Scratching and itching have become widespread issues for numerous dogs and cats, often linked to chronic ear infections, hot spots, and various diseases. While some cases may be attributed to mites or topical skin problems, many instances involve the body undergoing a detoxification or cleansing process.
During the body’s detoxification and healing phases, it may exhibit various symptoms, as mentioned earlier. However, there are numerous other signs of excessive detoxing and healing, which can be explored further on our dedicated detox page.
Why Does My Dog Itch?
Drawing from our extensive experience, studies, and research spanning several years, we’ve observed that in nearly 98.9% of severe skin conditions affecting animals, the primary culprit is a substantial buildup of toxicity and acidity within the animal’s system.
The essential organs responsible for cleansing, filtering, and eliminating toxins from the body, including the spleen, kidneys, colon, and notably the skin, become saturated and clogged due to the chemical-laden environment. In this compromised state, these organs can no longer effectively carry out their intended functions of purifying the blood and expelling toxins.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the body’s condition, it’s imperative to delve into the realms of cells, blood, and the lymphatic system. The physical body comprises trillions of cells, approximately 76 trillion, which are nourished by the blood with essential minerals, nutrients, and oxygen. Simultaneously, the lymphatic system, responsible for waste removal (primarily acidic waste), maintains a delicate pH balance around 7 for optimal health and homeostasis. When the lymphatic system, including lymph nodes acting as waste processors, becomes obstructed, the waste begins to accumulate within the cells. This buildup leads to inflammation and acidosis, as acid is inherently corrosive, resulting in cell degeneration. At the core of all diseases and illnesses lies inflammation, a state intricately connected to acidosis.
The skin, being the largest eliminative organ and filter in the body, shoulders a significant burden when other eliminative organs are overburdened or damaged. Under such circumstances, the skin takes on an excessive workload to eliminate these accumulated wastes, primarily acidic in nature. Consequently, various natural reactions manifest, such as itching, scratching, chewing, clawing, bleeding, hot spots, bald patches, open wounds, and hair loss. All these manifestations stem from the corrosive nature of acid. As noted earlier, the spectrum of chemistry comprises two sides – Acid and Alkaline – with anything below pH 7 considered acidic.
The SARF Diet
Feeding your dogs raw meat, bones, and organs, without grains or vegetables, aligns with their carnivorous nature. This single step can significantly contribute to your dog’s or cat’s overall health and well-being, surpassing the impact of other dietary choices. The introduction of Species Appropriate Raw Food (SARF™), now accessible, enables natural and effective digestion and processing. This allows minerals and nutrients to flow through the bloodstream, nourishing the body’s cells and fostering health and homeostasis.
Dogs, cats, and all other animals are not biologically designed to consume cooked or processed foods. In the wild, where approximately 80 million different species reside, every animal adheres to a diet that is inherently raw and specific to its species, whether herbivore or carnivore. Interestingly, there is no documented evidence of cancer, arthritis, diabetes, hip dysplasia, cruciate ligament disease, or the need for veterinary intervention in animals following their natural dietary patterns. Given that dogs are carnivores, their anatomy is not suited for processed or cooked foods, including grains and vegetables. Providing kibble or canned pet foods means offering a diet that contradicts their natural digestive capabilities.
Pet food manufacturers claim that their products offer complete and balanced nutrition, listing nutrients on the label. However, these nutrients either reflect the state before ingredient processing or consist of synthetic additives sprayed onto the final product before packaging. Processed foods, exposed to high temperatures during production, destroy the nutritional value of the original meat, grains, and vegetables. Consequently, synthetic “foods” cannot effectively nourish the cells constituting the physical body.
The Immune System
The key to self-healing lies in recognising the body’s innate ability to heal, a process that is enhanced through fasting, as scientifically validated. Maintaining cell nourishment and striving for homeostasis, characterised by a balanced body pH around 7, is crucial. It’s important to note that a pH lower than 7 indicates a state of acidosis, where the corrosive nature of acid is at the core of all diseases and illnesses.
During fasting, ample fresh spring water should be consumed, and the use of bone broths can aid in feeding cells and rebalancing the pH. A robust defence system, such as the immune system, acts as a safeguard against various threats, from harmful bacteria to uncontrolled cancer cells. However, the prevailing focus on combating bacteria and pathogens often involves the use of drugs like steroids and antibiotics (acids), which indiscriminately eliminate both harmful and beneficial bacteria, the latter being integral to the immune system. These drugs do not address the underlying cause of weakened immunity—acidosis. Therefore, practitioners like animal naturopaths prioritise restoring and maintaining wellness by rebalancing the body and nourishing the trillions of cells that form the physical structure.
Common chronic diseases in animals and humans, such as diabetes, allergies, asthma, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, repeated/chronic ear infections, and cancer, stem from an immune system imbalance. The common denominator in all these conditions is inflammation, closely linked to acidosis. The body possesses the inherent capability to heal itself when allowed to rebalance and achieve a body pH of around 7. Incorporating fasting and a SARF™ (Species Appropriate Raw Food) diet can facilitate this process, ultimately strengthening the immune system.
