Remedies for Ragweed Allergies in a Dog
Ragweed allergy is one of the main inhalant type of allergies suffered both by people and dogs. Its hay fever season occurs in August and September when ragweed is in full bloom and the weed pollen is released. While in people, ragweed allergy results in respiratory problems, such as coughing and sneezing, the dog's allergic reactions usually manifest as a severe, generalized itching. Some breeds like Schnauzers, Irish setters and terriers are more commonly affected than other breeds.
-
Anti-Inflammatory Therapy
-
In most cases, treating the affected dog with an anti-inflammatory therapy will block its allergic reaction. Depending on each case, steroids can be administered orally or intravenously. Antihistamines can be of value when administered when combined with steroids because they can decrease the amount of steroids needed to provide itch relief. Furthermore, when these two therapies are combined with fatty acids supplementation, most allergic dogs' symptoms improve significantly.
Shampoo Therapy
-
Some allergens are absorbed through the skin. Keeping the dog's skin free of ragweed pollen will help the dog's itchy symptoms. Frequent bathing with a hypoallergenic shampoo will reduce the amount of antigen exposure through the skin. Some hypoallergenic shampoos incorporate fatty acids in their formulas. The fatty acids may be absorbed through the skin and offer anti-inflammatory action. Aztec Animal Clinic states that bathing not only provides temporary relief from itching but it may allow a lower dose of steroids to be administered to the dog.
-
Hypo-sensitization Treatment
-
The use of "allergy shots" is widely used not only when treating ragweed allergy but with a number of other allergies. Once the allergy source has been identified, small amounts of the allergy antigen are injected into the patient weekly. This results in the reprogramming of the body's immune system. As the treatment goes on, the immune system becomes less reactive to the allergens. When the hypo-sensitization proves to be helping the dog, injections may be administered for several years. In some dogs, the itching will completely disappear while in other dogs it will be reduced significantly.
Natural Remedies
-
Natural holistic therapies have been proved to offer effective means of controlling ragweed allergy symptoms in dogs.
Calendula is a flowering herb with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Applying a thin coat of Calendula ointment to the affected areas will relieve the itching while the dog is medically treated.
Bathing the dog once a week with an oatmeal shampoo and cool water will ease the itchiest skin. With the most severe allergies, use twice a week.
Antibiotics
-
Itchy skin means that the dog suffering from the allergy will scratch, lick and chew itself to stop the itching. This response may end in hair loss and inflamed areas of the skin. Damaged skin is susceptible to bacterial infections that need to be treated with antibiotics until the infection is controlled.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit dog image by Michal Tudek from Fotolia.com
