The Allergy Cover-Up

Why natural approaches are the only cure to hotspots and allergies.

Dolly, a six-year-old cocker spaniel, walked into the clinic and settled herself down for a good scratch. Her people, both responsible and attentive animal lovers, had frustration written all over their faces. Even though Dolly ate a home prepared diet, she scratched incessantly. It was fairly obvious Dolly suffered from an allergy, but to what? In my years of practice as a veterinarian, I’ve seen allergies to almost everything, from fleas to grass. Using Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET), I performed muscle response testing on Dolly and, after checking for virtually all substances, finally found a most unusual culprit. This little spaniel was allergic to sweet potatoes, a food she ate every day in her lovingly prepared dinner. After eliminating this allergen from her diet, Dolly ceased scratching and everyone in her house breathed a sigh of relief.

Allergies can manifest on the skin (rashes and hotspots), in the ears, the respiratory tract (asthma), and the digestive tract (vomiting, diarrhea, constipation). They occur as a result of the body’s hypersensitivity to one or more antigenic substances called allergens. These allergens do not cause symptoms in most individuals but in certain people and animals, an immune dysfunction causes a hyperactive reaction of the immune system and symptoms start to manifest themselves. In many cases, the symptoms are skin-related and animals suffer from hotspots and overall itchiness that can put everyone in your home on edge.

Who gets allergies? Why do some people and animals get allergies and others don’t?
From a naturopathic or holistic perspective, there are always causes or contributing factors leading to this state. First, we consider the genetic makeup, which may contribute to a weak or hyperactive immune system.

Second, we look at the toxin load in the body, including those which originate outside the body and those coming from within. Outside toxins may stem from poor quality foods, chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, drugs, vaccines, microbial and parasitic toxins, heavy metals, and others. Inside, the body is producing toxins of its own in the form of byproducts of digestion and normal metabolism. If the animal’s system is overloaded or malfunctioning, these toxins are incompletely eliminated.
Major organs that are required to detoxify the body, such as the liver, kidney and digestive tract become overworked and overwhelmed, and, affected by toxins themselves, can no longer fully accomplish their tasks. Toxins accumulate in the intercellular space (the space between the cells) and metabolic processes are impeded. All of these toxins can lead to blocked enzyme systems and free radical damage, which can result in immune impairment and inflammation. Any system or organ can be affected
primarily or secondarily. Since the skin is an eliminative organ, it does its best to take over when the bowel, liver and kidneys are not performing their roles. Dr. Sharon Kopinak, a veterinarian in Acton, Ontario, explains that hotspots are toxins “blowing out through the skin.” Veterinarian Dr. Cynthia Kneebone of the East York Animal Clinic in Toronto agrees. “These animals are eliminating through their skin and we have to change the way they are eliminating.”

The condition known as “leaky” gut represents a third contributing factor to the allergic state. In this condition, the intestinal barrier becomes compromised and larger molecules pass through and end up circulating in the blood. There the immune system has
to complete the process of digestion, which eventually sets off a host of immune responses, one of which is allergy. Allergens may come into the body from eating, inhaling or contact but in most cases, the intestinal tract is involved. “Allergies are of gut origin unless proven otherwise,” states Eddy Beltram, DVM, of the Blair Animal Hospital in Ottawa. “Lungs, feet, ears, and skin are the tip
of the iceberg. The problem is in the bowel.” Even if an animal is allergic to pollens or house dust, you may still find the underlying problem in the gut.

Finally, the fourth contributing factor to allergies is an imbalance of microbial flora anywhere on or in the body
where bacteria normally live (particularly the bowel). Known as intestinal dysbiosis, unfriendly bacteria, yeast and/or parasites begin to outnumber the friendly intestinal bacteria necessary for optimal health. It results from improper diet, oral antibiotic treatment, and infection by bacteria, yeast, viruses or parasites. This condition can lead to leaky gut.

The natural way to treat allergies
It has been said that if you treat the site of pain, you are lost and I would like to add that if you treat the skin, you are lost.
First and foremost, consider the patient. When Patches, a four-year-old calico cat, visited my clinic, she was literally licking herself to pieces. Her skin was full of scabs and I determined she suffered from a miliary dermatitis of unknown origin. A blood test indicated that she was very allergic to moulds. It turned out that Patches drank from the greenhouse watering can. When the can
was removed and fresh water supplied in a clean container, Patches’ scratching stopped. The offending allergy had been
removed. Unfortunately, not all cases are so easily solved. In general, when a veterinarian has determined the cause or factors contributing to the allergy, he or she will make some recommendations. If the gut needs attention, most will suggest changing your companion’s diet to one that is home prepared or the equivalent. Common food allergens such as wheat, beef, corn, soy, and sometimes rice, chicken, plastic feeding bowls and utensils, chemical cleaners, detergents and sometimes even vitamin and essential fatty acid supplements must be eliminated. Dr. Tom Boekbinder of the Carmel Holistic Clinic in Carmel, California, recommends serving raw meat and veggies and eliminating grains. “Turkey and fish are the least inflammatory,” says Dr. Boekbinder, “but you must cook west coast fish. For severe hotspots on dogs, I recommend starting with a seven to ten-day fast with just water. The skin clears up quickly on a fast but few people are willing to fast their dog. It’s too hard for them to see their
animal go hungry.” You should keep in mind that, in a study, dogs were fasted for 62 days, at which time they could still jump onto the examination table and, although thin, showed no signs of illness. Food was gradually reintroduced and all the dogs regained their weight and strength. Fasting is never recommended for cats because of the risk of hepatic lipidosis, a serious and often fatal condition.

Dr. Beltram says that most commercial foods “are processed at high temperature and pressure, which creates an interaction between the carbohydrates and the protein in the food and produces ‘maillard’ proteins. These new chemicals are highly allergenic. If the bowel is leaky, the allergens will go through the filter.”

When changing your companion’s food to home prepared, make sure you do your research so you feed a well balanced diet.

Eliminating parasites
To correct dysbiosis and get rid of parasites and bacteria/fungal pathogens, I first recommend a fecal analysis of three different stool samples collected on different days. If there are parasites, herbs can help eliminate them (black walnut is relatively safe in dogs but very toxic to cats), as can conventional parasiticides. Pyantel parmoate is nontoxic and very effective for roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. For antifungals, try garlic, caprilic acid and olive leaf extract. An overgrowth of yeast (Candida
albicans is the best known), can usually be turned around with probiotics.

In fact, probiotics, a general word for beneficial intestinal bacteria, are a must in most cases since they will crowd out unhealthy bacteria and yeast. Specific bacteria include Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria. It is best to buy a refrigerated product since research at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph has shown that the labels on commercial pet foods do not accurately represent package contents. In addition to the friendly bacteria, most products now contain prebiotics, the substances which
friendly bacteria actually feed on. Fructo-oligo-saccharides (FOS) derived from Jerusalem artichokes are excellent prebiotics.

Your holistic veterinarian may also suggest Sanum remedies, isopathic products which help eliminate different types of yeast while recolonizing the bowel with healthy flora.

Sometimes, infections are secondary to the underlying cause of the allergies. Tommy, a 9 1/2-year-old golden retriever, was suffering terribly from allergies. He had itchy skin and ears, scabs, open sores, hair loss and impacted anal glands. While his
problems used to be seasonal, he now scratched throughout the year. He was on medication for hypothyroidism (which
is often an underlying cause of various skin problems) and Panalog for his ears. I changed his diet to raw meat and vegetables
with no grains and added a multivitamin supplement as well as digestive enzymes, probiotics, homeopathic remedies for support and detoxification and a natural enzyme based ear drop (Zymox) for the secondary infection in his ears. After two to three weeks, his condition was not improved and his guardians were worried. At four weeks, I received a phone call to let me know Tommy’s
turnaround was absolute; he stopped scratching and his skin started healing.

Additional supplements
Dietary supplements can be quite useful in allergic animals. The essential fatty acids (EFAs) omega 3 (from flax seed and fish oils) and omega 6 (from safflower and sunflower oils) in a 1:4 ratio can provide relief, although some animals are allergic even to these.

Digestive enzymes are recommended with meals to assist digestions, and between meals for their anti-inflammatory effect. Bioflavonoids such as quercetin and hesperidin (to name just a few) have an antihistamine effect which can help alleviate the allergic reaction.

Other things you can try include antioxidants to decrease free radical damage and heal the gut and skin. These include pycnogenol, grape seed extract, vitamins C and E, beta carotene, alpha lipoic acid and other too numerous to list. Bovine colostrum, whey protein isolate and L-Gluatamine are other products that can help heal the gut.

Watching out for the liver and kidneys with homeopathy and herbs
When treating an animal for allergies, it’s imperative to support and sometime stimulate the function of the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal and lymphatic systems since these have the important role of filtering and eliminating waste, toxins and allergens. I find Heel, Unda and Pasco products (available through holistic vets and some health food stores) most useful in accomplishing
this. Heel, for instance, offers a Detox kit which contains three remedies to support the liver, gall bladder, digestive tract, kidney and lymphatics. Useful herbs include dandelion root, burdock, goldenrod flower tincture, nettle and alfalfa. If your animal tends to get
constipated or has anal gland problems, add one tsp. to one tbsp. psyllium (depending on the size of the animal) to the food. Make sure your animal drinks plenty of fluid after ingesting the psyllium (try a tasty broth). Alternatively, you can introduce added fiber by feeding cooked pumpkin.

Limit exposure to toxins andallergens
For obvious reasons, it’s best to avoid further toxins as much as possible. Avoid pharmaceutical drugs such as flea and heart worm prevention unless deemed necessary, as well as antibiotics, antihistamines, steroids, etc. Vaccines are toxic and you should have a titer test done to determine if your animal is still protected from previous immunizations. According to Dr. Beltram, “the complex chemicals (aluminum, mercury salts) and antigens in vaccines trigger an erratic reaction of the immune system. Vaccines given when the animal has a high titer are even more damaging because a state of hyper-reactivity already exists.
If the animal is revaccinated, the immune system is pushed one more time and may start reacting with other substances such as food. So often the stage was set for allergies after the second or third booster vaccination.” If your animal experiences allergic
symptoms after vaccination, try using homeopathic thuja (two pellets of 30CH once a week for three weeks).

Also try to avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides (wipe your animal down after a walk), contact allergens such as poison ivy, fleas, toxins in meat (use chemical-free or organic meat when possible) and veggies and fruits (use organic or peel these). Use spring, distilled or reverse osmosis water. Check the pollen count and keep your animal inside during peak times. You can
also consider putting a pollen filter on your furnace and using the air conditioner on high pollen days.

Addressing PH levels
Allergic and sick animals often exhibit an acidic pH level in their tissues. You can assess the pH by measuring the level of the first
morning voiding. Correct a pH lower than 6.2 by adding the following veggies to the diet to help alkalize the body: celery, green beans, zucchini and potatoes. Better still, make a broth of these veggies by adding one cup of each, finely chopped, to a large pot. Cover with water, simmer 20 minutes or so, strain and discard the vegetables. Add a small amount of powdered kelp for taste and feed a large dog one cup twice a day. If you’re not successful raising the pH level above 6.2, consult a holistic veterinarian.

Don’t forget the adrenal glands
Resting above the kidneys sit the tiny adrenals, two very important glands that secrete cortisol and other hormones. Initially, the adrenals respond to allergic inflammation by producing more cortisol. This suppresses symptoms in the short term but constant exposure to the allergen fatigues the adrenal glands and cortisol production decreases, allowing allergy symptoms to develop. Supporting the adrenal glands is crucial to allergy treatment. While Dr. Beltram recommends Ribes nigrum (black currant) for this, other useful supplements include licorice root extract, adrenal glandular, vitamin B5 (panthotenic acid), Canine Adrenal Support by Standard Process and a special vitamin C formulation created by Dr. Walter Grosse. Supporting the immune system Because 70% of the immune system is in the gut (Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue), healing the gut and providing probiotics goes a long way in supporting and regulating the immune system. In addition, you can balance the system with immune modulators such as Moducare (plant sterolins and sterols) or Ag Immune by Body Wise. These substances will down regulate a hyperactive immune system in an allergic patient and/or up regulate a lowered immunity in cases of repeated infections.

Desensitizing the body
Allergy shots for pollens and other inhalants remain the conventional treatment for allergies. Desensitization techniques such as this do not address the underlying cause of the allergy but merely block the hyper-reaction to certain substances. A series of injections can take two to three years to achieve the desired result. Alternatively, you can use oral homeopathic preparations of the offending allergens to accomplish the same effect. Or my personal favorite is NAET, which not only blocks the overreaction to allergens but also uses acupressure to balance the system, and is curative when used along with detoxification and dietary changes.

Topical treatments can helpshort term
While they won’t cure the allergy, topical treatments will provide some relief from pain and itchiness and prevent self-mutilation. You may have to use E-collars (head cones) to prevent your companion from scratching himself to pieces. If a secondary infection
develops, you can use enzymebased Zymox shampoo and rinse, tea tree oil (on dogs but it may be irritating), and oil of wild oregano (dogs only). Topical solutions include products with aloe gel (Naturvet Aloe Comfrey Gel, Animal Essentials Fidoderm), calendula ointment, vitamin E, Nature’s Vet Sanatio ointment, UNDA 270 ointment, Naturvet YUCK (a bitter product to prevent biting
and chewing sores), an application of 8 parts oatmeal water (made by mixing 1 cup raw oat flakes and 8 cups water in a blender and straining through a cheese cloth), 1 part calendula tincture, 1 part Hypericum tincture; tea bags (moisten and apply to hotspots), witch hazel, or probiotic powder. Cold or hot applications, either locally or in the form of a bath, may help ease the irritation.

Hotspot areas should be shaved or scissored to clear away hair and then gently cleansed with a mild soap and water solution. For painful spots, Dr. Harcourt recommends bee propolis, which she says numbs the skin. As well, she suggests providing pleasurable distractions such as walks, playtime, massage and raw bone chewing to get through difficult hotspots.

As much as possible try not to use suppressive treatments such as hydrocortisone, which can do long-term damage. Making better health your goal Although different holistic vets use different approaches with allergic animals, their goal is the same and their results similar. Using natural means, mildly allergic animals will usually recover quickly and completely. Severely allergic animals may take six to twelve months or more to get to a complete cure. A few may improve tremendously and get back to only
seasonal allergies as opposed to year-round suffering. Whatever the case, combining time and patience with your holistic veterinarian’s recommendations will help your companion’s health improve and won’t cause any further damage in the future.

Reprinted with permission of Animal Wellness Magazine www.animalwellnessmagazine.com

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