dyan
And smells HORRIBLE!
I have purchased it at a couple of different Health Food Stores. I can tell you though...I open that bottle and my dogs RUN the other way.
careful Dyan -- that's literally JUST your opinion (and maybe Gibby's) but don't color someone else's reaction ok? (If you comment on it when you open it, no wonder!!). Mine NEVER react that way and I use it on Tink and Kee and Billy *and ME* all the time!! I like the smell of it - it's not perfume but it works wonders.
Cos tea tree may truly help this lady's dog!!
Shelley75
Even if I just gave one dose?
Let me explain here what "resistant" means.
Any time a bacteria or thing "survives" an antibiotic or whatever that has tried to kill it, the new bacteria that are then formed have a 'resistance' to that antibiotic. That's why it is always said don't stop ANY prescription early -- because anything that survives that prescription actually forms a new SUPER bacteria that is stronger than that antibiotic.
Willit for sure develop a resistance after one pill? I don't know. It could form some mild resistance, BUT Simplicef, like it's precursor cephalexyn, are such **important** drugs used for so many things, that you really don't want ANY resistance to form at all. But like Amanda said I would NOT run the risk. You've begun it, continue it until it's gone.
At the same time -- you will likely need to do something as **maintenance** constantly to discourage the bacteria from taking hold. That may be the form of several things.
1. A better diet -- I understand why people use Z-Diet but it surely wouldn't be MY choice. I cook for four dogs. One of the reasons is specifically that I don't want my dogs getting the carcinogenic preservatives Hills and other companies use, but I can tailor the diet to what works for MY dogs.
Two of my dogs are WAY prone to severe skin problems -- so no one gets grain at my house. Particularly not rice. And no one gets chicken either (it also can be an inflammatory thing -- and there I'm adhering to principles my vet uses in TCVM, but by golly it works).
2. I don't use the strong medicinal anti-fungal shampoos (I use some medicinal ones, but I give a wide berth most o the time to the anti-fungal ones because they are SO hard on the liver) -- but I do bathe mine pretty frequently, and the final rinse always has tea tree oil in the final rinse.
I also might use lavender essential oil in my final rinse -- depends on the day. Or I might combine them.
**where to find**??? Most any good health store will carry a selection of essential oils. They can be pricey. Wal Mart carries tea tree oil (in the herbs/vitamin section -- usually on the very bottom shelf close to the end -- it's a 2 oz bottle for about $5)
My favorite place is http://www.leavesandroots.com -- she carries a super nice selection of essential oils in most any size you want. I use orange oil when I clean at home for anything "gooey", I use lemon and lavender oils to clean with.
But usually after a bath I will put a dishpan in the bathtub and fill it full of warm water. Add about 20 drops of the essential oil. Stand the dog in the dishpan (half in/half out is FINE). Use an old glass mug and just pour the water with the oils over and over and over the dog. Turn the dog around halfway thru. Eventually it all winds up down the drain but it helps cool the dog down clean and it works the oils thru the coat and skin.
Tea tree oil and lavender oil (the *essential oils* NOT bath oil or a shampoo or a conditioner -- you want the actual **essential oil** here) are both powerful antifungals and antibacterials. They will help kill staph and yeast and help keep them away.
You can make up a spray bottle with a few drops in and use it in between to wipe them down. I'd use it every day if I were you. I'd also make sure this dog had WHITE bedding and I'd wash that bedding every single day in a MILD soap and rinse it twice. Things like dryer sheets and leftover soaps that don't fully rinse out of the wash can actually perpetuate such problems.
3. Other topicals -- the other thing I'd use would be aloe. Again -- you want REAL aloe -- not a cream with aloe in it. You can get aloe at any health store (a consumable one is fine) but you don't want alcohol or other ingredients in it. Keep it in the fridge. But smooth some on the skin of the belly once or twice a day -- it will help keep it dry and it will reduce inflammation.
4. Follow directions with the drugs you are committed to using at this time. If the Simplicef is a 14 day prescription USE IT UP. If the skin problem isn't 100% clear then have the vet do something **right away**. Don't let the dog go without anbiotics "for a while" -- because then the bacteria may truly become resistant --
5. Generally skin problems take some serious concentrated effort. Honestly, as I mentioned in your other thread I have had super results with TCVM. The Chinese tend to understand skin problems FAR better than we do because they recognize that skin isn't just skin -- it's a manifestation on the outside of some part of the body not working properly on the INSIDE. So rather than just treating that surface problem, TCVM tries to work from the inside out.
But honestly NEVER EVER think "Oh that looks better I can stop that now." It just doesn't work that way. Being leery of antibiotics is a good thing -- BUT you do that before you start, and you do *other things* to work in place of antibiotics or to prevent the problem from getting bad enough to have to USE antibiotics.
Shelley75
What is demodex and can I use teatree oil if my dog doesn't have demodex?
I'm not trying to drive you crazy here, just trying to be thorough --
Demodex = demodectic mange. Primarily that's something you see in puppies (and sometimes older dogs). My husband and I have helped literally thousands of dogs with demodex. It is, at its most basic level, an immune problem where the body allows a perfectly normal and natural mite (one found on ALL mammals -- not just dogs) to proliferate and cause a problem.
From your description, your dog does *not* have demodex.
Tea tree oil is used a lot (at least in the regimen I use ) on demodex dogs simply because of its antibacteria and antifungal properties. Demodex dogs tend to be really prone to staph (a bacteria) and yeast (a fungus).
But yes -- you can use tea tree oil on your dog -- it's just one of several things I'd suggest. I'd probably suggest a really mild soap (something like Dr. Bronners lavender hemp oil soap, or even a neem oil shampoo. Neem is another essential oil that would likely be helpful to you. Again it's an antibacterial/antifungal type of things.
I'd probably tell you to bathe the dog once or twice a week, but use the tea tree oil and/or the lavender oils in the final rinse. They will ensure that the coat will *not* dry out and it won't cause a problem.
As I said above -- I'd also be washing this dog's bed several times a week -- so you don't keep reinfecting the skin over and over again. If it were MY dog I'd use a mild detergent -- even a baby soap -- but CUT IT IN HALF amount. Then I'd add just 1/2 c. amonia to the wash when you put the soap in. That will degrease and help remove soap scum, and it will smell better than you'd believe.