The simple answer is yes. Once the allergic response is associated with itching, the potential for scratching until the pet bleeds is very real (people do this, too).
The self- inflicted wound can easily turn into an infected, raw "hot spot", the perfect place for bacteria and yeast to flourish. Bacteria and yeast are common (dormant and innocuous) inhabitants of healthy animal skin. The infection can begin when these organisms have the opportunity to invade the broken skin. Your pet's scratching can spread the infection from ears to face or to his abdomen, as well as between the paw pads. Nasty odors (stinky ear smell, etc.), scabs and dandruff are clues that the spread of these pathogens is occurring.
These cases will benefit by Skin-eze tabs or capsules. However, some really extreme cases will need extra help. We recommend our Special Full Treatment Skin Pack for your pet, which includes our Skin-eze tabs or capsules, Skin-eze Magic Herbal Shampoo, Skin-eze Magic Herbal Skin Spray, and Skin-eze Healing O3 Oil. These products should be used as follows:
Some pets will show improvement within the first 3 to 7 days. More extreme cases could take longer. It is not uncommon for us to hear comments like "I didn't think Skin-eze was working until about the third or fourth week, then my dog started to improve dramatically".
1. My pet did have some of the symptoms that you described above, but these clear up when he is on steroids (prednisone, etc.) Do I still need to use the topicals and bathe every day for the first week?
A. Yes, the steroids merely mask the symptoms of the infection, but the infection is still there and will return as soon as you stop giving the steroids. The only way to get your pet off of the steroids and give your pet real, long lasting relief is by using the topicals as recommended in combination with Skineze tabs or capsules.
2. My pet has itchy ears that have become infected. He sometimes has a foul odor, and licks his paws frequently. Some of these dogs have chronic ear problems or scabs on their face. Sometimes the skin is dry and flaky. Will Skin-eze help?
A. Yes, there is a good chance that Skin-eze will help. However, to speed recovery and give your pet greater relief, we strongly recommend our Special Fulll Treatment Skin Pack as discussed above.
3. How do I determine the proper dosage to give my pet? See Skin-eze Suggested Dosage
A. The dose is determined by the size of the pet and the severity of the itching. A small dog that is mildly itchy might start with two tabs or capsules, two times daily. The same size dog with severe itchy skin might need 3-4 tabs, two times daily. A large dog that is mildly itchy might start with 4 tabs, two times daily. The same dog with severe itchy skin might need 6 tabs, two times daily. Once you determine the starting dose, continue with it and see how it goes. If the itching is not improved, or is less, but has not been eliminated completely, then increase the dosage. Sometimes even a small pet will need the high end dosage in the beginning until the skin improves.
4. Can I overdose my pet on Skin-eze? See Skin-eze Suggested Dosage
A. No, not as long as you stay within the recommended dosing guidelines (an exception may be that a very large pet - 100# or more, may need to dose a bit higher). This is an all-natural, herbal combination found to be safe and, generally, without serious side effects. Once the pet is comfortable and itch free for a week or two, you might want to gradually reduce the dose (in other words, if you were giving 3 tabs twice daily, go to 2 tabs twice daily to see if this dose will be adequate to control itching). If itching increases, you'll know that you will need to go back up to the original dose. Of course, you can always call our Customer Service representative for help if necessary.
5. Can I stop giving my dog the drugs my vet prescribed for itching?
A. This is a decision that you and/or your veterinarian will have to make. We can offer you the following guidelines. It is usually best to not make any changes in current treatment protocol until you have started using the Skin-eze products and your pet is "itch free" for a week or two. Many of the drugs given for allergies (itchy skin) can have harmful side effects. Generally speaking, your pet would be better off without these drugs if at all possible. Just remember that steroids and other drugs must be reduced gradually, so you might want to consult your veterinarian on how best to do this.
6. What is the difference between Skin-eze tabs and Skin-eze capsules?
A. Skin-eze tabs and capsules both contain the same active ingredients. The tablet is round, hard and coated, and measures 1/2" in diameter x 1/4" thick. The tablet can be cut into smaller pieces with a pill cutter, making it easier to administer to cats and small dogs 15# or less. The capsule is 3/4" long x 1/4" in diameter, is softer than the tablet and cannot be cut. Some pet owners find it easier to give the capsule to pets that are finicky eaters because it hides easily in soft food (it is soft and less likely to be detected in food than a hard, coated tablet might be). See Question #7 for tips on giving Skin-eze to your pet.
7. What if my pet won't eat the tabs or capsules?
A. Some pets will eat the tabs as treats. However, if your pet is a picky eater (not uncommon), it may be necessary to find creative ways to administer either the tablets or capsules. Here are some methods of hiding the tabs or caps in food that have worked well for our customers: (1). Make a small meatball of canned pet food, hide one Skin-eze in each meatball then HAND FEED as a treat (very important to hand feed, and be sure the first one or two meatballs have no Skin-eze so that your pet won't get suspicious); (2). Soften small piece (a small amount goes a long way!) of strong smelling cheddar cheese in the microwave, then wrap the soft, sticky cheese around the tab or capsule and hand feed as a treat (most pets will wolf it down like this). Very important to soften cheese so it sticks to tab or cap - otherwise, pet will eat cheese and discard Skin-eze. You can also try wrapping small piece of bread or lunch meat around cheese covered tab or cap, then hand feed if your pet is really finicky. (3) Try spreading tab or cap with peanut butter, cream cheese or butter. Although you can open the capsule or crush the tablet, it is usually best to try and hide the entire tablet (or piece of tablet for smaller pets) or capsule in food (they have less odor when given whole and your pet is less likely to reject the product due to taste or smell). The goal should be to hide them in some type of food that your pet will just "wolf down" without chewing. As a last resort, you can pop the tab or capsule down the throat (most pet owners find this easy to do with the help of a "pill pusher" which can be purchased at a local pet shop). Remember, your pet relies on you for help. A little extra effort will go a long way to help give him the relief he so desperately needs.
8. My dog has red hot spots. What should I use on that?
A. In addition to the Skin-eze tabs or capsules, use Skin-eze Spray to cool the skin and give topical relief to itchy skin.
9. Is Skin-eze guaranteed to work?
A. No. There is no product that will work on 100% of all cases (this is why huge drug companies do not guarantee their products). Skin-eze does work on a high percentage of cases, though, and our rate of reorders is excellent. We wish we could help every animal, and we hope that the product works well for your pet. We have found that best results are achieved by those who are prepared to increase the dosage as needed, use our topical liquids when symptoms indicate, and stick with the program, as some tough cases can take longer to respond, especially if your pet has had symptoms for a long time and no other treatment seems to help.
10. My dog has lost a lot of hair from biting himself. What can I do for this?
A. The Skin-eze Spray will help promote healing of the skin. In addition, our Vet Select Healthy Fresh food additive helps promote regrowth of damaged hair, in addition to many other health benefits. It contains enzymes and chelated minerals. Check the website for further info.
11. How long will it take before Skin-eze starts to work?
A. Some pets respond to Skin-eze almost immediately. Other times, it takes longer. It takes diligence on the part of the owner to be sure to give Skin-eze twice daily, and to stick with it! Often times, best results are achieved when Skin-eze is used in combination with some of our topicals (shampoo, O3 oil, and skin spray) especially if there is a lot of surface sores, red skin, ear problems, etc. In the more extreme cases, it might take as long as three to four weeks before you'll see a big improvement; however, even in these cases you should see some improvement within the first two or three weeks, with things getting progressively better from there. Remember to try increasing the dosage as necessary for good results, and don't be afraid of overdosing - Skin-eze is not a harmful drug that can cause unwanted side effects.
12. My pet seems to scratch more after starting on Skin-eze. Is this possible?
A. In rare cases, the pet could have an allergic reaction to one of the herbal ingredients. Or, you might have introduced a different type of food that is causing a reaction. Also, this could be due to discontinuation of drug therapy within the previous one or two month period, if applicable. In most cases, it is better to start using the Skin-eze products along with current therapies until your pet is "itch free" for a week or two. Then slowly begin to wean your pet off of the drug therapies (we suggest that you consult with the veterinarian who prescribed the drugs on how best to do this when your pet's condition has adequately improved).
13. Will Skin-eze help my itchy cat?
A. Skin-eze works equally well on cats, and all of our topicals can be used on cats, also. We recommend Skin-eze tabs for cats. The best way to get cats to eat Skin-eze tabs is to cut the tab into smaller pieces with a pill cutter and hide it in canned food or any of his favorite foods. We also have our Cat Special Full Treatment Skin Pack which includes our liquid homeopathic skin formula for cats.
You or your vet are welcome to contact us if you have questions.