When our dogs suffer from the symptoms of diseases such as canine rash, bacterial infections or dermatitis we immediately look for the solutions to the specific symptoms, and that’s understandable.  But, here at MicroMed, we believe in having a whole-body approach to healing.  The reason being that the symptoms are just that, symptoms.  They are not the cause, and the cause is where we need to start.  So, with that said, what does a whole-body approach look like?

Whole-Body Approach

Taking a whole-body approach means starting with the root cause.  Whether it’s infections, allergies, furunculosis, interdigital cysts or any number of other diseases troubling our dogs today, we need to look at the ‘whole’ picture to be able to understand the cause and, from there, figure out the solution.

We need to realize that there often isn’t just one reason for these diseases developing.  There are many factors that may come into play, such as: environmental, genetics, lifestyle and diet.  When we understand this, we can be sure we’re covering all our bases.

Potential Causes

An itchy dog, for example, can be due to many different scenarios.  Your itchy dog could have a level of inflammation that may or may not be caused by Leaky Gut.  There is a possibility that this inflammation is caused by your dog’s diet.   A dog that is eating a species inappropriate diet can develop issues such as canine rash.  So, ask yourself if you’ve been feeding your dog the best, natural and species appropriate diet for his overall health.  We are led to believe that kibble is a species appropriate diet, but unfortunately it isn’t. 

Maybe your dog could have developed a fungal overgrowth.  The symptoms of this can also be called Malassezia, candidiasis, lichenification (elephant skin) or resultant alopecia.  At the end of the day these are all symptoms which can be treated the same way simply by treating for fungal overgrowth.  Treating fungal overgrowth is not easy, but it can be done naturally and effectively with an educated pet owner on board for the journey.  Read our blog on Combating Systemic Fungal Overgrowth

Causes in the Home

We’ve mentioned diet, but what about your dog’s environment?  Have you taken a look around your home to check for toxicity?  Your dog is exposed to the chemicals we use when cleaning our homes, on our laundry, the chemicals we use in our gardens and even chemicals we apply directly onto them in the form of chemical flea treatments.  These chemicals are contributing to the Malassezia and the candidiasis, and many other skin issues by weakening the body’s defences.  Doing a check on your dogs exposure to toxins is a must, and coming up for summer, the wall-hung flyspray emitters are an insidious toxic irritant that most do not suspect – check out Bradbury et al. (2005) in ‘Poisoning by Pyrethroids’ (Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology).

A Look at Medications

It’s important to note that drugs that are given to our dogs, such as Cytopoint or Apoquel, are actually ‘switching off’ certain parts of the immune system.  This can lead to bacterial and fungal infections at a later stage because it has compromised the immune system.  Most aren’t aware the immune system is the PROTECTION against bacterial and fungal overgrowth, not to mention cancer.  Our whole-body approach means we look for better solutions and return to the four foundations of health – diet, microbial balance, gut integrity and optimal liver and kidney function.  These foundations always apply whether you’re dealing with an itchy dog, dog allergies, lichenification or any of the previously mentioned health complications.

Preventative Approach

If we check all the boxes and look after our dogs with a whole-body approach, we can very likely avoid these kinds of issues in the first place, which is what we want, right! 

We want to get to a point where you as the pet parents are equipped with empowering knowledge on natural prevention and natural remedies.  At MicroMed we recommend the use of dietary supplements, herbal medicine, homeopathy and lifestyle interventions to promote health and healing.  Conventional medical treatments can be integrated but always with a preference for more natural, less invasive options wherever possible.  You’ll find that the financial outlay over time may be significantly less than the conventional approach because in the end you may be able to avoid unnecessary (and often expensive) pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures.

The Role of MicroMed Probiotics

So, next, let’s optimize health through maintaining a balanced microbial ecosystem with native, commensal microbes, in formulations as close to Nature as we can humanly get it. 

Introducing MicroMed’s commensal microbes into the gut is beneficial for many reasons.  For one, our healthy microbes serve to out-compete the detrimental microbes, giving your gut a fighting chance so-to-speak.  Our microbes also work closely with your dogs immune system, helping to balance out the gut bacteria and improve the gut barrier function, protecting against inflammation.

Probiotics go hand in hand with a healthy, species appropriate diet, a toxin free environment and educating yourself on the medications/chemical flea treatments you are giving to your dog.  Check out this blog for more detail on natural alternatives to chemical flea treatments too 5 Ways to Keep Fleas at Bay Naturally.  When you take all of these essential building blocks of good health into account, you are on the way to establishing optimal health in your dog.