Homemade Spray for Pitbulls: An Itch Relief in A Bottle

Itching seems to be a common issue among pitbulls. Whatever season it may be, whether summer or spring, pitbulls can’t resist from scratching itself. However, there are homemade itch relief sprays that are available and worth trying.

Homemade dog anti-itch sprays help to relieve itching and soothe the skin of your Pits as well. Also, most of these homemade sprays are made from natural ingredients. This makes it safe for use of your pitbull.

Before we directly point out those homemade dog anti-itch sprays, let us find out first what makes our pooch scratching itself?

Causes of Pitbull’s Itching

Itching is an unpleasant sensation within the skin that usually provokes the desire to scratch. Commonly, itching is a sign of some underlying disease. There are also some diseases that may lead to secondary bacterial or yeast infections which may develop itching. Here are some causes of itching to pitbulls.

1. Flea or Tick Infestation

The saliva of flea is very allergenic to pitbull’s skin. Infestation of flea can cause “flea allergy dermatitis” of FAD. This makes your pitbull itchy at the bite site. Aside from itching and scratching, fleas on your pitbull’s body will deposit flea dirt on the skin.

On the other hand, ticks seek blood to your Pits in order to survive. This is the reason why tick bites make the point of entry become inflamed. The inflammation worsens the longer the tick stays attached to pitbull’s body and releases its saliva into the dog skin. Bacterial infections can also occur due to a tick bite that will result in further itching.

2. Mange

Mange is microscopic insects that burrow deep into the skin layer of your pitbulls to feed and live. It creates inflammation into your dog’s skin and usually leads to secondary infections. Compare to flea or tick infestation, skin lesions resulted from mange can manifest all over your pitbull’s body. However, the groin, ear margins, armpits, and those body areas of your dog are the most commonly affected.

3. Seasonal allergies

Seasonal allergies primarily manifest with itchy skin in pitbulls. This is most prevalent during spring, summer, and fall. Thus, those who are in areas which have frequent warm and/or humid weather can acquire a year-round seasonal allergy. Pollens from blooming plants and flowers, grasses, weeds, and trees trigger this kind of allergies.

4. Nutritional allergies

Some pitbulls suffer from allergic reactions to food. Some may be allergic to certain proteins, while others have a sensitivity to grains. Allergic reaction to foods may exhibit skin inflammation and itching.

5. Anxiety

Unlike humans that exhibit nail-biting during an anxiety attack, pitbulls have physical responses to this kind of psychological upset. In fact, most pitbulls develop obvious skin conditions. It is usually manifested by scratching or licking behavior of dogs that usually cause damage.

6. Dry skin

Several factors cause dry skin to pitbulls. This factor includes winter weather and deficiencies in fatty acids. Dry skin may lead to discomfort. Pitbulls may respond to this discomfort by scratching or licking at his skin or fur.

7. Hormonal imbalance

Putting out too much of the hormone cortisol or if your pitbull’s body is not producing enough thyroid hormone, he may possibly develop superficial skin infections. Bald spots are present and your pitbull may scratch the affected area if bothered by allergies.

How to Treat Itching of Your Pitbull

If there are various reasons why itching occurs on your pitbull, be glad because there are also lots of ways that you can do to relieve that itch. Before you seek a vets advice, better try those powerful and safe tips to treat the itch.

1. Address their diet

As what we say, some dogs have food allergies. And most of the time, this kind of allergy may trigger itching. In an article, it explained there that dry and canned dog food, and mostly its ingredients such as wheat, corn, and cooked meat, are often the cause of pitbull itching. Replacing this diet to simple, fresh, and hypoallergenic dog food will definitely help, if not cure pitbull’s itching.

2. Check for parasites

Pitbulls itching are probably due to the presence of fleas and ticks. Bear in mind that these parasites can be really itchy. So, better treat this immediately when you found one. However, the use of unnecessary chemicals can actually worsen their itch.

3. Add natural anti-inflammatory

Cod liver oil is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent for pitbulls. This is said to be effective at reducing the needs for steroids of your Pits suffering from atopy and itch in general.

Another thing is to try making a Golden Turmeric Paste for your canine. Its active ingredient curcumin is the most significant compound in reducing joint pain, arthritis and inflammation. Everyone, even pitbulls can benefit from the anti-inflammatory and high-antioxidant activity of turmeric. Also, curcumin is wonderfully effective and an easy-to-make and easy-to-apply treatment. You just simply add it to your pitbull’s food.

Calendula is also included in the list of anti-inflammatory for dog’s skin. Due to its powerful flavonoids, it exerts a strong anti-inflammatory properties. Its powerful anti-inflammatory properties make it a potent remedy for all kinds of inflammatory issues. This includes rashes, dermatitis, ear infections, ulcers, and sores to name a few. It can be applied topically or can be fed to your pooch.

4. Make a soothing bath

As discussed, the majority of dog itching is due to food allergies. However, seasonal allergies are also an issue. Bathing your pitbull after a walk is recommendable, but this is not always possible.

Simple wiping of the pitbull’s face with a wet towel and bathing the feet may help to reduce problems from those allergens. Addition of some green tea and chamomile tea bags to the water for bathing will also help.

Oatmeal bath is also effective due to oatmeal’s strong anti-itchy qualities. Use this in a bath or simply make a thick poultice and place it on the affected area. Just make sure that your pitbull don’t lick it off.

5. Eliminating the yeast infection

Pitbulls with yeast infection also suffers from itching. This is because yeast infection often pops up in warm and moist areas such as are ear flaps, between toes or vaginal areas. Pitbulls acquire yeast infection due to dry and canned pet foods that are packed full of carbs. These carbs will then be converted to sugar inside your dog’s body. And yeast loves sugar.

Eliminating the yeast infection means modifying your pitbull’s diet. Just remove all the carb-based products and start to feed your pitbull with simple raw dog food diet. Follow this procedure carefully and involve your dog two weeks on Grapefruit Seed Extract and then two weeks on apple cider vinegar.

6. Try some salt therapy

This is a very simple process. What you’ll need is to offer the dog 4 different waters. Three of them contain a little high-quality salt and the fourth is a plain, distilled water. Let your pitbull choose from it. Based on an unbalance of electrolytes, the pitbull will sniff out what he needs. Well, sounds crazy, but, there’s nothing to lose by trying it yourself!

7. Over-the-Counter Canine Probiotics and Colostrum

Combination of this two products, along with diet change, are said to be very effective at healing the gut and eliminating itch in dogs. Canine probiotics guards your pitbulls digestive tract. It normalizes the digestive functions of canine so that they can be relieved from gas, abdominal discomfort, irregularity, and occasional diarrhea.

Colostrum is another fascinating miracle product. It has great effect mainly on the gut of your pitbull. It is a serious immune booster and gut healer for canines.

8. Make homemade itch relief spray

This homemade itch relief spray is very easy to make. It is good to keep in the fridge and it is very effective for many dogs. It might be recommendable and handy to have this homemade dog anti-itch spray.

A homemade itch relief spray is what you need for the itch and irritation of winter or summer season. Creating a spray using natural, nontoxic ingredients can soothe itching and can cam skin irritation. There are some available recipes of homemade dog anti-itch spray that you can try.

Vinegar Spray

 

We know that apple cider vinegar is very beneficial. It helps to relieve minor skin irritations, has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties as well. It even repel fleas or ticks.

The apple cider vinegar that contains the “mother” has the best proteins, enzymes, and friendly bacteria. Apple cider is also a top-notch probiotic for both dogs and humans. Aside from being a fantastic immune booster, it is also a brilliant addition to improve digestion. It contains acetic acid which is one of the finest anti-fungal substances.

ACV is shown to be great in helping diabetics, as it improves insulin sensitivity and reduces blood sugar. It can lower cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and boost heart health.

Having all this benefits, ACV is an excellent ingredient of homemade dog anti-itch spray. This homemade dog anti-itch spray is very simple and easy to make.

Simply dilute it with an equal part of water and apply it to your pitbull’s coat using a spray bottle. To help soothe your pitbull’s skin you can also make as spray containing green tea. Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties and will help to counteract the odor of the vinegar.

1. Brew some green tea and allow it to cool in the refrigerator.
2. Mix equal amount of apple cider and water.
3. Mix the cooled green tea with equal part of water.
4. Combine the green tea mixture and vinegar mixture.
5. Chill the spray in the refrigerator and use it on your dog’s itchy skin.

Chamomile Tea Spray

Another homemade itch relief spray that can be used by your pitbull is the chamomile tea spray. Chamomile tea spray isn’t just good for calming the nerves; it can calm your dog’s itchy skin too. Just brew it and spray it all over your pitbull’s coat to relieve itching. Peppermint is the best combination of this spray as this has a cooling effect on the skin.

1. Brew 2 tea bags of chamomile tea in a cup of water.
2. Steep the tea for several minutes and refrigerate it.
3. Brew some peppermint tea and allow it to cool.
4. Combine equal amount of peppermint and chamomile tea and spray it on your pitbull.

Aloe and Oatmeal Spray

Aloe and oatmeal spray is another recipe of homemade dog anti-itch spray. Both aloe vera gel and oatmeal gives a skin soothing effects for pitbulls. Aside from the fact that the combination of these two ingredients create an effective homemade dog anti-itch spray, aloe vera gel can never be applied straight from the aloe leaf. Though its pure and natural, it is toxic and harmful if ingested by your pitbull.

1. Grind some dried oatmeal and create a powder using a food processor or coffee grinder.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oat powder to 2 cups of warm water.
3. Mix together.
4. Mix 2 to 3 teaspoons of aloe vera juice with warm water solution.
5. Spray the solution on your Pits and allow it to dry. You can rinse the solution after 20 minutes if the dog’s coat feels dry from the dried oatmeal powder.

Lavender Hydrosol Spray

Generally, lavender is an essential oil that has skin-soothing properties. However, this may be a bit strong for dogs. Instead, use a lavender hydrosol. This is a byproduct produced during the process of distilling lavender. Hydosol can be sprayed directly on your pitbull. This will naturally repel fleas, calm your dog’s skin, and make him smelling good all day.

 

For more serious cases of itching, seeking professional advice from your vet for diagnosis and treatment are still the best thing to do. Your vet may prescribed meds for your pooch. Those commercial medications for dog itch are widely available in the market today.

However, due to its chemical contents and side effects, homemade itch relief spray is the preferred choice of pet owners nowadays. Though some may doubt about its effectiveness, some of it are still worth trying. And providing your pitbull with some relief from itchy skin using a homemade spray.