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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Bye bye to redness and itch (on my paws)

Why are my paws red and itchy? Why can’t the humans allow me to chew them?
Red paw

Don’t they know the redness and itch on my paws is an extremely frustrating experience?
red

The humans (vet included) said mine is a bacterial infection and the story goes to find a ‘cure’ to my frustrating experience because by this time, my paws look terrible.

Mom (god bless her) tried everything she can think of (including advice from her friends).
She went to the pet shop and bought medicated shampoo and some soothing balm. That helped a little but I was allergic to the particular brand of medicated shampoo so that didn’t help much.
medication

Someone suggested calamine lotion. This was a wee drying to my skin so it was alternated by rubbing hydrocortisone cream and aloe Vera. aloe vera

Some of my friends (whom I shall not name) have Neem oil added to their shampoo. YES my experience with the Neem oil begins (Ohhhhh, let me tell you that Neem oil smells Soooooooooo bad).
Neem oil

To boost me up internally, I am given royal jelly and flaxseed oil too.
supplements


Two months back, my skin condition got from bad to worse so the vet had a visit from me. After consultation, we came home with the following – mild shampoo, chlorhexidine
which is an antiseptic solution chlornexidine


and steroid tablets steroid

Mom didn’t like the idea of the steroid tablets and strict instruction was given to Auntie Sam “give Scuba the tablet for today and tomorrow, then stop". She said steroids are often given to stop the itch without really addressing the underlying cause and the itching will return. Worst, long term use of steroids can result in many health problems.

Do you think all of them work? NO (maybe I didn’t complete the tablets)

By this time, my mom is pulling her hair out trying desperately to find something to ease my itch and redness.

Finally she discovered something when she was in China and voila after application of her discovery, I am not chewing that much and my redness is disappearing.

Mom came up with this brilliant idea - Chinese tea. She said something triggers the idea and ever since then, Auntie Sam has been making tea for my paws.
jug of chinese tea
Where did she buy the tea? Well, she was in Shanghai last week and she bought back her ‘Tea Pawfect Concoction’. The pawfect concotion is made up of green and osmanthus oolong tea. chinese tea
Mom said with its potent antibacterial qualities, green and oolong have some unique powers in dealing with a range of common skin complaints. These include relieving the swelling and itchiness to the treatment of more prolonged skin conditions such as Eczema. Not surprisingly, many scientists, are slowly unveiling just how beneficial the green tea can be on this unpleasant skin disorder.
Thanks to my tea cleansing and regular brushing, I have said goodbye to red itchy paws
Par red paws
No red paws

no more red paw


Thank goodness my mom didn’t brush it aside and assume this chewing business is behavioral.

Well I hope whoever is suffering out there, can now have something new and natural to try.