|
Home::All
Canine Allergies - Does your dog have an Allergy?
Author : Matthew Seigneur
Canine Allergies - Does your dog have an Allergy?
Did you know that your dog can have allergies, just like you?
The most common dog allergy is itching of the skin. Their respiratory tract can also be affected causing them to wheeze, sneeze, and/or cough. You may even notice a discharge from their eyes and nose. In some cases, the digestive system can be affected which will cause them to vomit or have diarrhea.
In the United States around 20 percent of the dogs suffer from some type of allergy. Some of the allergies might be allergic to fleas, atopic dermatitis, allergies to food, allergies to some thing in the air, allergies to some thing they come in contact with or a bacterial allergy.
Atopic Dermatitis
This canine allergy is caused by the dog’s immune system hypersensitivity to common substance around them, such as dust mites or mold. Atopic Dermatitis is an allergic skin disease that usually appears within the first two years of a dog’s life.
Watch your dog for grooming excessively, by licking or chewing his back legs, paws, and abdomen, these are signs that he may suffer from atopic dermatitis. Another way to check is to see if his ears are reddened and hot to the touch.
There are signs that are not as noticeable like in the armpits, groin, and between the toes of his paws. Saliva staining is another sign of atopic dermatitis. It appears as a reddish brown stain. If the case becomes severe, the skin may change color, especially the abdomen, from a pink to a dark red to a very dark black.
It can be difficult to diagnose because flea allergy, food allergy and parasitic infections have some of the same signs. After you have ruled out the three above allergies from you list you may then need to have your dogs skin tested for allergies such as dust mites, pollens, and mold. After your vet has determined the cause of the atopic dermatitis he can recommend treatment.
Flea Allergy
No the flea is not the real allergy here, it is the fleas saliva. Your vet can perform a skin allergy test to determine if your dog is allergic to flea saliva. If he is then a regular strict flea control regimen is required to reduce your dog’s symptoms. But, be sure to use the chemicals with caution, as some can harm your dog.
Inhalant Allergy (allergies to some thing in the air)
These allergies are caused by the same things that cause allergies in humans, tree, grass, weed, dust mites, molds, and chemicals.
Any dog is susceptible to inhalant allergies, but the most common dogs affected are terriers, golden retrievers, poodles, dalmations, German shepherds, Chinese Shar-peis, shih tzus, lhasa apsos, pugs, Irish setters, and minature schnauzers.
If you notice your dog chewing at his feet and constantly licking then he may have inhalant allergies. Other common symptoms include biting, and scratching. The worst itching will be on his feet, hind legs, groin and armpits.
Inhalant allergies are often associated with recurring ear infections in you dog.
Food Allergy
Food that your dog may have eaten for years may become a food allergy. So, this type of allergy is often overlooked.
Dogs usually cannot tolerate fish, eggs, whey, milk, chicken, pork, beef, corn, wheat, soy products, chemical preservatives, and artificial sugars in their meal.
It may take a long while to determine the food allergen. A way to find the allergen is to put your dog on a diet that consists of protein and starch that your dog has not eaten before.
Start adding back the ingredients of the dog food you have been feeding him, spreading this out over a week. If the symptoms return then you should be able to determine the food allergen.
Then look for a dog food that does not contain the allergen. Symptoms of food allergies in your dog may be scratching at ears, shaking of the head, itchy skin, licking and biting their back legs, rubbing their face on carpet, inflammation in their ears, coughing and in rare cases vomiting, sneezing, and diarrhea.
Contact Allergy (allergies to some thing they come in contact with)
This is the least common type of allergies in dogs. Some of the common items that may cause a reaction are wood bedding, grass, plants, and flea collars.
Bacterial Allergy
There are several different types of Staphylococcus (Staph) living on your dog’s skin. That is normal! Most dogs do not develop an allergy to them, but some dogs might.
Bacterial allergies will cause hair loss that looks similar to ring worm. The areas that are infected need to be treated with antibiotics.
About the Author
http://www.dog-pictures.co.uk/ A dog lovers website with plenty of dog breed information and pictures.
http://www.dog-pictures.co.uk/dog-supplements/ provides dog supplements and dog health care information. Spam emails More free articles Related articles
|
More related feeds |
Canine Food Allergies | Hypoallergenic Dog Food
If your dog's allergy symptoms improve after 12 weeks, put her back on her original food (the one that you suspect is causing her the allergy). If the symptoms return after going back on the original diet, it means that: ...Dog Lovers Universe - Crafts-Blog - Page
Thisâll make a Fun and then you'd have it... 5 of the publisher of his hair and Shock. Product 3 Dog Training while you can get this website now, when your local vet, and do for eight years, and behavior correction program served as Can ... Nanook and Pooka: Will Work for Allergy Shots...
Will Work for Allergy Shots... Kids, I have been BUSY. I'm sorry you haven't heard much from me lately, but between my day job, and my nightly task of asking to go outside, come back inside, go back outside, come back inside, ... Obamas Search for Hypoallergenic First Dog, But Does It Exist ...
The quest for a “hypoallergenic” dog (or cat for that matter) is a natural consequence of the high prevalence of asthma and allergies combined with the high percentage of households that have pets. The American Academy of Allergy, ... My dog has a new allergy and it’s untreatable so far « Dog allergies
I have two West Highland White Terriers and my female dog is 8 years old and has never had allergies until now. Somehow she has gotten a skin allergy that nothing will help. I’ve taken her into my vet four times and four times he has ... Differences between Non-Hypoallergenic Dogs and Hypoallergenic ...
Even though the differences between non-hypoallergenic dogs and hypoallergenic dogs may not be huge, they are enough to reduce the amount of allergy attacks that people have when they are around certain breeds of dog. ... The Right Dog for President Obama | Psychology Today Blogs
Unfortunately, with the focus completely on Malia's allergy the discussion of the correct dog for the president's family has missed the most important considerations in choosing a dog-namely the dog's temperament and how it will fit ... James Hubbard’s My Family Doctor Blog » Blog Archive » Obama will ...
Obama will not be able to select allergy-free First Dog. by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.. President-elect Barack Obama says one of his first priorities will be to obtain a First Dog. His daughter Malia has allergies and a canine club ... It Can Take Time to Find the Best Acne Treatment | Preventing ...
Search for the best solution to live for those with asthma ! www.LiveAsthma.com. Preventing Allergy Symptoms Find out the best strategies to help you prevent allergy symptoms and understand allergy treatment. www.Preventing-Allergy.com ... goldendoodle dogs | miniature goldendoodles | Dog breed info
A Goldendoodle dog is a cross between a Poodle and a Golden retriever and the result is a friendly, easily trained dog that is great for families (some say)– especially those families whose members have allergies. ...
|
|
|
