I’m a new age hippie so if there is an herbal holistic remedy out there I’m going to find it. So when my old dog got a new itch I went on a mission. Her symptoms were mild, so I searched dry itchy dog skin.

I am the proud owner of two beautiful Labs, Madeline and Belladonna. Unfortunately Maddy is getting old, she’s in great spirits and she wags her tail all day long. She wags so hard her entire butt moves, we call it “the Mad Dog Shuffle.” Mad because we call her Mad Dog as a nickname, not because she’s mad…quite the opposite…she’s a very happy old lady.

At this stage in her life I noticed a difference in the gloss of her coat and the drying of her skin. I put a little olive oil on her dog food but she started loosing fur in spots and she was getting stinky as well. I thought the problem might be a little more than just old age so I started an Internet search. There are many educative websites that help you diagnose why your dog has dry itchy skin. WikiHow has a really good article on different skin irritants in dogs. After a few research articles I was happy to self diagnose Maddy’s itchy dog syndrome with a skin bacteria due to her old age and weakening immune system. She simply had dry itchy dog skin due to getting older.

So know what? I was on the right track with adding olive oil to her dog food.  Olive oil is a strong antioxidant and helps to boost her weakening immune system.  I also found that onion is an all natural anti-bacterial and antibiotic.  There are a few herbs listed and you might have what you need in your kitchen. I started using chopped dried onions instead of cutting them myself.  Maddy likes apples but I’m not sure she would like a fresh onion. I used my new regime once a day for about a week when I noticed a huge difference in her fur. I am happy to announce and share that her skin is vibrant, her dry itchy dog skin is cured, and she smells…well like a dog.

One final note to keep in mind, know your dog’s digestive tolerances and only use onion for a limited treatment. Onion and garlic are labeled as toxic to animals, this treatment is only for a temporary fix, just as humans would use an antibiotic for a prescribed amount of time. I believe the onion cured the bacterial growth load in my dog’s skin and now she does not need the treatment, my old dog has no more itchy dog skin and her fur is growing back and has a shine to it.