Does Your Dog Have Allergies?
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Constant scratching, tail-chasing,
coughing
and wheezing, eye and nose discharges - if these symptoms
can be observed on your pet dog,
chances are very likely that he/she is suffering from
allergies.
Yes, dogs, just like their masters can suffer from
allergies. Roughly about 20 percent of the dogs living
in our homes suffer from some allergy type. Major
classifications of canine allergies are atopic dermatitis,
flea allergy, food allergy and inhalant allergy.
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Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is skin allergy disease caused by hypersensitivity
developed by your dog's immune system to several and very
common substances like molds and dust mites.
If your dog scratches and licks himself very often (particularly
licking and chewing the paws, abdomen and legs), and his/her
ears are hot to the touch, he/she may be suffering from
atopic dermatitis.
Check to see if your dog's saliva causes stains. A red
to brown stain is another indicator that your dog is atopic.
In persistent cases, the skin on the abdomen changes color
from pink, to a bright red then to black.
Flea Allergy
Flea allergy is the most common form of canine allergy.
However, it is not the flea but the flea's saliva that your
dog may be allergic to.
To find out if your dog has flea allergies, a skin allergy
test is preformed. If it he/she is tested positive, a strict
control regimen can reduce symptoms. Consult you're your
vet as to what type of treatment is best for your pet. There
is a wide array of choices ranging from pills to sprays
to shampoos.
Inhalant Allergy
Just like their masters, dogs
are susceptible to allergens inhaled from the air. Pollen
from trees, grass, and flowers, dust mites and molds are
just some of the common culprits.
However, unlike their masters who exhibit inhalant allergies
through sneezing and coughing,
dogs show their reactions through scratching and biting
as well as chewing of feet and licking constantly. A less
common reaction is recurrent infections in your dog's ears.
You can help alleviate the allergy by vacuuming frequently
and dusting the areas your dog spends much time in (like
his sleeping area).
Food Allergy
Dogs also exhibit allergies to the food they eat. And this
is perhaps the most tedious to diagnose because food allergies
can mimic any of the other allergies mentioned in this article.
First thing to do is to remove all possible allergy causing
ingredients from your pet's diet. You can do this by using
a homemade meal of a protein and starch source your dog
has not had before. Add gradually (one at a time for about
a week), more ingredients into it. If symptoms return after
adding a particular ingredient, then the possible allergen
could be identified.
However, allergic reactions may not appear for about a
week after consuming the allergen so be sure to confirm
your findings with your vet. Once it has been verified,
avoid the ingredient in the dog
foods you'll subsequently feed your pet with.
Other symptoms of food allergies are vomiting, diarrhea,
wheezing and sometimes, even changes in behavior.
Relief
You can help your pet and alleviate his allergy woes by
bathing and conditioning your dog regularly. Contrary to
what most people will tell you, you can never bathe your
dog too often. Water helps to relieve your dog's skin
and keeps it healthy. It also rinses off allergens from
their body. Different kinds of shampoos are available to
treat allergies, depending, of course, on your pet's particular
condition.
Finding out what allergies your dogs are suffering from
and the allergens that cause them may be a tedious, pain-staking
process. But it is worth the effort especially as you see
the relief you give your dog translate to a pet that's in
a better disposition and mood, perhaps in gratitude for
the time you've spent to understand and take care of their
ailments.
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