Dogs suffer from various types of allergies, as do we. Allergic reactions in dogs occur mainly on food, or on fleas or ticks. In many cases, allergies can be treated without medication, but with some types of allergies a medicine will be required, perhaps throughout the life of the pet.
Food allergy
10% of all dog allergies are food related. Like people Dog allergies can occur on any food. But most often an allergic reaction occurs to beef, dairy products and wheat. Symptoms of these reactions are itching, diarrhea, gas, ear irritation and inflammation. Approximately 70% of all cases food allergies in dogs caused by beef. Many dogs have difficulty digest beef.
Despite the fact that at first dogs can be normal certain products, intolerance to them may develop later. Common symptoms of food allergies are skin irritation, severe itching, hair loss that can occur on anyone body area. Severe symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. Other subtle signs of allergies can be hyperactivity and weight loss. These symptoms may develop in over time and notice them right away you may not you can.
The main way to diagnose food allergies is to the exclusion of certain foods from the dog’s diet. It may take quite a lot of time and will require very much from the owner attention to the dog’s diet and its ingredients. Many feed manufacturers use terms such as animal meat or animal proteins to describe the ingredients. it general terms used to describe any proteins, such as skin, fats, legs and any other parts of the body. This term used so that the company can use any cheap meat and protein. Therefore any food and feed that contain such ingredients should not be used in the diet dogs with allergies.
If product exclusion does not work, you may need to blood analysis. Further, after determining the causal product or feed, the vet should help you organize a suitable diet for a dog with which you can avoid occurrence allergies. There are a number of hypoallergenic feeds that can be used successfully for feeding allergy sufferers dogs. However, if these feeds do not fit, then you may you need to prepare a special homemade diet with use only natural ingredients. Dogs with developed an allergy to certain products, may become over time sensitive to others. This means that if the dog continues eat foods that cause an allergic reaction, then allergies also develops on some related products.
Flea and tick allergy
Allergies to fleas and ticks are much more common in summer months when the weather gets warmer and fleas start multiply. Symptoms of this allergy are biting and scratching. skin, hair loss, inflammation and redness of the skin. Allergy to fleas and ticks can be treated with a hypoallergenic bath. It is also important that dogs are regularly treated with fleas and ticks. They can be used year round to protect the dog from any accidental infection.
Dog Hay Fever
Dogs that have a food allergy also often suffer from other types of allergies, such as hay fever. Hay symptoms fevers include itching of the ears, armpits, and rectal area. May secondary infections of the ears and red itchy eyes appear. Dogs may also suffer from oily or flaky skin. These symptoms differ from similar allergies in humans. This is because that the dog’s allergy receptors are on the skin and not on the nose or eyes. Antihistamines and steroids can successfully fight with symptoms, but sometimes home treatment may not be enough. After returning home from the street, the dog is recommended to wipe feet with a damp cloth to remove pollen. During heat it is desirable keep windows closed, and use a fan or air conditioning. The largest amount of pollen is in the air during the hot season. the weather. Vacuuming regularly also helps. reduce the amount of allergens.
Mold allergy
Mold grows in humid climates or in unventilated the premises. Mold spores can cause itching and redness of the skin. dogs. There are some types of mold that can be potentially fatal for dogs suffering from mold allergies. Main a way to avoid such an allergy is to keep the humidity in the house on lowest level. Keep the air conditioner clean so that prevent the accumulation of rust. Any mold, fungi and dust should be cleaned as quickly as possible.
Allergy to other animals
Dogs also have allergies to other animals, such as cats. Longhair cats tend to be less allergenic than shorthair. Allergen from cats, in the form of dandruff, very light and can stick to walls and furniture. it causes itching in the dog, and it can start to bite and scratch itself, which, in turn, leads to redness and inflammation of the skin. Regular bathing of cats is the best way to prevent similar allergies.
The types of allergies described above are only part of their total numbers. If you are worried about your dog, then you should show her vet who can test her and find out if she has any allergies. The vet will also give you advice about the most appropriate course of treatment.
