I do like the Milk Thistle. Even if the root cause is allergic, I found that my allergies are better with it. It's like the liver better processes "foreign agents" if it functions better, and that includes false enemies, like ragweed, cats...yourself... (autoimmune). Also works for hangovers (which for dogs is when they eat too much bread).
I'm glad I wasn't in Melbourne when that freak storm happened, and all those allergy deaths.
I can't get him in to see the vet for a few days so I will give Milk Thistle a try and see if it helps control the itching.... or better yet, cure it. The poor little bloke gets so frantic with it sometimes and whines in frustration. Apart from the anti-histamines, I've been dabbing Pinetarsil on him with cotton wool as well. It does help relieve the itch for a while, but it's still just a temporary measure.
As for bread, I don't let Buddy have it, nor do I let him have cake or cookies, etc. None of that stuff is good for dogs, so it's off his menu. However, I do give him vegetables, like carrot, mashed potato, cauliflower and swede, etc. He loves those, especially mashed potato and pumpkin. I supplement his diet of meat products with vegies regularly... just no onion, peas, corn or cabbage, as they can cause colic and bloating.
The little so n' so surprises me often: like the time I had him in my lap while eating a banana at the computer. I put half the banana down because I needed both hands to do something, and he snatched and ate it. Another time we had pizzas and a piece of pineapple fell on the floor: guess who picked it up and ate it. To be sure it wasn't a one-off, I gave him a couple more pieces and he ate those, too. Yup, he's a funny little dog.
