Pet owners should ensure that their pet receives proper medical care if the animal becomes sick or injured. Medical care can often include home health care. The owner can sometimes treat the animal without the added stress that a vet visit can cause, and can use home remedies that may provide better and less toxic care than pharmaceuticals. Dog owners can try home remedies for red inflamed skin before resorting to chemicals or drugs.
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Sprays
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Put 2 tsp. dry oatmeal in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, together with 1 tsp. chamomile tea, 1 tsp. calendula flowers and a tea bag. Cover and let it sit until cool. Strain and pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spray the red inflamed skin as often as necessary.
Dilute 1 tsp. tea tree oil with 1 cup water and spray it on the dog frequently until the skin inflammation subsides.
Rubs
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Boil three sage capsules with 1/4 tsp. Epsom salts and 2 cups water. Cool and strain into a jar. Wipe the solution on the dog's inflamed skin frequently throughout the day for several days, until the fur starts to grow over the formerly inflamed area. Keep rub refrigerated when not in use.
Dilute one part of Neem oil to 10 parts of a carrier oil (almond oil or grapeseed oil). Rub it into the dog's skin several times during the day until the skin inflammation begins to subside, and then continue to apply, though fewer times every day.
Shampoo
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Boil 1 heaping tsp. dried sage, 1 heaping tsp. thyme and 1/4 tsp. Epsom salts with 1 quart water. Let the mixture sit for about eight hours and strain the liquid into a bottle. Add it to the dog's shampoo and shampoo the dog daily until the inflamed skin settles.
Steep two green tea bags and two chamomile tea bags in 1/2 cup hot water for 20 minutes. Separately, mix 2 oz. glycerin with one 400-unit Vitamin E capsule, juice of one lemon, 4 oz. stale beer and 8 oz. commercial baby shampoo. Shake and add this mixture to the brewed tea. Shampoo the dog with this mixture daily until the skin inflammation settles.
Diet and Nutritional Supplements
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Switch to a raw-food diet. Some dogs have allergies to the preservatives and artificial food colorings in commercial dog food that can affect the dog's skin, causing his skin to become red and inflamed. Check with your veterinarian about appropriate foods to give your dog.
Crush chelated zinc 10 mg tablets (available at a health food store or a pharmacy) into the dog's food to supplement her nutritional intake.
Sprinkle brewer's yeast on the dog's food to increase the amount of vitamin B12 in the dog's diet. Dogs frequently have a vitamin B12 deficiency which can cause skin inflammations.
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