Help, my Dog... ...has skin problems?

“The skin is the mirror to one’s health”. This saying is certainly true for dogs. A lot of skin and fur problems are the result of an ‘internal problem’. Skin problems are hardly ever the direct result of external influences. Although fleas and/or house mite allergies for example are generally considered to be caused by external factors, the deeper underlying cause is that they manage to develop because the skin is not in good condition.

What causes skin problems?

The skin is the body’s largest organ and an ‘extension’ of the liver in the struggle to detoxify the body and to keep it ‘clean’.

A lot of skin problems are caused by the fact that the intestines are not functioning properly. If certain factors are preventing the intestinal flora from functioning properly, then the intestinal barrier is damaged and harmful substances, moulds and bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall. This means the liver has to work extra hard to remove these substances (detoxify). Waste matter and toxins are temporarily stored in the skin’s connective tissue. If the body takes in too much waste matter and toxins, this will contaminate the connective tissue and will overburden the cellular tissue. This is the main cause of cellulite. This can cause obstructions to the supply and discharge of substances from and to the cells.

As a result of modern production techniques - so-called extruding/expanding and baking - the ingredients in the dog food are overheated, which causes changes to the make-up of some ingredients. This can lead to unwanted, harmful substances which the liver needs to break down. Overheating mainly affects (transforms) fats. These transformed fats disrupt the digestion in the small intestine, which over time also disrupts the protein digestion and causes toxins in the body. It also puts an enormous burden on the liver, and as a result also on the skin. Chemical additives like antioxidants BHT and BHA, preservatives, colouring agents and so forth that are added to dog food play an important role in causing skin problems.

The above-mentioned factors, either combined or alone, often mark the beginning of various complaints such as skin and fur problems, but also food allergies, intestinal complaints, joint problems and so forth.

Treating acute skin problems.

• If your dog’s skin problem coincides with fever this usually indicates an infection. If this is the case please visit your vet before taking the following steps.
• To prevent bacterial infections any open and/or irritated spots on the skin should regularly be dabbed with a Betadine solution.
• Do not comb the dog’s fur because u this will damage the skin’s natural protective layer. Use a soft or rubber brush to brush the dog.

The solution to most skin problems.

Skin (and fur) problems, intestinal problems and food allergies often occur together. That is why the solution to skin problems lies in following a regular treatment or ‘therapy’.

1. Because a skin problem almost always indicates a disruption to the intestinal flora it is important to make sure that your dog’s intestinal flora is restored.

A stable, balanced intestinal flora is regained by giving your dog (frozen) Complete Fresh Meat Food. Over a period of several days, the dog must receive at least three meals a day (dogs under the age of two at least 4 meals a day). It is important that fresh meat food contains at least 60% untreated (so not clean) tripe (we also advise this form of fresh meat food if the dog has a suspected beef allergy, because this allergy appears to be extremely rare). The fresh meat must be served raw, at room temperature. The meat should not be thawed and/or heated in the microwave as this will destroy all the healthy bacteria that are needed to help restore the intestinal flora.

If the skin problems coincide with serious diarrhoea, then during the first 2-3 days give the dog fresh meat that has been immersed in boiling water. After this 2-3 day period switch to raw meat. Over a period of at least 7 days feed your dog the fresh meat containing the tripe, and do this until its faeces are dark and solid again. As soon as this is the case, switch to Farm Food HE.

If the dog is suffering from a skin problem this means its entire metabolism is or was disrupted, and will require time to restore. Therefore, over the first months, next to giving Farm Food HE, it is important to give it complete fresh meat (with untreated tripe). If, after several months, the fur and skin are restored, then feed the dog complete fresh meat with 60% tripe at least twice a month.

Alternatively, in the event of a skin problem it is wise to mix some untreated tripe through the FARM FOOD HE meals every day. Once your dog has regained a healthy, balanced intestinal flora the Farm Food HE will keep its intestines in good condition. For so-called ‘sensitive’ dogs it is important that condition of their intestinal flora is maintained. This is done by regularly giving them untreated tripe, or by mixing it with Farm Food HE.

2. To make sure that your dog does not receive any harmful or transformed ingredients, it is best to avoid products containing extruded/expanded and baked food. These products are identifiable by the fact that they float on water. Do not give food that contains chemical substances like antioxidants (BHT, BHA and Etoxyquine), colouring agents, preservatives and so forth. In addition to the fact that these substances affect your dog’s intestinal flora, they also put a burden on the liver and the skin.

3. Until the problem is solved do not give any snacks such as hide, pig ears and so forth. It is best to give a snack like a tripe snacks, and white Farm Food Rawhide to chew on. Farm Food Rawhide is the only brand that we have complete control over, and we therefore know that it is safe to feed your dog, irrespective of any allergy.

Important!

During the above-mentioned ‘therapy’, symptoms such as skin problems and itching will often temporarily worsen. This may sound strange, but it is a positive sign. This so-called ‘homeopathic reaction’ is a result of the fact that the metabolism (liver) is beginning to “detoxify the entire organism. This detoxification must occur before the ‘actual’ healing can begin. This means you should not be worried if your dog suddenly starts losing its hair. After a while the dog’s fur and skin will be completely restored.

© Farm Food Dog Food, Gerrit de Weerd. - FARM FOOD HE, The natural alternative.
Leaflet from the series “Help my Dog”: the holistic approach to fighting health problems in dogs.
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