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A Natural Healing Response
If your dog has red, inflamed paws, itchy irritated ears, or swollen skin, you’re seeing the body’s natural healing response in action. As you probably know, inflammation isn’t normal! But do we know the real reason why it happens? Let me explain:
Inflammation is a sign that the body is overwhelmed and trying to eliminate something it can’t handle. It serves as both a response mechanism and a healing process. While many people view inflammation as purely negative, it is the body’s natural reaction to injury, irritants, or toxins that don’t belong in the body. However, merely suppressing the symptoms without addressing the root cause prolongs the issue and can lead to chronic health problems. Instead of masking inflammation, understanding its purpose allows for more effective, long-term solutions to support your dog’s well-being.
Why Does Inflammation Happen?
When a dog’s body is overrun with toxic waste, which can be from diet, polluted drinking water, chemical flea and wormers, medications, and environmental toxins such as glyphosate and pesticides, it responds with inflammation to protect and heal itself. This process involves:
1. Increased Blood Flow – Brings oxygen and nutrients to the affected area to support healing.
2. Swelling (Fluid Build-up) – Protects the cells, cushions the tissue, and helps flush out harmful substances.
3. Heat and Redness – Signals that the body is working hard to repair itself.
4. Natural Healing Cells – Rush to the area to break down waste, remove damaged tissue, and restore balance. Inflammation is the body’s way of saying, “Something isn’t right, and I need help clearing it out.”
We see the body’s incredible healing ability in action every day. If we accidentally nick ourselves with a knife when preparing vegetables or scald our hand in hot water, inflammation immediately kicks in. The area may become red, swollen, and warm – clear signs that the body is sending healing cells to repair the damage. We don’t need to interfere; the body knows exactly what to do. The same applies to internal inflammation. Instead of suppressing symptoms, we should focus on identifying and removing what’s causing the distress, allowing the body to heal just as it does with a wound or burn.
Inflammation isn’t the cause of tissue damage – the real culprit is whatever initially harmed the tissue, like hot water in this case or a sharp knife. The injury happens first, and inflammation follows as the body’s natural healing response.
“If there is no tissue damage, there is nothing to heal, and if there is nothing to heal, there is no inflammation”—Dr Daniel Roytas.
The same principle applies to chronic inflammation. If tissue is repeatedly injured, the body will continuously attempt to heal it. If I scolded my hand every day, it would remain inflamed – but that doesn’t mean the inflammation itself is the problem.
Did the inflammation cause the scold? No. The injury came before the inflammation.
Does it make sense to block the body’s healing response with anti-inflammatories? No.
The real solution isn’t to suppress inflammation but to stop repeating the injury – just like the best way to heal a burn is to stop pouring boiling water on it. Address the root cause, and the body will take care of the rest.
The Conventional Approach vs. Natural Healing
Most conventional treatments focus on suppressing inflammation rather than addressing why it’s happening in the first place. Your vet may prescribe:
• Steroids (Corticosteroids) – Reduce inflammation quickly but only mask symptoms, often leading to side effects like increased thirst, fatigue, and long-term organ damage.
• Antibiotics – May temporarily reduce symptoms but can disrupt the body’s natural balance if used unnecessarily. More on Antibiotics here: https://canine-wellness-specialist.uk/2025/02/04/the-hidden-effects-of-antibiotics-on-your-dogs-health/
• Medicated Shampoos, ointments & Sprays – These may relieve symptoms on the surface, but they don’t stop the root cause of the inflammation. While these treatments may bring temporary relief, they don’t solve the underlying issue. This is why so many dogs experience chronic, recurring inflammation; the real problem isn’t being removed, only hidden.
Finding & Removing the Root Cause – Instead of masking inflammation with quick fixes, the key is to identify and remove what’s causing it. Common culprits include:
• Food Sensitivities – Processed foods, additives, or low-quality ingredients can trigger chronic inflammation.
• Environmental Irritants – Chemicals, pesticides, or irritants in the home and outdoor pollutants.
• Gut Imbalance – A compromised digestive system can lead to widespread inflammation.
• Toxins – Overuse of medications, vaccines, flea and worm treatments, or poor-quality grooming products.
Is your dog stuck in a cycle of inflammation? Are you constantly going back and forth to the vet, trying one medication after another, only to see your dog’s condition worsen?
I can help you uncover the root causes of your dog’s issues by taking a deep dive into their diet and lifestyle – factors you may not have even considered. Rather than masking symptoms, I focus on removing the true triggers of inflammation.
I create personalised healing diet plans designed to detox your dog, restore balance, and support long-term wellness. By switching to a species-appropriate diet and reducing toxic overload, you can help your dog heal naturally, without interfering with the body’s innate healing processes. Yes, you heard that correctly, the body can heal itself if we put the correct health conditions in place. You can read some of my testimonials on my website here: https://canine-wellness-specialist.uk/about/
A body stuck in chronic inflammation needs to detox – just as a heroin addict or an alcoholic must cleanse their system of substances that are harming them by going through a detox program. Years of poor diet, suppressive medications, harmful vaccines, and lifelong exposure to toxic flea, tick, and worming products can overwhelm your dog’s system, keeping them trapped in a cycle of illness. True healing begins when we remove these burdens and allow the body to reset, restore, and thrive naturally.
If your dog constantly itches or licks, has recurring ear issues, or battles a never-ending cycle of inflammation, let’s work together to uncover the cause and bring lasting relief. Inflammation isn’t the enemy; it’s a signal that something needs attention. Healing starts from within!
Let me help you support your dog’s natural healing from the inside out. Contact me today!
Thank you for reading.
Teresa – The Natural Wellness and Itchy Dog Expert.
Canine Wellness Specialist 