergies"; they too mention a Jack Russell with a similar condition.

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