Allergies don’t just affect humans, dog allergies are more common than you might think and can severely impact on the health of your dog. Dogs may be allergic to food, fleas, airborne pollutants as well as their own fur. Rather than simply administering medication, such as steroids, it would be better to find what is causing the allergy and remove it. However this is easier said than done especially if your dog has more than one allergy.
Here are some dog allergy symptoms to watch for. Coughing, wheezing, a thin patchy coat, runny nose or eyes, lethargy and sneezing. So what causes allergies in dogs and how can we find and eliminate them?
One of the main causes of allergies in dogs is fleas. Fortunately this is easy to control. 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. Please note that corn is a serial offender and is often used in cheaper brands of dog food as a filler. Ask your vet what he recommends, or there are also hypoallergenic do foods available.
Environmental allergies – your dog may even be allergic to his own coat, especially if he has thick or long hairs. Dogs can ingest a lot of hair when they clean themselves and this makes the allergy worse. Giving your dog a good wash every couple of weeks will remove excess hair and dander. Grooming him with a stiff brush once a day helps too.
Your dog may even be allergic to the chemicals used to clean your home. Using chemical-free natural cleaners such as soda bicarbonate and lemon juice will improve the health of yourself and your dog and save money too. Mold can affect your home without you knowing it. Testing for and removing mold will improve the health of your entire family including your dog.
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. Finding the cause of the allergy is the hard part, but taking care of an allergic dog is relatively easy once you have identified the problem. Always ask your vet for advice if you do not know where to start.
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Tags: canine allergies, dog allergy symptoms, dog food allergies