Help For Dogs Experiencing Allergy Symptoms
In the Spring and fall seasons when allergies tend to hammer away at humans, it may be surprising that some of our pets experience similar discomforting symptoms. Allergies experienced by our canine friends sometimes result in difficulties normally unconsidered. Dogs can feel just as awful as people when going through such problems, and even can become very ill. Without adequate treatment, the symptoms deteriorate, so appropriate attention is needed.
Dogs and Fleas Just Don’t Get Along
Many of the canine allergies will fall into one of three categories. The first one is fleas. This can be so hard on an animal. The poor dog can do nothing but scratch and itch and scratch and itch. His or her hair may start to fall out. Sores can start to develop. The dog is just plain miserable. Symptoms can range from simple scratching to skin infections.
To the naked eye, you may not even spot any fleas due to the dog’s continual scratching activities. The allergic reaction, however, is caused more from the flea’s saliva than the bite itself. Unfortunately, there is no ultimate solution to eliminate your pet’s agony, though there are some that can help to minimize outward symptoms. The real solution is flea prevention; there are collars, sprays, and even internal shots from veterinarians that can help.
Canine Allergies from Food
Perhaps surprisingly, a dog can experience an allergic reaction from its favorite activity - eating. But in this regard, dogs are fairly similar to people. Eating eggs or wheat could cause problems, as well as chicken and beef sometimes serving as the culprits. Since many dog meals consist of one or more of these food items, special care must be taken to initially identify which is the cause.
Though the root cause of allergic reactions to certain food groups is still largely a mystery, proactive steps can be taken to help. For example, a pet owner can restrict a dog’s food choices to hypo-allergenic items for 60 to 90 days. That will be enough time, in most cases, to isolate the problem and provide your pet freedom from the allergy for a time.
After the allergic reactions have subsided or are gone altogether, you can systematically begin to reintroduce various preferred meals every 7 to 14 days. If your pet begins to show similar reactions as in the past, you will have likely nailed down at least one of the food variables and be able then to eliminate it altogether.
Allergic Reactions Through Particles in the Air
It is difficult to understand but canine allergies can also be caused by the environment. Common dust particles and air-borne molds can cause the dog to have allergic reactions. The problem with Atopy is that it is considered a lifelong condition. The animal will always suffer from the itching and other symptoms.
To help alleviate air-borne generated allergies, there are canine shampoos and other medication available through most any vet which can help reduce the most annoying symptoms in a high percentage of cases.
If your dog has not been troubled by allergies in the past but has begun to experience them, it is worth a visit to the family veteranarian for an assessment. The capability of that person being able to detect a core problem early on and address it promptly will help prevent a lot of unnecessary suffering. And your pet, in its own way, will appreciate you all-the-more.