My dog is itchy in summer. Is apple cider vinegar safe for his skin?

I would not advise using Apple Cider Vinegar for a bath. This is not safe because it will severely dry out your pets skin. I would recommend using regular flea/tick shampoo and then get Arjun on a flea/tick preventative such as Bravecto, Nexgard, or Advantix. I would also advise to get some tweezers and picking off any ticks that you see. You should watch a youtube video on how to properly remove a tick, because you have to ensre to get the head of the tick too. Best of luck moving forward with yoru pet Arjun and I hope that you get a handle on your tick problem soon. Take care! : )

Hello and thank you for your questions about Apple Cider Vinegar. Most people use the vinegar topically. They apply it to skin rashes, the under side of the feet or other areas of redness. Vinegar is an astringent so it will help remove pathogenic microbes on the skin and it also soothes the skin. Some people feed it to their dogs to acidify the GI tract but I don't think there's much value in that and thus I don't recommend it. Some people also use it the clean ears but again, I've seen problems when it stays in the ear and is not properly dried out. I think there are much better ear cleaners that are made for dogs and actually dry on their own or remove water within the ear. Some people also see a value in this for a flea repellent but once again, I don't think it works well and that there are much better products. So I don't recommend it for that purpose. Anytime you use the vinegar you want to mix it water in varying concentrations depending on the intended use. Always get the organic formula. For skin issues, I think it has benefits, I don't recommend to use it for the other listed properties. Be careful using it on open wounds, it can sting. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. For relief of the itching / discomfort, you can use a product called Sentry Hydrocortisone spray which can be found at Petco. I also like using Pramosoothe spray, which can be found online. These products can be applied 2-3 times per day to help with the relief. I would try and find out why Rocco is so prone to the allergies though to help with the overall problem rather than masking the symptoms of the problem. If this is a year round issue, he may have a disease called Atopic Dermatitis, which can be treated but can be difficult and expensive to manage. I would also recommend Welactin Omega 3 fish oil capsules. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is most likely a result of skin allergy. You should try soothing oatmeal shampoo (can be by TropiClean or Burt's Bees - both available online and at pet shops) - it will give Flip some relief. Once your vet is fully open, please take Flip for an appointment as he may need a prescription-only shampoo or anti-allergic tablets.

Hi there and thanks for posting on PetCoach! You can try applying a leave in conditioner or topical spray such as the one I linked below. If that doesn't seem to help and Charlie's skin continues to look red or he appears bothered by his skin and itches or scratches, you may want to take him to his veterinarian. I hope this helps!

Hello. If his skin is damaged, then you want to use an antibacterial shampoo until the lesions heal. Anything with Benzoyl Peroxide or Chlorhexidine will work well. You will need to probably bathe him every few days, so alternate with a shampoo that has anti-itch properties such as Pramoxine or 1% hydrocortisone. The key to using any medicated shampoo is to make sure you leave the lather on for 10 minutes before rinsing. Finally, you should use a skin barrier preparation that contains ceramides. Allerderm Spot-on by Virbac & Dermoscent Essential 6 Spot-on are 2 highly rated products. Ueing these products along with diet & appropriate medications should make Mumble much more comfortable. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately, I can't advise you to use any specific products on your dog's skin without seeing her to get an idea of what's wrong - for certain skin conditions, the ingredients in the baby powder could do more harm than good by causing more irritation. There are some over-the-counter anti-itch sprays (usually containing cortisone or some other topical steroid) that are labeled for use in dogs - you can try one of these products if you wish. Aloe and oatmeal pet shampoos can also be soothing for irritated skin. If this doesn't help the itching, I would recommend having your dog examined by a vet - itchy skin and irritation can be caused by a number of different things, including seasonal allergies, external parasites like fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection, or skin mites (mange). Your vet can do a simple test called a skin scrape to check for some of these problems, and prescribe an effective medication for treatment depending on what they find.