Imagine spending years with itchy skin and bloodshot eyes without any way of making it go away. It bothers you during the day when you try to have fun and is relentless at night when you try to sleep. You try to show your master that you’re miserable, but they don’t understand and simply want to play.
When Shadow was almost a year old, we woke up to find him with a swollen eye and red, inflamed skin over different areas of his body. Shadow was rubbing his face on just about anything he could find and scratching at several places to make the itching go away. After a trip to the vet, we found out that Shadow has allergies. Some puppies start demonstrating dog allergy symptoms when they get to be around a year old.
Most of us (humans) take for granted that we can take medicines to make our allergies go away, at least temporarily. However, our canine friends are not so lucky. It is easy to miss dog allergy symptoms and your dog can’t tell you he feels terrible.
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This world is full of potential allergens for dogs. They can be anywhere, causing your dog to suffer for months if not years. These allergens can be environmental like plants, grasses, molds, or dust. They can also be in foods, caused by fleas, or even in the plastic and rubber in your dog’s toys.
The result of these allergens can make your dog miserable! The dog allergies symptoms can be red, irritated hot spots where the dog may scratch almost constantly, to hair loss, skin lesions, infections, anal itching and vomiting.
Allergies In Dogs
When starting to search for these allergens, the symptoms can help point you in the right direction.
Fleas on dogs are a great place to start as they cause swelling and redness near the area where the dog was bitten. The swelling can sometimes last more for than a week. To help you find these spots, look for the fleas and/or flea dirt. Fleas are a common allergen and dog flea treatment can be discussed with your veterinarian.
Inhalant allergens, like grasses, molds, and dust can cause itching in the face, flank, groin, and arm folds. Where appropriate, these allergens should be removed from your dog’s surroundings.
Other allergens could be in your dog’s food. Dog food allergies can cause diarrhea, anal itching, and occasionally vomiting. Has your dog’s food changed recently? If this is the case, you may want to try a dog food for allergies.
Plants can also be the culprit. CyberCanine has a list of plants that are toxic to animals. You should make sure that none of these are in your dog’s living or play areas.
Dog Allergies Treatment
When searching for remedies for dog allergies, here are a few good places to start. One way to provide temporary relief of dog allergy symptoms is to use a dog allergy shampoo. Topical sprays can also be used after the bath for continued relief. I would also recommend washing your dog’s bedding with a scent free soap.
Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid supplement can improve the quality of your dog’s skin and coat and may reduce dog allergy symptoms as well. A friend of mine has used fatty acid supplements with his Dobermans for years and commented on how many people were amazed at how his dog’s coats were so beautiful.
My veterinarian recommended we use an antihistamine with Shadow. This provided some relief. Please make sure you speak with your vet to get the appropriate dosage for the size of your dog.
If none of the items above help, you may want to ask your veterinarian about intradermal testing to determine exactly which allergens your dog is allergic to.
With diligent effort, you can help your dog live a happier, itch-free life.
To learn more about a dog food we tried, see our Chicken Soup Dog Food article.
| allergies in dogs |
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