This liquid is actually a steam distillation of the bark, leaves and twigs of the shrub itself. You can buy witch hazel for just a few dollars at any drugstore. Tannins are a natural astringent because of their ability to tighten, dry and harden tissues. The leaves, bark and twigs of witch hazel are high in tannins. Witch hazel, also known as winter-bloom or spotted alder, is a flowering shrub common in North America. Again, after the leaf is cut, the ingredients remain active for up to three days. If you cut a leaf and use part of it, store the rest of it in the refrigerator. It can also be used for wounds, fungal infections and insect bites. Use the hard cuticle of the leaf to apply the clear jelly that’s inside the leaf to itchy areas. If your dog is itching, split open an aloe leaf. Place a terra cotta pot with an aloe vera plant on your window ledge and it will always be available to you. You can find aloe plants at plant nurseries they need little care to maintain in your home. It also has antibiotic and coagulating agents in it. This increases the rate of healing in the cellular matrix and decreases inflammation. These special enzymes aren’t in bottled gel but are incredibly powerful and work rapidly to soothe your dog’s itch.Įach aloe leaf contains a jelly-like substance, which rapidly regenerates damaged tissue. There’s a real difference between aloe vera gel you buy in the store and the live plant. The live plant has important enzymes that last for up to three days in the refrigerator. Baking soda is safe if and can be vacuumed up easily if it dries and falls on your floor. Put the paste between their toes and on the tops of their feet. I have found the paste solution very helpful with dogs who have itchy, irritated feet. Put in a spray bottle and use when necessary. You can also make a baking soda spray by mixing two tablespoons of baking soda with eight ounces of water. Place the paste on the areas that are itchy or reddened. Mix one tablespoon of baking soda with a little water to make a paste. Plus, it acts as an acid neutralizer and creates a more basic pH that truly helps to relieve your dog’s itching. Baking Sodaīaking soda can work wonders! It has a soothing effect due to its anti-inflammatory properties. RELATED: Read this before you give your dog antibiotics … 2. This tincture doesn’t have to be diluted. Just pour one cup of boiling water onto five tablespoons of calendula petals and steep for 15 minutes. You can steep dried calendula petals to make your own tincture. After diluting and mixing the tincture you can apply it with a spray bottle or just pour some of the mixture on the area and rub it in. You can purchase calendula tincture from a health food store or an online herbal or homeopathic supply store. Use one part tincture to 5-10 parts water. Officinalis refers to its official medicinal value.Ĭalendula tincture diluted with water is an effective and dependable itch treatment for dogs. The Romans coined the name calendula to reflect the herb’s blooming schedule as it would flower on the calends, or new moon, of every month. And it helps eliminate fungal infections. And it has a more powerful ability to hinder bacteria than many antibiotics.Ĭalendula also has an anti-inflammatory effect while it promotes new healthy cell growth. It has an almost magical effect in healing wounds. Pot Marigold ( Calendula officinalis)Ĭalendula is a favorite first aid treatment among herbalists, and for good reason. But in the meantime, here are some safe and easy ways to stop your dog’s itching. It’s important to find the underlying cause. Or it could be because of environmental or food allergies. It may be because he has a bug bite, hot spot or infection. There are lots of reasons for your dog to itch. In fact, you may have many of these itch fixes in your home. The good news is that there are many readily available natural topical products that will do the job well. It’s too bad that dogs aren’t very amenable to the same kind of advice our mothers gave us. That means your dog experiences a lot more itching with any kind of allergic response. And they’re spread all over a dog’s body. To make matters worse, dogs have ten times as many mast cells in their skin as you do. And these histamines are what make you itch! That’s why scratching intensifies the problem … it’s a vicious cycle. Scratching irritates mast cells, which produce histamine during inflammatory and allergic reactions. As a child, you were probably told that scratching an itch would only make it worse.