I started using a new oil for my dog’s dry skin and allergy problems: Aunt Jeni’s Enhance Fish Oil. Previously, I was using Nature’s Logic North Atlantic Sardine Oil, which worked just fine, but we decided to try a new brand.

This Aunt Jeni’s stuff is hard to find but it is AMAZING. Beans’ coat feels like BUTTAH. I have noticed a decrease in dry skin flakes, too. The dogs are still a little itchy, but it’s allergy season so it’s expected. I am definitely buying this stuff again.

Remember back when I posted about these Greenies Pill Pockets? Well, I invested in a bag of the Roasted Duck and Pea Formula, which they call their “Allergy Formula,” so that I can give Lulu some pills at night. I got the capsules, but they also have a tablet size.

The bag was somewhere around $8, which I thought was a little high, but I’m sure you could get them on sale or use a coupon. Certainly not a product you would want to purchase if you give your dog a pill once or twice a day every day all year long. However, these are great for when you need to give your dog some medicine for shortened periods of time.

I opened up the bag and — wooooo, man — let me tell you that these are stinky. In trying to describe the potent smell I have come up with phrases like “peanut butter of pantries past” and “wet cat food with a side of nose plugs.” I think those are accurate. Of course, the smell doesn’t bother my dogs as I had two very interested spectators at my side the minute I cracked open the bag.

In case you’re wondering what they’re made of, here are the ingredients directly from the bag: Duck, glycerin, dried peas, natural flavors, vegetable oil, water, salt, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), xanthan gum, citric acid, preserved with mixed tocopherols (a source of Vitamin E). No old peanut butter here!

These are so easy to use. You simply insert the pill(s) into the hole in the treat and then use your fingers to mash the opening together so that the pills don’t fall out. You can fit two small capsules or one large capsule inside each one.

Despite the funky smell, I’d say these are one of the better ways in which I’ve distributed meds to my dogs. Lulu practically swallows the treat whole. I would definitely buy these again.

For over 25 years, family-owned business SallyeAnder has been creating handmade soaps and skin care products. The brand was originally developed when Gary and Karen Austin needed to find a solution for their son’s allergies to bath products, but soon expanded to sensitive skin and acne products, bug bite soothing products, and even grass stain removers. Now, they’ve moved into pet products. As you all know, my dogs have crazy allergies from bumps to flakes to hot spots to just about everything.

SallyeAnder kindly sent me a care package of their “Purrrfect Puppy” products to try out. There were two soaps in the kit, but they had to be discarded because Mr. Dog Milk is severely sensitive to smelly things. I can barely wear unscented deodorant! It’s quite the over-sensitive, allergy-ridden household we’ve got going on over here. Anyway, I was able to keep the Dry Dog Shampoo, the Bug Relief Cream, and the Hot Spot Cream.

I noticed that Beans had what appeared to be a little hot spot on his belly, so I photographed it and started to use the Hot Spot Cream. It smells a lot like Burt’s Bees Miracle Salve and also contains mostly beeswax, salts, oils and herbs.

According to the description, it helps relieve associated itching and that I should see improvement within 24 hours. And I did.

Here is the area on day 1, kind of red, raw and crusty.

On day 3, I noticed a significant improvement in the area. No more crusties, and it went from red to pink. And it was completely gone in a week.

I can’t wait to break into that dry shampoo. It’s perfect for my dogs because we don’t bathe them often, but they do get smelly!

I am sure you have heard me many times already talk about my dog’s frustrating allergy and dry skin problems. Well, about 2 months ago, we bought Nature’s Logic North Atlantic Sardine Oil, which has been a great addition to our dogs’ food. They love it, and even thought Beans still has some dry skin, I think adding the oil has made their coats a lot softer and smoother. The only thing is you’re supposed to keep it refrigerated, which makes it harder to remember it every day!

I recently bought some Earthbath Oatmeal and Aloe shampoo for our dogs because, as you now, their skin is very sensitive and Beans has very dry skin too. We purchased this because the ingredients are all natural and we didn’t want to irritate our pets’ skin in any way. We’ve only used it once so far, and noticed that Lulu broke out in hives a few days later. This could, of course, be a coincidence, but now I’m terrified to use it (or any shampoo) again! She’s only had these hives two times and I can’t remember if the first time she had them she had been recently bathed. This last time was really bad and we had to put her on antibiotics and steroids. Am I crazy to think that it could be related to the shampoo? Edit: Lulu’s bumpy allergy problem is likely due to shampooing, but we have not yet determined what specific ingredient causes her to break out.

Here are the ingredients: Purified water, renewable coconut-based cleansers, colloidal oatmeal (3%), aloe vera, almond and vanilla essences, olive oil squalene (natural preservative).

Could there be something in this shampoo and other shampoos we’ve used that she has a reaction to?

On another note, I’ve noticed that Beans had less dandruff afterward, so it seems to have worked well for him, along with the sardine oil we have been giving the dogs each day.