Q. Is vitamin E oil safe for animals?

ANSWER : A. Dog Oil is a blend of rapeseed and petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and is marketed for use in both pets and people. The ingredients listed for it do not seem toxic, however as it is not an FDA approved product it is always best to try a small amount first and see if there is a reaction. Be aware that your dog will lick the spot after application and ingest the oils.

Other oils that are great for use in cracked foot pads include liquid vitamin E and coconut oil. These natural oils are great for softening up the skin and are safe for your dog to ingest in moderation. However, if the pads are cracked to the point of bleeding, pain, or peeling, they may require a bit more care from your veterinarian to prevent any infection from taking hold.

ANSWER : A. Vitamins should be used in dogs only if there is confirmed vitamin deficiency. Giving large doses of Vit E to a animals which don’t need this may be harmful.

ANSWER : A. Do you live in a region where fleas are prevalent. Where I live the fleas are truly horrible, and I see many animals developing a flea allergy. This usually presents as relentless itching especially at the base of the tail, although it can be all over the body. Often on exam I won’t find a single flea, just red bumps, hair loss and itching. In response, I will start animals on an oral steroid such as prednisone (I think your doctor has administered an injectable steroid), while at the same time bathing the animal and starting on an oral flea preventative such as Comforts which I then re dose at 3 weeks instead of 4. Additionally, the environment needs to be decontaminated- flea bombing the house, vacuuming often and washing bedding on hot. The flea life cycle is short, however, so this needs to be one frequently as they will just continue to hatch in your home. Most importantly, I tell my clients, that any steroid (oral or injectable) does not fix the problem, but rather suppress your dogs reaction to it thereby making them more comfortable. Just the steroid alone changes nothing except giving them a brief break from their symptoms.

Now that I have spoken in depth about flea allergy, there is a potential that it is something else. Food allergies are slow to develop, and slow to change. If you wanted to eliminate a potential food allergy I would switch to a novel protein, limited ingredient diet. For example, lamb as the protein source if your previous food was always chicken or beef, and in a formula with very limited ingredients such as lamb, rice and veggies. A pet store should be able to help you with this. While on this diet they cannot have any additional treats for 1 month, to see if you have eliminated the allergy. From an Eastern Medical perspective, I also recommend novel proteins that are “cool”, such as fish, lamb, or duck while avoiding “warm” foods such as beef, chicken, pork.

Finally, all animals with allergies should be on an Omega 3 supplement. Given regularly, this can help reduce overall inflammation in the body both in the skin, joints, and other tissues. Good for allergies, arthritis and overall health. My dogs are on fish oils, but one of my dogs who is allergic to fish gets flax oil instead. I would be happy to consult with you further, but I hope this helps to some degree.

ANSWER : A. The common name for tocopherol is vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is necessary to a balanced diet and helps protect cells against the adverse effects of free radicals. Additionally, Vitamin E is important for normal reproduction and immune function.

ANSWER : A. Yes , it is toxic to all animals . I did research it a bit as I was not too familiar with the plant .Youu need 1% more than the animal weight to be toxic.
Animals in pastures with sufficient forage will often avoid Lantana, perhaps because of its pungent aroma and taste, but animals unfamiliar to the plant may ingest enough to affect them. Fifty to ninety percent of animals newly exposed may be affected. Foliage and ripe berries contain the toxic substances with the toxins being in higher concentrations in the green berries. Species affected include cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, guinea pigs, and rabbits (Ross, Ivan A. Medicial plants of the world. Totowa, N.J.: Humana. 1999. p. 187.)
The major clinical effect of Lantana toxicosis is photosensitization, the onset of which often takes place in 1 to 2 days after consumption of a toxic dose (1% or more of animal’s body weight).

ANSWER : A. No! Vitamin E is not required for absorption of fats. It’s use in fish oil is primarily as a preservative.

ANSWER : A. Clove oil and other essential oils may not be safe to use topically on pets, especially young puppies. If you are using clove oil to attempt to treat fleas, you can instead give a bath with Dawn or other dish soap to suffocate and kill the fleas, and then brush with a fine flea comb. Cleaning the environment can also help reduce the flea load until your puppy is old enough to handle a monthly medication.

ANSWER : A. It is unnecessary to be using it to soften your dogs skin, make his skin less dry, or make his coat shiny. Instead, try something like salmon oil pumps for dogs (you can find this sort of thing on Amazon). You just do a pump into your dog’s meals (read the directions as each oil may be different). This accomplishes all of what I believe you are attempting to accomplish with the tea tree oil.