Joey Green's Amazing Pet Cures: 1,138 Simple Pet Remedies Using Everyday Brand-Name Products - Softcover

JOEY GREEN is the author of more than 50 books, including Joey Green's Cleaning Magic, Joey Green's Fix-It Magic, and Joey Green's Gardening Magic. He's a former contributing editor to National Lampoon and a former advertising copywriter. He appears regularly on news and entertainment television programs and at home and garden shows across the country.

Allergies

For Dogs and Cats

Benadryl. To ease itchy skin, you can give your pet one to three milligrams of Benadryl daily for every £d your pet weighs. Consult your veterinarian for the precise dosage for your particular pet. Benadryl contains the antihistamine diphenhydramine, which thwarts the effects of histamine, a com£d released by the body that causes itching. Your veterinarian may suggest trying a variety of antihistamines to determine which one works best for your pet.

Cheerios and L'eggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose. Using a blender, grind one cup Cheerios into a fine powder. Cut off the foot from a clean, used pair of L'eggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose, fill with the powdered oats, and tie a knot in the nylon. Tie the oatmeal sachet to the spigot, letting it dangle in the flow of water as the tub fills with cool water. Bathe your pet for five to ten minutes in this inexpensive and soothing oatmeal bath.

Dannon Yogurt. According to the International Journal of Immunotherapy, eating yogurt with active cultures enhances the body's immune system by increasing the production of gamma interferons, which play a key role in fighting certain allergies and viral infections. Give one-half teaspoon of plain Dannon Yogurt to cats at each feeding, and one tablespoons of plain Dannon Yogurt to dogs. Cats and dogs generally enjoy yogurt, so there's no need to mix it into their food. Even lactose-intolerant pets can digest yogurt without any ill effects.

Endust. Static electricity attracts dust to the edges of fan blades as they turn. The fan blades then disperse the dust throughout the room. Spraying Endust on the blades of overhead ceiling fans and oscillating fans and wiping them clean lubricates the blades, preventing dust from settling on them.

Quaker Oats and L'eggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose. Using a blender, grind one cup Quaker Oats into a fine powder. Cut off the foot from a clean, used pair of L'eggs Sheer Energy Panty Hose, fill with the powdered oats, and tie a knot in the nylon. Tie the oatmeal sachet to the spigot, letting it dangle in the flow of water as the tub fills with cool water. Bathe your pet for five to ten minutes in this inexpensive and soothing oatmeal bath.

Uncle Ben's Converted Brand Rice and Gerber Baby Food. To determine which foods are causing an allergic reaction in your dog or cat, put your pet on an elimination diet. Stop feeding your pet her regular food, treats, rawhide chews, and vitamins, and switch to a completely new food with which she has no previous exposure, such as a hypoallergenic diet consisting of cooked Uncle Ben's Converted Brand Rice mixed with Gerber 2nd Foods Meats Turkey and Turkey Gravy (unless you're already feeding your pet rice or turkey). While grocery stores do sell pet foods in this flavor, pet foods also contain other ingredients, such as wheat, soy, or corn. Since cats don't eat rice, feed your feline only the baby food. When your pet's symptoms disappear, start introducing her old foods one at a time, until her symptoms reoccur so you can identify which food triggers the allergic reaction.

GET YOUR PET TO THE VET

Start from scratch! If your pet scratches feverishly, stripping off hair, damaging skin, and causing infection, take her to your veterinarian to determine if she needs allergy shots or if something else is causing the skin irritation.

Pet Tricks

If You're Allergic to Your Pet

Huggies Baby Wipes. Wipe down your pet daily with some hypoallergenic, fragrance free Huggies Baby Wipes to lessen dander and shedding.

Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Have a family member or friend bathe your pet with Johnson's Baby Shampoo on a weekly basis to reduce shedding and decrease the amount of dander.

Mr. Coffee Filters. If you're experiencing a strong allergic reaction, hold a Mr. Coffee Filter over your nose and mouth as a dust mask and breathe normally.

Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer. After touching your pet, wash your hands with Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer.

Scotch Packaging Tape. Remove pet hair and dander from clothing and upholstery by wrapping a strip of Scotch Packaging Tape around your hand, adhesive side out, and patting your clothes and furniture.

For Dogs Only

Epsom Salt. If an allergy gives your dog itchy feet, fill the bathtub with one or two inches of water (enough to cover your dog's paws) and dissolve three cups Epsom Salt in the water. Stand your dog in the tub for five to ten minutes, allowing the Epsom Salt to relieve the itch. Do not let your dog drink the water, since Epsom Salt can have a laxative effect. Remove the dog from the tub and gently pat her feet dry.

PET PEEVES

ITCHING FOR RELIEF

Instead of getting red eyes, a runny nose, and sneezing attacks, pets with allergies or hay fever get unbearably itchy.

Bathing your pet in cool water for five to ten minutes helps soothe itchy skin. Never use warm water, which exacerbates the itch.

To help your pet combat allergies, keep him indoors when the pollen count rises during the spring and summer, particularly in early morning and in the evening.

Vacuum and dust your home often to remove as much pollen and dust as possible, and change the air-conditioning filters once a month. You can also try to restrict your pet to rooms in your house with tile or wood floors and blinds, rather than rooms with carpeting and drapes, which retain dust and pollen.

To reduce dust mites that may be causing your pet's allergies, launder your pet's bedding once a week.

The fragrance and dust from a particular brand of cat box litter may be causing your dog or cat to experience an allergic reaction. Consider switching brands.

A wide variety of environmental factors can trigger allergies in pets, including chlorine levels in water, household cleansers, flea bites, chemicals in furniture and carpet, and medications.

Just as people can be allergic to pets, pets can be allergic to people.

In people, allergies are caused by house dust, mold spores, pollen, and the dandruff or hair of household pets. If you suspect that you're suffering an allergic reaction to your pet, before giving him away, have yourself tested to determine the real source of the allergy.

Contrary to popular belief, people who are allergic to cats are not allergic to the fur. They're allergic to Fel D1, an element found in cat saliva and deposited on the skin and fur when the cat grooms itself. The Fel D1 becomes airborne through dander, the dried flakes of skin, saliva, and secretions that fall from the cat through petting, jumping, or shaking.

If you live with both a pet and an allergy, keep your bedroom off-limits to the animal. Have a nonallergic member of the family do the dusting and vacuuming and clean the litter box. Have that same person groom the animal outdoors and bathe the animal weekly.