dog with infection (help needed please)

[sissy]

Hi everyone,
My little dog is fighting an infection. It started a little over a year ago with a abscessed *back tooth. I thought it was a boil under her eye. I tied different things to get it healed. nothing lasted. It took a little while to find a vet that was reasonable. (in the city they charge a arm and leg.) Anyway the vet tried to save the tooth to start with & put her on antibiotics. Healed up then come back. Finely this summer pulled tooth. Now the infection is back. Took her back last week more antibiotics. Did not heal up & she broke out in bad rash. Got to call today and set another appointment.
My questions are Should I give her silver, echinacea, acidophilus, golden seal, if so how much and how often.
she weighs 18 lbs & is 7 years old.
I thank her immune system is way down. She has never had a problem eating (that is why I didn't know it was her tooth.
Thanks for any advice you can give.
Sissy

[rivahmom]

I would give her half the adult dosage of silver. I can only apply herbal knowledge to a human so I can't give you advice about the herbs. I don't know what you feed her but I would also take her off of kibble and begin to feed the dog raw food like chicken necks with plain yogurt and a fish oil pill. Antibiotics kill any good gut bacteria and yeast begins to fill the system leading to a week immune system. Kibble has too many grains and startches in it that turn into sugar once it is digested feeding the yeast. I wish I could give you more advice. Good luck.

[theresehirko]

I make Katie's food and it's a recipe that my vet and I worked out because I wanted to make her food.

In a big pot add the following. 1" chicken, 1 # carrots, 1# green beans, 1# green peas, 1 head of garlic, 1# yellow squash, and 1# zucchini Add enough water to cover and cook until carrots are tender and chicken is cooked. Remove chicken bones (I precook the chicken and remove the bones before I cook everything else, or you can just use boneless meat). Now you can pressure can this like I do or you can freeze it. If you freeze it, add 1 cup of barley and 1 cup of oatmeal to the pot when you add the other ingredients. If you pressure can it, when you heat up the stew, add some cooked barley and oatmeal then. My dog weighs 80# so she eats it lumpy, but you can grind it up if you want in a blender. I also sprinkle some brewer's yeast to her food in her bowl and some flaxseed oil and some cod liver oil. Katie looks amazing and like a totally different dog from when we rescued her and her vet says she in tip top shape. This recipe will give your dog all of the vitamins she needs and also build up her immune system. Most dogs are naturally lactose intolerant but you might be able to get her a probiotic sprinkle for her food.

[sissy]

Thanks rivahmom & theresehirko
I put her on a can (senstive skin) store bought rabbit and veg (no by products) food when I got her about 6 years ago, for sensitive skin because she was itching all the time.
Thanks for the recipe I will try it. It's probable less fatting than what she is eating, AND SHE LOVES TO EAT. I have to ration her or she would eat till she popped. LOL I will try to find some probiotic to put on her food. I have some for me in the fridge I wonder if that will work?