How to Care for a Dog Who Has Allergies

Canine allergies are a lot like human allergies - dogs can react to things in the air, in their food or on their skin. Learn to recognize canine allergy symptoms, then provide your dog with needed relief. Here are a few steps to alleviate your furry friend's allergies.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look for allergy symptoms in your dog. The most common signs of an allergy to inhalants or fleas are frequent itching, chewing and biting, especially on the tail, the stomach, and the insides of the hind legs, as well as licking and chewing the paws. Inhaled allergies can also result in sneezing, coughing and watery eyes. Vomiting and diarrhea are usually symptoms of food allergies. Hives and rashes can be symptoms of various types of allergies.

2. Consider the season: Inhaled allergies erupt in the spring and fall. Flea allergies are most prominent during the flea season. (Summer is flea season in most areas.)

3. Take your dog to a veterinarian if you observe any of the above symptoms, especially vomiting or diarrhea, as they could be caused by a more serious underlying medical condition.

4. If you suspect an allergy to food, realize that typical canine food allergens include corn, beef, dairy products, wheat and soybeans. Talk to your veterinarian about putting your dog on a special protein diet to determine which food your dog is reacting to. Follow the veterinarian's guidelines to gradually introduce other foods into the diet until the allergen is found. Your veterinarian may also recommend food allergy tests to find the allergen.

5. If you suspect an allergy to inhalants, vacuum and dust frequently. Culprits include dust, mold spores, pollen grains, and household chemicals such as carpet cleaner and air fresheners. Treat your dog to a cool bath, and shampoo or rinse with aloe vera or oatmeal to help soothe the itchy skin. Your veterinarian may also recommend antihistamines or drugs to keep the itching at bay while the skin heals and the allergen is diminished.

6. Check your dog for fleas, as your dog could be suffering from flea bite dermatitis (an allergy to a flea's saliva). Careful grooming and frequent examinations, not only for fleas but flea droppings, can help alleviate this allergy. Ask your vet about flea products such as sprays, shampoos, topicals and pills. Again, an oatmeal or aloe vera bath can help soothe the itching.

7. Consider the possibility of contact allergies. Some dogs are allergic to bedding (cedar wood chips and wool are two possible offenders), grass, or plastic food bowls. If your dog has acne on his chin and uses a plastic feeding bowl, consider switching to a steel, glass or ceramic feeding bowl.

Tips & Warnings

• It only takes one or two flea bites to set off a dog's allergies to fleas.
• Certain dog breeds are more prone to allergies than others. If buying a purebred dog, ask the owner whether the parents have allergies, since allergies are inherited.
• Bring your dog to the veterinarian when the itching first manifests itself to avoid the possibility of secondary skin infections, which can be caused by excess chewing and scratching.
• Never apply flea products to irritated or broken skin; the chemicals could further irritate and injure the skin.

[petfriendly]

on 6/4/2009 Allergies can be due to a weak immune system, which is usually linked to diet. Improve the diet and let your dog fight his own allergies. The first thing is a good food, with meat as the main ingredient. Then add some good things like enzymes and probiotics and EFAs. I use a combination of two products. One is the enzymes and probiotics plus a bunch of other things that I personally take the human grade of (dinovite) and the other is a liquid omega fatty acid that I also take the same for myself, in the human form. (supromega). I get them at http://www.dinovite.comI give my dogs raw chicken a couple times a month too and avoid corn and grains in their food.No more allergy symptoms. And, the shedding has slowed down a bit too. I really like being able to stay off the steroids and use natural things for my pets and for myself.

[teddypee]

on 3/1/2009 For dog Allergies look up Naturesvariety.com Put your zip code in and you'll find a store near you that sells Instinct. It will cure your dogs allergies. Don't forget to use plain organic yogert and fish oil also. My dog is 45lbs. and I give her 2tbl yogert, and 1-2tbl fish oil each day.

[teddypee]

on 3/1/2009 I've been to many vets with my dalmatian trying to cure her allergies. One vet finally cured her. She put her on raw dogfood with 1tbl of fish oil,and 2tbl. of plain organic yogert. She is allergie free!! After years on the raw diet I found a dry dog food that works just as well. It's called Instinct and it's made by Natures Variety. There is NO GRAIN in it. That's the key to curing allergies. NO Grain!!But their intestants are so inflaimed from being irratated by the grain so you need to give the dog plain organic yogert to cure that. It works fast too. You'll notice a difference in a couple days!

[papermonkey]

on 11/15/2008 i got a 1/2 chiuaua and 1/2 lab puppy and he scratches constantly and has scabs everywhere,is he allergic to fleas ...what can i do to help dexter? [e-mail]

[KJBassets]

on 10/31/2008 To help... I just dealt with two dogs with severe allergies. Frequent baths, vacuuming, and diets with limited ingredients are all ways to get you started. If you don't see improvement, A board certified dermatologist is your best bet. They can give you allergy vaccines (shots) tailored to your dogs specific needs. You can also try a trial of Atopica, which is a very expensive and effective medicine (an alternative to steroids). If allergies are severe, Benadryl and anithisimines won't help much, but it's worth a try. Check with your vet for proper dosing.