Doggone Itches Be Gone

Shared by Eric Ingram, AIM Graphic Designer

Idaho winters can get pretty “ruff” on a dog that regularly needs to use the facilities outside. We let our labradoodle Sophie's coat grow thicker to shield her from the cold outdoors. She’s never had any issues with this bushy look.

It wasn’t that long ago that she started chewing and scratching at her fur a bit more than usual. We didn't think much of it at first, but at bath times we could see she had been chewing out small patches of her fur, and her skin had a slight odor.

Our vet recommended oatmeal baths to help her itchy skin. We also purchased a comb to brush out excess undercoat fur and aerate the skin. We did this for a few months, but it didn't seem to help.

After an exceptionally long winter, the warmth of summer finally allowed our dog to spend longer periods of time outside instead of being cooped up indoors. It was also time for Sophie's summer grooming to trim her winter coat.

While removing the extra fur, we noticed her skin was very flaky and dry, so we applied some pet-approved moisturizer. Even so, she would begin to gnaw at her still itchy skin after only a short time. I then realized that we needed to treat this from the inside out.

Working for AIM and having designed our Pet Health datasheet, I knew exactly what to do. We started giving her nutrientdense foods along with BarleyLife for an added nutritional boost.

At first, she was cautious about the new smell of the BarleyLife but soon was gobbling it down and licking her bowl. Most dogs and cats instinctively chew grass to help with digestive issues, so the juice powder of barley grass is a natural fit for their dietary needs.

The essential fatty acids in AIMega could help with skin hydration, so we squeezed the encapsulated seed oils onto her food.

Within two weeks, we saw 'paws-itive' results. No more excessive chewing of her fur, which is softer and shinier now.

I recently noticed that as she gets up after sleeping, she takes extra-long stretches to get those joints moving, so it was time to add Frame Essentials. Now when I come home from work, she makes figure eights around my legs to greet me and maybe even to show her thanks. If I could just get her to let us file her nails without sedation, it would be the cherry on the top!

Our pets give us so much more than we can give them with our busy lives, so make sure to give them the added health and nutrition that AIM products provide.