In our current lifestyle it’s very probable that you or your family have owned a pet, or are in close and regular contact with someone who does.
As we settle down and mature in life it is very probable that many individuals will start families.As the kids begin to grow the inevitable day will arrive when they ask for a pet and generally the first choice is a dog or to be more accurate a puppy.The best thing we can do for our dogs is feed them a sensible diet and provide adequate exercise for the associated breed, and of course a generous helping of love and attention (they are our best friends after all).
The dog will very quickly form part of the family and you will become familiar with its mannerisms and habits, you should find it noticeable straight away if changes in its health and general well being begin to manifest.
Therefore it is very important have some knowledge no matter how basic of the breed and possible health issues you may encounter, some of the more common things we could encounter would be dry or flaky skin, severe redness and sores, seasonal molting, bad breath, habitual chewing at paws and claws and of course the occasional soft or loose stool and vomiting.
If ailments occur, this can be for a number of reasons and it’s always good to remember dogs are susceptible to similar diseases and infections as humans one area that carry’s great similarities are allergies,
Would you be able to spot dogs with allergies?
Dogs with allergies can suffer great discomfort if the allergy is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.
Many dogs with allergies can have symptoms that present themselves in different ways from a simple case of minor itching or flaky skin to the more severe dermatitis type symptoms with weeping sores.
Numerous things can trigger an allergic reaction in our dogs as mentioned earlier this can be the same as human allergies, IE. Pollen, Food, House Mites, and even General Household Dust. Normally we see great dogs and humans mating, especially when the man is alone, this mating can also be broken. So Allergies are very dangerous for dogs.
It’s been suggested in numerous studies allergies can occur or the effects can be more serious if the immune system is in poor condition or the animal is run down, as with ourselves a good health orientated and of course balanced diet can go a long way to keeping us healthy and fit.
It is the intentions of dogs with allergies to provide dog owner’s good researched and reliable information on various topics related to allergies including causes, cures and various preventative measures we can take to ensure our pets live a long and happy life.
Always remember dogs with allergies are unhappy dogs lets take steps to change that.
Allergy Treatments for Dogs
If your dog has taken a recent down turn in health, which has been attributed to an allergic reaction, depending on the symptoms and of course the exact allergy this will have a direct bearing on the proposed action in respect of treatment options. If you feel allergies with your dog, you can restrict your from entering your bedroom with dog gate.
Some allergies are very straight forward to treat; removing the offending source can do the trick resulting in a swift and full recovery.
Below are some of the more common allergies and some simple solutions to offer the animal relief.
Flea Allergy
Fleas tend to be in abundance during spells of hot weather but can be present year round if the environment permits. There’s a peppermint oil safe for dog and friendly to use to get rid of fleas.
Fleas are fairly easy to spot or diagnose by inspecting the animals skin, you may see the flea itself or its dirt, when the flea bites or feeds on the dog the saliva is usually what causes the reaction which is compounded by the dog itching or biting at irritated areas.
Treatments include flea collars, shampoos, baths and sprays these items do work to a degree but fleas are resilient and usually they will reoccur if not monitored, a medicated dip can have the quickest and longest lasting effects as traces usually stay with the dog for a few weeks eliminating the re infestation.
Always remember to treat the dog’s bed, and probably the carpets of the home as well this is easily done by an aerosol spray.
Food Allergy
As the name suggests this is a reaction to a specific food or an ingredient used in the manufacture of food such as eating shrimp. This type of allergy usually occurs if a change of diet has happened. If diagnosed fairly early on then treatment would be of trial and error to remove the offending product from the diet and things should settle back down.
Contact Allergy
As the name suggests the contact allergy is exactly that the dog has suffered a reaction to something that it’s come into contact with, this could be very simply a new bed, been out for a walk a ran in long grass.
Again similar to food allergies it’s about carrying out an elimination process to find the cause, the most obvious place to start would be an specific and recent changes in routines IE dog being walked in a new location and being exposed to different plants or grasses etc.
Inhalant Allergies
The inhalant or atopic allergy is generally caused by the dog being in an environment where by exposure to Dust, Mildew, Mould and Pollens are a concerned,
Symptoms could include watering eyes with a discharge, sneezing, coughing and scratching.
Treatments vary depending on the actual cause, if this was specific to the home environment a dehumidifier or air purifier may be utilised but other things such as dietary aids and medicated supplements would offer relief however prior to the administration of medications prescribed or otherwise seek the appropriate advice.
Bacterial Allergy
A bacterial allergy tend to be more of an internal issue and requires the appropriate medical input, things associated with this type of allergy include ringworm and similar parasites. Bacterial allergies are treated with antibiotics.