The veterinary world is one of rapidly expanding knowledge and expertise. Specialising in a particular area is increasingly common as it is almost impossible to keep up to date with new developments across all aspects of veterinary medicine and surgery. However, the concern is this leads to a compartmentalising of an animal and its conditions. There is a danger that we may lose sight of the animal as a whole and its complex interaction of physical and emotional factors as well as the unique relationship it has with the owner and family. This booklet describes a different approach, how looking at the whole animal is often of greater benefit for both animal and owner. It describes the different therapies that can be utilised in this holistic approach, what to expect in a treatment session and where to obtain more information and training in the UK. It does not dismiss the value of conventional treatments and procedures; it merely gives more options for the care of animal patients which benefits all in the long term. 

The demand for holistic or complementary therapies by the general animal owning population is huge. Most veterinary practices are incredibly busy and there is a nationwide shortage of vets. There is an even greater shortage of holistic vets and this booklet was primarily designed for vet students and vets to provide clarity about the different therapies and give details of the governing bodies, where to find more information about training and how to access accredited practitioner, with the hope that it will stimulate more vets to train in these rewarding therapies. However, anyone involved in animal husbandry or care should find it an enlightening and informative read. 

The booklet can be purchased through the British Association of Veterinary Surgeon’s 
website. https://www.bahvs.com/veterinary-holistic-therapies/

Fleas are a common parasite of animals and are relatively harmless but in some individuals, particularly if in large numbers, they can cause irritation and secondary problems like skin infections. 

In order to implement the best flea control protocol, it is important to understand the life cycle of the flea. 

Adult fleas are the only stage that live on the animal, the rest of the stages are in the environment. There are different species of flea e.g., the dog flea, cat flea, rabbit flea but different species can live on more than one host, so it is common for a cat for example to be have bird or rabbit fleas on them if they have been hunting. The life cycle is similar for all species of flea. Animal fleas can jump onto humans and bite but they won’t live on us. 

The adult flea hatches out of the pupa and is attracted to people and pets. Following the first blood meal, female fleas begin egg production within 36 to 48 hours. Egg production can continue for as long as 100 days, which means that a single flea can produce thousands of eggs! 

The main points you can hopefully see are that fleas can produce a lot of eggs in a short space of time and that 95% of the flea problem is in the environment not on your pet, so treating the environment is as important as treating the fleas on the pet. 

How can I tell if my pet has fleas? 

• Is your pet scratching? 
• Areas of hair loss, bald or sore patches? 
• Spots or sores? 
• Redness and irritation? 
• Thickened skin in areas (e.g. around ear edges)? 
• Can you see tiny dark specks in its fur, or small browny-black insects scurrying about? 
• Do you have any unaccounted-for insect bites yourself? 

To look for fleas, either quickly turn your pet over and look on its belly, you may see them scurrying away to hide from the light, or part your pet’s fur on their back just in front of the tail and look at the skin for small brown insects or ‘flea dirts’. Cats may also come in with rabbit or bird fleas clustered along the edges of their ears. 

The best test however is something called ’the wet paper test’. Fleas suck blood so their faeces or ‘dirts’ are mostly dried blood. You may see what looks like bits of black pepper in their coat or if you comb them and then tap the comb onto a piece of moistened white paper, you’ll see the little black specks spread out and leave reddish spots like drops of blood. This means fleas are present even if you can’t see the insects themselves. You may also see these red spots in your pets bedding. 

How Can I Get Rid of Fleas?

If you find fleas; treat the animal and the environment for several weeks continuing on for a while after all the fleas have gone. Always treat all the animals in the house on the same day. 
There are huge concerns about the effect of conventional flea products on the environment  and many people are turning towards 'natural' products.  

Natural Flea Products to Consider 

• Billy No Mates 
• Dr Mercola’s Flea and Tick Defence 
• Biospotix 
• Cedarcide 
• Apple Cider Vinegar diluted half and half with water and used as a spray 
• Essential oils such as lavender and lemongrass

Treat the environment as well as your Pet  

• Hoover on a daily basis  
• Steam clean your carpets  
• Replace carpets with wood or laminate flooring if the opportunity arises  
• Wash pet bedding on a 60oC programme  
• Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on the carpets will help to kill the fleas but use it sparingly.

Just because a product is ‘natural’ doesn’t mean to say it’s safe. There are many flea products based on essential oils for example that may be harmful to cats, so always follow these guidelines ; follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, read the instructions carefully before using the product, never treat a cat with a product designed for use in a dog, do not apply the product more often than recommended and if treating young animals, make sure the product is safe for that age. 
If there is a severe or persistent issue, you may have to use a conventional product in the short term to control the problem and then follow on with a more natural methods of control. If you have to use a conventional product, use a ‘spot on’ preparation rather than tablets which have been associated with a greater number of side effects.  
Above all, don’t ignore a flea problem or persist with natural products if they aren’t working. Fleas can make an animal’s life a misery.  

Modern pet food production is a billion-dollar industry. The food is highly processed, ingredients are cooked together at high temperatures then extruded into kibble and lots of additives, preservatives and flavourings are added. The problems with this type of food are as follows: -

• It is cooked. Cooking destroys the vast majority of the nutritional value of the food from a dog’s perspective and makes it exceedingly difficult to digest. 
• It can contain inappropriate and damaging chemicals (binders, colouring, preservatives and other additives). These may be absorbed through the bowel wall and transported to other organs, with a range of harmful effects. 
• The quality of the ingredients is usually poor. Even expensive dog food often has low-quality ingredients. 
• Most dog foods contain a high percentage of grain (including rice), which is unsuitable for the canine digestive system and causes allergies.

What is raw feeding all about? 
The theory behind raw feeding is that feeding commercial highly processed food is the equivalent of us living on ready meals and we need to look at what dogs and cats eat in the wild. What they eat is raw meat, bones and some herbage or vegetable matter. This is known as feeding a biologically appropriate diet or BARF diet, rather unfortunate acronym but one that you will encounter a lot in the raw feeding world. It is also known as the raw meaty bone diet (RMBD).

Is it OK to feed cats and dogs on raw meat and bones? 
Yes! They have limited digestive enzymes in their saliva but strong stomach acids so when they tear off chunks of raw meat and crunch up raw bones the digestive process takes place in their stomach. 

In the wild up to a third of a dog’s nutrition (including calcium, magnesium, complex fats and vitamins) may come from bones. Bones keep their teeth and gums clean and exercise their upper bodies and jaw. Providing the bones are raw (cooked bones can splinter), they are safe for dogs and cats to eat. Feed bones appropriate for the age and size of the animal and supervise your pet when they first start to eat bones.

How do you start? 
There’s so much conflicting advice out there, it can be difficult to know who or what to believe, I like to think of it simply as a rule of thirds: -

• Feed one third meat – try to use different kinds including some offal, kidneys, liver and heart. Heart is chewy and good for cleaning teeth. 
• One third meaty bone – can be mince with ground up bone and/or a proportion of raw bones with meat on them. Avoid large leg bones as dogs may gnaw off large pieces. 
• One third – veg/fruit/nuts/seeds/herbs. Leafy green vegetables are best. Such as peas, spinach and kale, green beans. Grind seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin and nuts before adding them to the food. Do not feed macadamia nuts. Fruit such as blueberries are great. 
• Supplements such as fish oil and kelp powder should be added regularly. 
• Use different kinds of meat, and occasionally raw eggs and lentils, so a variety of protein is fed. 
• If unsure seek advice from reputable companies specialising in raw feeding such as Honey’s, Bella and Duke Naturavetal, Nature’s Menu, Poppy’s Picnic, etc. They can provide starter packs and a balanced menu to begin with. 
• Feeding Guide 200-300g/10kg daily. Or other guides say 2-3% of an animal’s body weight. I have known up to 5-6% though.

Is Raw Feeding Safe 
Yes, but you must follow strict hygiene protocols.

• Store raw meat safely 
• Freeze meat for 2 weeks before use to kill any bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter 
• Use meat from reputable source 
• Thaw and serve and do not refreeze 
• Wash hands, utensils and bowls immediately after use 
• Only feed raw bones never cooked

This is a basic introduction to raw feeding. For more information go to the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society’s website https://rfvs.info/ they have a huge amount of information including a position statement which addresses some of the questions about raw feeding and outlines the science and studies behind it.

Most animals thrive on a raw diet but there are some who do not. If your cat or dog doesn’t take to raw, don’t worry and most importantly don’t feel you have failed. Some animals do really well on a home cooked diet and I can advise you on how to do that to make sure it is nutritionally balanced and some animals prefer kibble or owners need to feed it for other reasons. In this case cold pressed kibble is a good alternative. Cold pressed food is kibble produced at lower temperatures with minimal processing so the vitamins and minerals are preserved rather than lost to the manufacturing process. Hug Pet food is an example of a company that produces cold pressed food. They also do a raw range which can be lightly cooked as well. https://www.hugpetfood.co.uk/

A lot of people come to me because they want their animals treated in a more natural way but what does that actually mean? Does it mean using therapies like homeopathy or herbs or does it mean raw feeding or stopping vaccinations? Some people aren’t very sure but they just want their animals off chemicals. While I totally agree in principle, I also think we have to be careful not to throw out years of medical advances and treatments. If I broke my leg and had to have surgery I would very much like some morphine thank you and if my child had meningitis, I would be first in line for antibiotics. Also, natural doesn’t always means safe, the market for supplements is mostly unregulated and there have been plenty of cases of products sold as natural either being completely ineffective or in some cases actually toxic. 

Before you all think what is this holistic vet doing warning against natural products, what herbal tea has she been drinking this morning, let me explain! I think a more useful way to approach health care is to think about a holistic approach. 

To reduce it to its simplest level, holistic basically means whole, so holistic health care is looking at the whole animal not just its current symptoms or disease. What does this entail? One definition says;-

‘holistic health care is a system of comprehensive or total patient care that considers the 
physical, emotional, social, economic, and spiritual needs of the person and his or her 
response to illness…’

Blimey, that sounds a bit complicated and how do I apply it to Derek the Dachshund who’s just walked into my consulting room? Let me give you a couple of examples of how this might work. Firstly, I had a friend who had problems with her knees; her doctor referred her to an orthopaedic specialist who diagnosed early stages of arthritis and put her on non- steroidal anti-inflammatories and suggested she may need a knee replacement when older. Job done. She then started having an irregular heart beat so the doctor referred her to a cardiologist, she was diagnosed with an arrhythmia and given heart tablets – cardiologist’s job done. She then started to feel thirsty and tired, went to the Doctor who did blood tests and discovered she was diabetic. She was referred to the hospital and diabetic clinic and started on insulin – job done. So now she’s taking drugs for her knees, drugs for her heart and insulin; unsurprisingly, she starts to feel quite depressed about the whole thing as she’s only in her 40’s, so she went back to the doctor who put her on antidepressants. She would have continued in this way, if it hadn’t been for a perceptive young Doctor at one of the diabetic clinics who started to join up the dots and said that maybe there was an underlying cause to all these problems. After more tests and it turned out my friend had haemochromatosis, a genetic condition where you have too much iron in your blood which can lead to joint pain, heart problems, tiredness and diabetes. She is now being treated for that which included looking at her diet and lifestyle as well as all the individual symptoms. She is happier – off the antidepressants and painkillers and her diabetes is under better control.

How might this situation be reflected in animals? Well, I used to see plenty of cases every week in general practice. Take for example Arthur the old dog who had a cough, the cough responded well to a short course of steroids, which had to be repeated. He got older, the cough got worse, he was given more steroids and then eventually was put on them all the time. The steroids made him put on weight, so his joints started to degenerate and he was given painkillers to help, then the steroids eventually caused a condition called Cushing’s Disease and he was put on drugs for this. Arthur went from being a perky little terrier to a slow sluggish obese dog and I’m sure if he could talk, he would say that he was depressed. Arthur ended up in a similar position to my friend on several different drugs treating several different symptoms. 

This is all very well but holistic health care talks about the mind and the body, how do we know what the spiritual and emotional needs of Derek the Dachsund are? I think we can apply some of the same principles. I bet all of you reading this would say that your pets have a personality, and they have likes and dislikes? I would also guess that you know what makes them happy or sad. So there we have some clues to the mind as well as the body, the other really important factor is that your pet is part of your family and the whole family may be affected by social, economic and emotional factors that may also be needed to be taken into consideration.

This is starting to sound more complicated; Doctors have a hard enough job getting to the  bottom of a problem and their patients can talk, it’s twice as difficult for vets, not only do we  have to find out about the animal but we also have to find out a little about their relationship with other family members and a bit about the family too, all in a ten-minute consultation! Can you imagine the pressure for vets having to do all this every ten minutes for several hours every day? And going back to Arthur, the reason steroids were used so frequently with him was because his owners couldn’t afford other more expensive treatments or a diagnostic work up. So, finances also play a part in deciding treatment options for animals. 

Carrying on with Derek as our example, what factors affect him that we could look at when thinking of a holistic approach? 

I think, diet, environment and lifestyle are the big ones, then other interventions in our animals’ lives include parasite control, vaccinations and neutering. 

Derek the Dachshund, lives with a nice family in a nice house, so that’s a lot better than some animals for a start. Better than Princess the Persian for example, whose owner thought it was a good idea to feed the local strays as well and ended up with Scarface and Claws living in the house and now Princess lives on top of the wardrobe in her owner’s bedroom terrified to come down and spends most of the time anxiously overgrooming herself, ending up with bald spots so her owner takes her to the vet, and the vet gives her a shot of steroids and she gains weight and …. you’ve guessed the rest! 

Derek has a nice family, he gets taken for walks in a nice warm coat (he has several outfits in fact), he sleeps on his owner’s bed and gets fed nice food. Quite a lot of nice food actually. His owner thinks that dry kibble doesn’t look very interesting so she adds some chicken to it and then some sausages and of course Derek must have a treat when he’s a good boy and of course he’s a good boy a lot of the time, so he gets a lot of treats. Then Derek starts to go off his kibble and looks at his owner with his big brown Dachshund eyes and his owner starts cooking especially for him, his favourite is cottage pie, mince and gravy. Derek is happy and his owner is happy but the next time she takes him to the vet, the nasty vet says, Derek has put on 2kg in a year and is too fat! How can Derek be too fat, he doesn’t eat the horrible kibble, he only eats the best home cooked food, what does the silly vet know. I guess the vet knows that in 5 years Derek could be suffering from weight related medical issues like arthritis, heart disease and quite possibly diabetes. Luckily, Derek’s owner is actually mortified that Derek could become ill through her best intentions and is open to a discussion about more healthy food options. 

So next week’s instalment in Derek the Dachshund’s journey to health is how to give him a nutritionally balanced, appetising food that he enjoys and that his owner feels good about too.

Hi everyone, I will be holding a titre testing session on 14 th December at Splash in a Dash hydrotherapy centre in Kendal. 

Titre testing involves taking a blood sample from your dog and testing it with the Vaccicheck test kit so see if there are enough antibodies against three of the major dog infectious diseases; Parovirus, Infectious Hepatitis and Distemper. 

There is a lot of debate about vaccines, both in general but also about the frequency with which they should be given. It has now been shown that duration of immunity after vaccination with modified live virus vaccines for most animals, can be many years, based on challenge and serological studies (Schultz et al. 2010). The titre test will show if an animal already has a protective level of immunity and this will then help with decisions about revaccination. This may be useful in stray or rescued animals or where vaccinations may have lapsed. It can also be used in general as part of an annual health check and as an aid to reducing overvaccination of individual animals. 

Titre testing is recognised in the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Guidelines, which conclude that an animal that returns a positive titre has a protective level of immunity and therefore does not require revaccination. 

As vaccination is such a complex subject, it is always good to get as much information about your dog’s level of immunity as possible and then together with the advice of your vet, who will have an in-depth knowledge of the particular risks in your area, an informed decision can be made. 

If you are interested in finding out more about titre testing or booking an appointment slot on 14th December. Please ring me on 0787 252 0104.

It’s coming up to that time of year again which people and their pets either love or hate. Bonfire night can be such a spectacle of colour, sound, noise and also a real nostalgia trip but it can also be a night, (or more often a week) of misery for animals that have noise phobias.

It was really brought home to me when we had our second dog, Broccoli (long story, don’t ask), the neighbours had organised a bonfire party in the garden with just a few fireworks guaranteed to have no loud bangs and we thought we’d been really sensible with taking Broccoli for an extra-long walk to tire him out, putting him in the living room with the curtains drawn and some of his favourite treats, turning the TV up, making sure a responsible adult was with him and even putting a notice on the living room door to warn anyone that a dog was in there and not to go in. Of course, as you’ve probably guessed, the inevitable happened, the responsible adult got irresponsibly (but understandably) carried away and popped out to ooh and aah at the fireworks and Broccoli must have decided to investigate too. When we discovered the living room door open and Broccoli missing, we searched the house and garden but couldn’t find him anywhere. He was only a small terrier, so there were numerous places he could have hidden. We were starting to panic when I heard a chink of bottles and spied two small brown hairy feet sticking out of the wine rack. It was Broccoli… we pulled him out gently but he gave us one terrified look and dived back in again! From that night on he was scared of fireworks and sometimes thunderstorms as well. 

In the 2018 PDSA Animal Welfare Report, 40% of pet owners who answered the survey stated that their dog was afraid of fireworks. That’s a pretty large percentage and of course cats, horses and other animals can also have noise phobias. The development of a noise phobia can be due to repeated or prolonged exposure to loud or unfamiliar noises and being unable to escape from them or perform a coping strategy like hiding, or if a noise is connected with an unpleasant event. Animals then become sensitised to the noise and react to it more severely when it’s heard again or they may even come to anticipate it. Factors that influence the development of a noise phobia include; insufficient habituation early in life, being of a fearful disposition generally and genetic susceptibility. 

There are many ways of helping animals with noise phobias these days, so don’t despair, however many strategies need to be started well before the anticipated event.

1. Herbs – there are many herbs that help support the nervous system and reduce stress, these are known as nervines and adaptogens. A combination of herbs can help to calm and relax animals. One of my favourite treatments is a herbal tea made of Valerian and Passiflora which can be added to an animal’s food or water. There is also a product called Pet Remedy which is a valerian based combination of essential oils. It comes as a spray, wipes or a plug-in diffuser and works with the pet’s own natural calming mechanisms by mimicking GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) which is a natural calming agent. 

2. Homeopathy – there are many remedies that can help reduce anxiety around noise triggers. Homeopathy of course treats the individual so it choosing a remedy will depend on the symptoms your pet displays. Friendly sensitive animals that are also scared of thunderstorms and even may even anticipate them coming, could benefit from Phosphorus. Animals that show anticipatory anxiety and inevitably get diarrhoea may need Argentum nitricum. Borax, Aconite and Gelsemium are other often indicated remedies. 

3. Physical aids – Ear defenders or calming coats or wraps like the Thunder shirt. This is a snug fitting dog coat which exerts a constant and reassuring pressure around the dog’s body which may have a calming effect in some animals. 

4. Nutraceuticals – There are several supplements that have been shown to have a positive effect in helping with noise phobias e.g. Zylkene developed from a protein found in milk which acts on GABA receptors to reduce anxiety and Nutracalm a combination of Passiflora, B vitamins and amino acids including tryptophan which is a precursor of serotonin and reduces stress. 

5. Pheromone products like Adaptil or Feliway. 

6. Distraction devices – Some of these I detailed above in our preparation for Broccoli’s first bonfire night such as turning the TV up a little and providing lots of treats and toys as distraction. 

7. Build your pet a den – A den is a safe place with which your pet has positive associations and it gives them somewhere to hide when they are worried. Make sure it is large enough for your pet to comfortably move around in, line it with used blankets, towels or old clothes to make it smell familiar, provide treats and toys, to enable your pet to associate it with positive things and cover it with a blanket where appropriate to muffle the sounds further. It is good to prepare the den in advance for your pet to get used to it, put it in a room where your pet usually likes to hide and where they feel comfortable. For cats, think 3D - cats often feel more comfortable up high and also provide extra litter trays. 

8. Habituation programmes – CDs are available of a variety of different noises and these can be played very softly to start and the volume turned up over a period of time to habituate pets to different noise triggers.

Another factor about which there seems to be quite a lot of conflicting advice is owner response to a pet that is noise phobic. It is important to remain calm, talk in in a low reassuring voice and distract you pet with toys and treats. If anxiety increases, obviously do not punish your pet and also don’t try and restrain it by hugging as this may increase the fear response as it can’t get away from the perceived danger. Moving to a different room or the den may be helpful. For many pets, contact with their owner is an important coping mechanism so a reassuring hand on their side and talking calmly is fine if this helps to reduce distress. In the long term, training and habituation would aim at making the animal more self- reliant. 

Noise phobias undoubtedly have a huge impact on the lives of many animals and their owners but as you can see there is a lot of help available through a variety of products and techniques and if all else fails, head for the wine rack!

Scratch That Itch!

One of the most common problems I get to treat are skin issues in cats and dogs, particularly itchy skins. Skin problems are among the most common cases seen in veterinary medicine; one survey showed that around 37% of the cases a vet sees in a day are skin related. In my experience they can be the most frustrating cases to manage for the owner, animal and the vet! 

Vets often divide skin problems into itchy and non-itchy, as the diagnosis and treatment of these two categories tends to be quite different. Non-itchy skin problems include hormonal conditions like hypothyroidism or genetic problems like Colour Dilution Alopecia and itchy skin problems include things like parasites and allergies. My particular interest is in allergies and these can be the most challenging to treat. In this article I’d like to talk about how holistic therapies can help animals with allergic skin disease. 

It may be helpful to know that the veterinary term for itchiness is pruritus. It is important to remember that pruritus is a symptom not a diagnosis. This means when your animal scratches excessively, there may be many different reasons for it. For example, if you take 3 itchy pets, they may all be scratching and getting red sore looking skin, however, one may have fleas, one may be allergic to something it’s eating and one may be allergic to pollens that it is inhaling, so treatments that may have worked well for one animal may not necessarily work for yours, which is why I believe a holistic approach is so important. 

What Makes Your Pet Scratch? 
There are 2 main causes of itching in animals; - Parasites and allergies. There are some less common causes; e.g. liver problems, drug reactions and some kinds of skin cancer but these are rare. Parasites include fleas, lice, ticks and mange mites. There are several different sorts of mites: Sarcoptes, Demodex, Cheyletiella, (the rabbit fur mite) and Harvest mites. 

I can’t emphasise enough, the importance of a logical approach to diagnosis of itchy skin problems. Your vet should follow a ‘diagnostic pathway’, this means that they should do tests to rule out the commonest things first and then gradually narrow it down to the rare or more complex ones. What is the commonest cause of scratching in cats and dogs? You’ve guessed it – fleas! There isn’t much point in buying expensive exclusion diets or changing carpets for wooden flooring until you’ve checked for parasites and made sure you’ve eliminated them thoroughly. This would involve combing with a flea comb twice a day, vacuuming very 
frequently, use of products in the environment like essential oils and diatomaceous earth (although this should be used sparingly as may cause lung problems in sensitive animals and can also damage your vacuum cleaner!) and use of products on the animals like diluted apple cider vinegar. Other products that reportedly are useful are Billy No Mates, Dr Mercola’s Flea and Tick Defence and Cedarcide spray. 

In my experience if an infestation of fleas is severe in a multi-animal household, it may be necessary to resort to conventional flea and tick treatments in the short term to resolve the problem and then you can institute a preventative programme with more natural products in the longer term.

Once you’ve eliminated parasites as a cause of the itchiness, you’re left with allergies. Animals can be allergic to something they are eating i.e. a food allergy, something their skin is coming into contact with, i.e. a contact allergy, and something they are inhaling or absorbing through their skin, which is called Atopy. Atopy is a bit like hay fever in humans, only animals itch rather than sneeze. I’m not going to go into the diagnosis of allergies in this article as it is so complex but it really is advisable to get your animal tested for allergies once parasites have been eliminated. The most accurate test is the blood test which can be arranged 
through your vet. 

Treatment of Skin Allergies 
This can be complex as the causes of allergies are deep seated. I usually use a combination of holistic therapies as well as looking at the animal’s diet and its environment. 

The aims of treatment would be to ;- 
 

1. Improve the quality of the animal’s skin and coat. 
This can be done with soothing shampoos, e.g. ones containing oatmeal and aloe vera, high quality fatty acid supplements like Nutramega from Nutravet and addressing any deficiencies in the diet e.g. Zinc and copper can sometimes be deficient in raw or home cooked diets. There are also many other supplements that may be appropriate for your animal depending on its particular needs. 

2. Control the itch. 
For this I usually use a combination of herbs and homeopathy. The herbal approach (very simply) would be to look at the energetics of the animal and address any imbalances, for example is your pet generally a warm or chilly individual, is its coat dry or greasy and what are its energy levels like? Different herbs would be chosen for their warming/cooling and anti-inflammatory effects as well as helping to remove toxins from the body and support the internal organs. Herbs may be given as teas, tinctures or in the dry form. 

The homeopathic approach is always to look at the whole picture. Here are some things to consider when choosing a remedy: - 
a) Look for an aetiology – did anything happen before the skin problems started, a big one of course may be vaccination, in which case you might be looking at  remedies such as Thuja or Sulphur or the relevant nosode. Did it start after the family had a new baby or brought another pet into the house? If this is the case remedies like Staphysagria which has indignation as a keynote, or Lachesis which has jealousy as a large part of its picture may be appropriate. 

b) Family History/Breed – Some breeds are more prone to atopy than others e.g. West Highland White Terriers, Wire Haired Fox Terriers and French Bulldogs. They may need a deeper acting miasmatic remedy to start the case e.g. Psorinum or Tuberciulinum. 

c) Nature of the itch - What is the animals like when it is licking or biting itself? Animals that need Arsenicum album will often chew themselves in a violent and angry fashion and will continue to chew until they bleed or the skin is sore. 

d) Is the skin greasy, or dry and full of dandruff? Animals with dry flaky skin may need remedies like Pulsatilla or Sepia, whereas animals with moist or smelly skins may need remedies like Sulphur or Graphites. 

e) Modalities, i.e. what makes the itching better or worse. Heat is always a good one to look out for, hot animals who are always seeking a cold place to lie, may benefit from remedies like Sulphur, whereas ‘chilly’ animals who are always seeking out warm places, may need remedies like Calc carb or Arsenicum album. Response to bathing is also important. 

The most important thing with homeopathy however, is to always look for the total picture and this means taking into account your animal’s personality as well. If you have a clingy shy animal that won’t leave your side, Pulsatilla may be the remedy for it, if on the other hand you have an irritable, even angry animal that wants to be left alone, Arsenicum album or Sepia would be more appropriate. 

3. Diet 
This is so important. Allergy testing will give you some idea of specific foods to avoid and then an appropriate diet can be found. Many people favour raw diets and these can be incredibly useful for the treatment of skin problems but if you’re new to raw, do get advice form the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society https://rfvs.info/ or one of the reputable raw food companies like Honeys https://honeysrealdogfood.com/ 

Some sort of exclusion diet may be required and again it is important to get advice on how to do this correctly. It’s amazing how often I find owners are carefully preparing and feeding a certain diet but another family member is still feeding treats! 

4. Environment 
It is impossible to eliminate all environmental factors but certainly reducing household chemicals like carpet fresheners and scented air fresheners is a good start. If your pet is allergic to house dust mites, there are lots of measures you can take, from simply putting your animal outside when you hoover, as it throws up the dust, to replacing carpets with wooden flooring if appropriate. I have a whole advice leaflet about environmental control, so do contact me if you’re interested. 

5. Other therapies 
Acupuncture has been shown to be useful in some cases, as have essential oils, (always use with care in animals), Bach Flower and Australian Bush essences. 

6. Conventional Medicines 
This may seem strange coming in an article about holistic therapies but many owners come to me with very severely affected animals on conventional medications and their aim is to stop them and treat the animal more ‘naturally’ This is of course my aim too but animal welfare comes first, so it is important never to just stop any conventional medicines as this could cause an acute flare up of the itching and may lead to skin damage and secondary infections. The aim would be to follow a holistic approach and introduce the therapies as described above, then hopefully reliance on conventional medicines can be reduced over time. Remember, these are deep seated, often genetic conditions that have been present usually for years. My take home message is that often we cannot cure these conditions but we can manage them better and I usually find that animals being treated holistically for itchy skin problems are happier, more relaxed and generally healthier. 

To find your nearest holistic vet contact the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons www.bahvs.com or the British Association of Veterinary Herbalists http://www.herbalvets.org.uk/