Myth Busting on Pet Skin Disease

Reprinted with permission from Dr. Will Falconer

Well, this headline from Clinician’s Brief certainly caught my eye:

“Top 5 Canine Atopic Dermatitis Myths”

What’s not to love about myth busting?

I loved it when I took on Big Pet Food early in my writing career:

• The myth of 100% complete diets

• The myth of food not spoiling in paper bags on shelves for weeks or months

• The mouth watering pictures of steak on the label while byproducts were the reality inside

So, my heart sank a bit further, seeing the author of the article: “Sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition.”

Okay, they’ll be selling their answer to the myths, but would they even get to my top missing myth?

No. Of course not.

Here’s a quick rundown of what Hill’s sees as myths around the #1 reason dogs see vets.

First though, let’s not confuse things with the fancy scientific term “atopic dermatitis.”

Let’s call it simply, THE ITCH!

I’m sure you know it, and have likely experienced it if you’ve owned dogs who’ve partaken in the usual rigamarole that passes for “prevention:”

• Vaccination, early and often. Worst case, annually. The latter is estimated to still exist in 60% of vet practices even though there’s zero science to call for such repetition.
  
  

• Junk food. Looking at you, Hill’s: just because you sell some that you euphemistically call “prescription diets,” it’s still over processed, low quality ingredients crap.
  
  

• Pesticides for every pest. Now oh-so-convenient, you can give your dog a poison (but tasty!) pill that starts killing fleas within hours. And the best part: keeps killing them for months! For those really wanting convenience, Bravecto Quantum is here! Dr. WhiteCoat has to inject that one, but it’ll keep killing fleas for a whole year! (Covered in the lede of this recent issue below)

   

  Vital Animal News August 17, 2025

  The miracles of modern medicine, unleashed; when parasites laugh at dewormers, a dental challenge and germaphobia, rabies freebie, and bovine roadblocks… Let’s dig in, shall we?

  Read full story

Myths and the Missed Myth

I won’t spend much time on their myths, as the intent of the article was to sell vets their latest formulated food-like particles.

They spoke of immune dysregulation, thank goodness. No mention of WHAT dysregulates the poor, overworked canine immune system, but you already well know it.

Brief review for those asleep in class: vaccinations! And yes: this WILL be on the test…

[Just be aware: the onset of ill effects of vaccination in animal often lags by about a month.]

Then they clattered on about inside/out or outside/in, but their ultimate goal: sell more food!

This one was pretty good, though:

• Myth #3: The Primary Treatment for CAD (“canine atopic dermatitis, aka The Itch) Is the Use of Either a Janus Kinase Inhibitor or Monoclonal Antibody

It seems the use of dangerous drugs has become the weapon of choice when Dr. WhiteCoat is confronted with The Itch.

JAK inhibitors like Apoquel screw up the immune system’s signaling, so your itchy dog no longer “knows” he itches.

Nice, right?

Well sure, until the rest of the impaired immune system starts speaking up with more serious conditions. Like cancer.

Oops. Since the drug dampened our signaling ability, those tumor cells just weren’t noticed. But aren’t you glad The Itch is better?”

Missed Myth

Of course, no one in conventional medicine considers they are to blame for The Itch.

So, is there an unspoken myth that this iatrogenic disease somehow falls from the sky?

Common sense easily verifies this.

Are the wild cousins like wolf, coyote, fox, wild African dog wildly over reacting to things they eat? To pollens in the air? Plants around them?

Silly, right? Of course they’re not.

It’s only when we plunge the needle full of multiple viruses in to Sadie’s body, bypassing all her natural defenses, that her immune system goes crazy.

Dysregulation? 100% man-made, mostly from this very popular, highly profitable practice!

Reality of the Disease

Hill’s at least admits this part:

Clients need to understand that CAD is a chronic, lifelong condition and most patients require ongoing therapy. Even with good control, occasional flares can be expected. It is best to set clear expectations for pet owners during initial visits to address skin disease, as the process of diagnosing and managing atopic skin conditions can be lengthy and frustrating.”

See the big picture here?

Similar to humans, especially since vaccine manufacturers for people were given immunity to lawsuits when things go horribly wrong.

Create the disease. Chronic disease is best.

Sell the treatment. Drugs, special diets, etc.

Bingo: customers for life!

Alternate Reality

You don’t have to partake in this machine that’s cranking out chronic illness and then offering no cure.

Making this crystal clear has been my mission since I saw this man-made suffering early on once I left conventional practice.

It’s what VitalAnimal.com was born for, after I realized I could only fix one sick animal at a time and that your animals were being ironically sickened by “prevention” itself.

Smart Vaccine Alternatives will help your newbies avoid the main trigger.

If you’re already stuck with The Itch, get in with a homeopathic vet who’s the real deal. It CAN be cured, but it’ll take time and attention to details on your part.

Interestingly, the most valuable details will be Other Than what the skin looks like.

No myths about it. Treating “the Whole Animal” with a professional’s help can result in an end to The Itch. Along with an end to its treatment. And a deep, lasting betterment without ongoing treatment of any kind.

That, my friend, is the true definition of cure.