# Home remedy for Folliculitis?



## CPS624

Took my girl to the vet because she had persistent hives & what turned out to be Folliculitis. So the vet put her on Prednisone & cephalaxin.

Also, switched her to a grain free diet. I went with Taste of The Wild & chose the Pacific Stream Puppy meal, thinking the fish oils in the food would be beneficial to her coat & alleviate the symptoms.

To further help with her skin (and shedding :}) I purchased a curry comb to use at bath time & a shedding rake for times in between.

Well after all that, the bumps came back, so I took her to the vet *again*. She perscribed a 3 week dose of antibiotics (Doxycycline) & gave me an oatmeal shampoo (which I've bathed her with a few times since then). 

The bumps went away for a while with the last of the antibiotics. But now the bumps are back! 

This will be the 3rd time to the vet for the same issue - I need insurance on this dog! :

Has anyone had such a hard time with this folliculitis stuff? 

Does anyone know or heard of any home remedies?

I hate to have her on meds, not to mention the headache & expense of the vet. :-\

Any help would be much appreciated.


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## einspänner

Hi, I don't have experience with this, but a quick search turned up baking soda and apple cider vinegar. http://thepointyearedbeast.blogspot.com/2012/05/treat-your-dogs-folliculitis-naturally.html

You're on the right track thinking fish oils should help, but I'd consider adding a supplement on top of that. Fish, salmon, or krill oils are great as is coconut oil with the added benefit of aiding the immune system. 

Good luck!


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## FLgatorgirl

We had a couple of bouts of Folliculitis when our girl was younger as well. After round two of antibiotics the vet mentioned that some dogs have this as a chronic issue while others will grow out of it as their immune system matures. I told her I did not want to put my dog on antibiotics on a regular basis. She suggested we bathe her at least weekly in an anti-bacterial soap. 

What worked for us was two fold. First, I did a quick wipe down bath of sorts every night just before dinner. I use a microfiber cloth, warm water and a few squirts of Dr Bronner's peppermint soap (liquid). Then wipe down again with a rinsed out cloth to get the soap off. In my thoughts, this not only kept her clean to help stop infection but removed a lot of pollen and such that she was tracking in that probably caused the bumps in the first place. Second, in the rare instance that we started to see a few bumps, immediately give two Benadryl up to three times a day (ask vet for dosage on your pup) until bumps were gone. As I understand it, the bumps themselves are not a problem, but if they scratch them and get dirt in them then the folliculitis can start. 

It is possible there are other liquid soaps that would work just as well, but we like Dr. Bronner's because of limited ingredients, it is mild and peppermint helps repel bugs. If your pup has any current skin irritations, do not use peppermint as it will sting. There is an unscented and an almond oil version that will not sting on irritations. 

Our girl is also on TOTW Pacific Stream and gets a Krill oil supplement every morning. Her coat is super shiny and water beads up on it! We have not had a problem with skin issues since doing what I mentioned above. 

On edit, just wanted to add that what we did will not cure the folliculitis, but will hopefully keep it from returning.


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## CPS624

@ einspänner, I've got a whole tub of coconut oil! LOL How should I give it to her? In her kibble, or just by itself? Apply it to the affected area?

@ FLgatorgirl, Thank you so much! Do you continue to bathe her this way now, or just use Benadryl when she has an outbreak? Also, how long did you bathe her with the peppermint soap before you started to see a difference? 

I want to start these treatments right away, as her bumps are worsening :'(

I just want her to look & feel as great as I know she is! ;D


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## FLgatorgirl

CPS624,
Yes, unless she has ended her day with a swim in the pool, I do continue to do her quick wipe down bath pretty much daily unless it is a really low pollen time and I might do it every few days. I think the quick baths help get pollen and dirt off of her hopefully getting rid of allergens that start the bumps and dirt that could infect any skin irritations. I only use the Benadryl if I see bumps which has only been once since we started the wipe downs. That was because she was away at the breeder's for a month, exposed to different possible allergens and not getting the wipe downs.

If your dog currently has bumps but they are not infected, try the Bendaryl and bathing for a week or so and see if it starts to improve. If it has already gone into folliculitis, you might be forced to do antibiotics to knock out the infection. However, once the infection is gone, start doing the wipe downs with soap as I mentioned and see if you can keep the bumps from returning.


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