Dog

Allergies don’t just affect people, dog allergies are more common than you might think and can severely impact on the health of your dog. Dogs can be allergic to many things including fleas, chemicals, food ingredients, pollutants in the air and even their own fur. Finding out what is causing the allergy is better than simply giving medication, which may have side effects. However this is easier said than done especially if your dog has more than one allergy.

Dog allergy symptoms include wheezing, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, a patchy coat, runny eyes or nose and tiredness or lethargy. How do we determine what is causing your particular dog’s allergy? And, more importantly, how do we det rid of it?

One of the main causes of allergies in dogs is fleas. However this is simple to eliminate. Simply buy one of the products on the market that eliminates fleas or ask your vet to recommend one. Make sure you apply it regularly as fleas can’t be eliminated by just one application.

Another common allergy in dogs can be found in their food. Dogs can be sensitive to chemicals in their food or to one or more of the ingredients. Some ingredients in dog food cause allergies more frequently than others. Among these are eggs, fish, beef, chicken, corn and wheat. Of all these corn is probably the worst and unfortunately is very common in cheaper brands of dog food. Hypoallergenic dog food is available which omits most of the common allergens or you may choose to talk to your vet to see what he recommends.

Your dog may even be allergic to his own fur. This is particularly common for long haired dogs. Dogs can ingest a lot of hair when they clean themselves and this makes the allergy worse. Washing your dog once or twice a month and brushing him daily will go a long way to combat a hair and dander allergy.

Do you use chemical cleaners in your home? Dogs may be quite sensitive to these. Use natural cleaning products or those without bleach or other harsh chemicals. Another cause of allergens in the home may be mold. This can be tested for and eliminated which will improve the health of your whole family.

A natural way of providing fast relief from dog allergy symptoms such as itchy or flaky skin is to bathe your dog in water that has oatmeal dissolved in it. Dog shampoos that contain tea-tree, aloe vera or eucalyptus will soothe the skin and will temporarily relieve irritation.

Give your dog some omega 3 and/or primrose oils. These are known to improve most skin conditions in both humans and dogs.

For severe allergies, anti-histamines can provide immediate relief. However there may be side effects such as lethargy.

If your dog has allergy symptoms, it means that something in his environment is upsetting him. Discovering the cause can be a challenge, but caring for a hypoallergenic dog is easy once the problem has been identified. If in doubt where to begin, a call to your vet will start you in the right direction.