Jitka Krizova on how to relieve itchy skin

Itch Relief

Jitka Krizova of Vita Canis looks at how allergies are crossing all seasons and how to relieve them:

Environmental allergies are not limited to a certain season of the year anymore. For example, spring and spring pollen. We’re now seeing more and more all-yearround allergens.

Environmental allergies are frustrating no matter which system of medicine is used to treat it. It almost always requires an approach from several different angles. Especially if a dog owner wants to keep long-term medication to a minimum or not at all.

Itching, associated with skin allergies is the thing that dogs owners want to resolve immediately. As it is so frustrating to see a dog constantly scratching and hurting himself.

Bathing a dog with environmental allergies is important and effective. It is a cheap and sensible thing to do in order to remove the allergens (pollen, dust mites, etc) from the coat and skin. Bathing provides immediate relief and the guideline is to bath your itchy dog at least once a week.

When I did my last survey, one of the questions I asked my subscribers what products they are looking for or would like me to develop or come up with. Shampoo and eye cleaner were on the top of the list.

For a very long time I wasn’t keen on creating a shampoo as I think there are many great dog shampoos on the market. But then I kept thinking about it and thought if I chose to follow the ‘shampoo route’ it would have to tick a few criteria.

One of them was; it will have to complement one of my current products. But which one?

Calming spray? I don’t think ‘calming shampoo’ is necessary as a dog can be easily sprayed in a bath with Calming Floral Spray. Or even after bathing which would be more effective. But

Itch Relief Shampoo

never say never… maybe one day…

Insect repelling shampoo? How much of the insect repelling essential oils actually stay on the skin and coat after rinsing? So, I thought, spray is more effective to use…

SKIN RELIEF. Yes, that’s the answer. Skin relief shampoo would perfectly complement Skin Relief Spray and help all the doggies suffering with environmental allergies.

I also knew the shampoo must be as natural as possible. And it is! 99.4 % which is an amazing number for a shampoo!

Another criteria was the shampoo must clean and condition the coat.

From my experience, most of the medicated shampoos (example – Melaseb) don’t clean the coat very well. They do the job, like Melaseb as an antibacterial and antifungal shampoo for the treatment and control of seborrheic dermatitis in dogs.

Shampoo like this should only be used if indicated by a vet, otherwise it can be bad for the skin, and can cause dryness.

The shampoo must have the right pH balance

As you probably remember from your school days, the pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with levels less than 6.4 considered high acidity, and levels more than 6.4 considered high alkalinity. The normal range of skin pH level for humans is 5.2 to 6.2, which means it tends to be on the acidic side. Human shampoos and other skin products are formulated specifically to maintain this balance. Relative pH balance for dogs ranges from 5.5 to 7.5, tending toward a more alkaline concentration (depending on breed, gender, climate and the anatomical size).

When we wash our dog with shampoo, like it or not, we wash away the acid mantle. The acid mantle is a very fine, slightly acidic film on the surface of a skin and it works as a barrier to protect the porous top layer (the stratum corneum) from bacteria and viruses. The stratum corneum keeps the outer body well hydrated by absorbing water and not allowing excessive evaporation.

It’s this reason why most human and dog shampoos, as well as soaps, are formulated with moisturisers – to replace the protective layer that has been washed away. This is at least until the skin is able to replenish itself around 12 hours later. If the stratum corneum is left unprotected without its acid barrier, it will be open to a host of microorganisms. This may show up as dry, flaky, irritated, or peeling skin and perhaps even as a rash of itchy lumps.

And so the Skin Relief Shampoo was born!

A gentle, plant-based aromatherapy shampoo that provides a rich, hydrating, and purifying bathing experience for even the most sensitive skin. • Combats itching • Provide fast relief to allergic reactions • Calms sensitive skin • Leaves the coat squeaky clean & fresh smelling • Keeping skin pH balanced • Helps shield skin & hair from damaging airborne pollutants • Offers defence against environmental stressors For more information visit vitacanis.co.uk