Evening Primrose Oil

[Nugget's Family]

Thanks to the education I've received here on DK, I've been adding 500 mg of Evening Primrose Oil to Nugget's dinner each night.  We've noticed it helping her skin itchiness, so I plan to continue.  I bought a bottle of 250 mg capsules at the health food store, so I've been cutting open two gelcaps and squishing the contents into her dinner.  I'm wondering if anyone just puts the gelcaps into their dogs dinners whole without "squishing"?  I was a little afraid to do that because I was afraid it might be rough on her digestive system, but maybe I'm being paranoid?  But, I notice that my "squish" technique is not perfect and some of the oil is left in the squished capsules that I am discarding.

As always, thanks for your help.

Susan

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Fish oils will have the same benefit for itchiness & dry skin.
The evening primrose oil was prescribed to me by Jack's specialist; scientific studies have proven that given in combination with antihistamines, it effectively treats itching caused by minor environmental allergies. During his good season, Jack has gotten by on that combo alone.
EPO is basically just Omega 6 fatty acids; it's beneficial for dry skin in anybody. It's supposed to be especially beneficial for we ladies "of a certain age", lol.

[Becky, Savannah, & Raleigh]

where does one buy EPO? pardon my ignorance, but one uses just the human 500 mg dosage, correct? I have recently started doing some of my own homecooking (following many of the suggestions here on DK!) for Savannah in addition to her having EVO red bites, so i want to make sure she's getting the good oils she needs! Thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, just buy the human 500 mg gelcaps anywhere they sell vitamins & supplements. I get mine at the grocery store, Safeway brand.

[Ann O'Connor]

My doodle has been itching a lot as well. My breeder suggested I give her anchovies in her food. I might try the evening primrose oil. It works?

[Nugget's Family]

It's been helping....but it's not perfect. We've been giving it with Claritin. She's not as good as when she's on prednisone, but I am trying very hard to avoid having to put her back on the steroids.

My friend with a yellow lab who has allergies says that her dog has been very itchy as well, lately. They started him back on prednisone yesterday which she says she has never had to do in January before. (Her dog, Homer, is 8 and has had skin issues for a long time.) So, maybe there's something weird in the air right now?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

More likely it has to do with indoor allergens; dust mites, storage mites, etc. Houses always seem to be dustier in the winter with everything closed up & the furnace running. Depending on the climate where you live, if it's damp & rainy outside, that contributes too. But winter is normally the best time of year for allergic dogs (and people). It's definitely Jack's most comfortable season.

[Nugget's Family]

I know....I've been vacuuming like crazy! I actually just bought a steam mop to go even deeper on the tile than the regular mop. We (who live in NY) do have forced hot air heat (hate it!) and use the fireplace a few times a week which dries out the house even more. I've been running some humidifiers, too.

Do you notice that when Jack is itchy, he has "itchier times" during the day? Nugget seems much worse at night (as we're going through the bedtime routine) than she is at any other time during the day. I'm home with her during the day, so it's easy for me to observe her. I was talking about her bedtime itchies with other dog-loving friends last night, and we were trying to brainstorm the causes. Some asked if she had to sleep alone somewhere: Answer, no. She's got the run of the house at night, and is welcome to sleep in any bedroom on any of the dog beds that we have for her, but, we don't allow her to sleep in our beds. (It's too ticky here in the summer.) So, some of these friends thought that she was just going through a little OCD routine before she goes to sleep. But, the problem is, if we don't address the behavior, she chews her forelegs raw and leaves herself open to infections. My husband has tried taking her for a long walk at night and having a hard game of catch to try to tire her out, but without much success. She still goes through the routine.

So, sorry for this VERY long winded reply, but we're really trying to look for the solution that will work best. The Claritin and EPO that you and others have recommended is working pretty well at the moment....THANK YOU! So, we'll keep doing that and hope for the best. I'm off to clean her ears right now and she's picking up my brainwaves because she's hiding out on the deck under the picnic table pretending I don't exist!! :-)

Have a good day!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack is severely allergic to two different kinds of dust mites (which is rare...it's usually just one or the other) and I was advised to keep him out of the bedrooms entirely. The concentration of dust mites is highest in bedrooms, because that's also where the concentration of dead human skin cells is highest.
But I don't keep him out of the bedrooms, it would break his heart. Instead, I got rid of my bedskirt, and have plain wood blinds on the windows that can be wiped off with a damp cloth. All the bedding, his & mine, gets washed frequently, and the carpets get vacuumed often; flooring would be better, but... And of course, I dust the room religiously.
So if Nugget is allergic to dust mites, it could be that the times she is itchiest coincide with the time she spends in the bedrooms.
I hate it when people say the scratching is behavioral. Yes, that's possible, but very few dogs scratch themselves to the point of infection unless they are really miserable. Nugget seems to be a normal dog in all other respects, so I doubt the scratching is a response to not being allowed on the beds. We'll know for sure when she has her testing. There are sprays you can buy in the pet supply stores to help ease the itchiness, too. Just don't let her lick those areas until the spray dries...just takes a minute. Stick with the Claritin & EPO and hang in there! Hugs to you both!

[Sandra Griffith]

I don't know much about this, but I just received a newsletter from Monica Segal stating that EPO (along with borage oil and black current seed oil) are contraindicated for dogs with epilepsy. She says that this is due to these oil's high GLA content but that the high GLA content does not cause seizures. I just thought that this may be of interest to those who own dogs with epilepsy.

[Nugget's Family]

Thank you so much for letting me know this. Fortunately, Nugget is not epileptic, but it is good to have this info for future family dogs!

Enjoy the day.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

High levels of GLA are believed to lower the threshold for seizures in humans with seizure disorders such as epilepsy. For anyone concerned with epilepsy and seizures in dogs, check the Guardian Angels website, the very best source out there for epileptic dogs and their guardians.
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/

[Sandra Griffith]

What a great resource. Thank you