Dog Allergies | Dog Food Allergies

One of the biggest concerns for a dog owner is dog allergies. Allergies can happen to any dog of any breed, although some breeds are more susceptible than others. Among the most common types of dog allergies is food allergy and can lead to indigestion for one’s dog. The trouble with food allergies however, is that its symptoms tend to be latent for quite some time, even despite the dog’s regular consumption of food.

Should this happen to your dog, don’t make the mistake of assuming that they are experiencing something akin to human food allergies. Most dogs don’t get food allergies unless they have eaten it food on a regular basis. Dogs are resilient animals and they can eat a type of food which they are allergic to and not show any symptoms until after a month or so. 

Like all animals dogs can show intolerance to certain food stuffs, but that does not necessarily mean that they are allergic to it. Allergies may result in skin irritation, and may not even illicit any reaction from your dog until it’s too late. Food intolerance on the other hand can be likened to food poisoning. It results in a serious case of indigestion and threat to dog health. 

A lot of pet gurus these days point to lamb and rice diets as the solution for food allergies from dogs. Unfortunately, this is still a new type of diet and whether or not it’s effective is something which the jury is still out on. It is also possible that given a dog’s tolerance levels, allergies for any new diets will not be known until a certain period of time has passed. So it’s best not to put one’s hopes on a diet alone.

Sometimes, the only way to overcome dog food allergies is through experimentation. Through the process of elimination, you can try feeding your dog various food stuffs to find out which of them he is allergic to. It’s not going to easy but each dog has different levels of tolerance just like people, and the only way to be sure is to check your dog’s reaction to each type of food you feed him.

The tricky part is that you may need to wait a month, perhaps longer, to accurately determine if your dog really is allergic to something or not. Allergens tend to stick around especially in animals and it will take some time before they are completely eliminated from your dog’s system.

And in case your dog does catch allergies and his fur is falling off at a fast rate, the best thing that you can do for him is to bring him to a vet for a medical exam, so that tests may be applied to see what type of health problems your dog may have developed as a result of eating something he is allergic to.

Go for Natural Dog Shampoo

Itching is often associated with inflamed skin, and you may also see other signs such as reddened skin, excessive hair loss, weeping or flaking skin. The worst is, some dogs also have a terrible stinky smell.

Most of dog owners immediately resort to ointments, and allergy medications and other form or strong medicine. Not me. While I recognize the fact that bringing your dog to your vets is the best option, I also believe that aside from proper hygiene, there are other simpler approach to this kind of problem.

In my case, I tried switching my dog food to exclusively barf diet for a week along with vitamin supplement prescribed by my vet. I also found a very good dog shampoo alternative in K-9 Health Solutions while searching online for helpful information. I am particularly using Dogosuds, because just like Barf Diet, its all natural. Dogosuds is a breakthrough products of which is chemical free shampoo that contains 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils that have natural, healing properties.

Dog Allergy and Remedy

Because of the unstoppable modernization of our society today, more people find ways to pacify their stress. One of these ways is to have a pet at home. We all know that most of us especially the dog lovers consider dogs as the perfect pet for anyone. Some even treat their pets as humans, dress them up and let them sleep in their own beds! But, how much do you know about your dog health? Do you know that dogs can acquire allergies like humans, too?

Yes, new allergies develop each day and increases in severity of existing ones. Dogs also suffer seasonal allergies involving pollen, plants, and molds, just like us. But the most common dog allergies include flea allergy, dog food allergy, contact allergy and occasionally an allergic reaction to vaccinations. Dog allergies caused by different substances generally produce symptoms that affect the skin, affecting you dog health. If your dog scratches and licks himself especially his belly and paws continuously; with sore, red patches of skin, and patchy hair loss, he definitely suffers from allergies.

Other symptoms include sneezing, coughing, persistent head shaking or discharge from the eyes or nose. Small dogs or puppies commonly do not develop dog allergies until they become a year old or more. Their exposure to allergens in the environment, food, and others sensitizes them to certain substances and tend to develop allergies. Treating an allergy that appeared recently seems easier than the one present and untreated for a long period of time. Canine allergies can severely affect a dog health because the symptoms it produces can make your dog very miserable and uncomfortable, unless you treat it carefully. Dogs do not get better by themselves.

In order to protect your dog health, minimize your pup's exposure to as many “triggers” as possible to lessen the chances of developing canine allergies in later life. Feed him a high-quality food without dangerous chemicals and artificial additives. Use a good, effective flea medication on your pup during flea’s season. Give him a regular bath and grooming, and minimize your dogs' contact with long grasses.

It is advisable to take your dog to a veterinarian that can perform either skin tests or blood tests to determine the exact cause of the allergy. But if in case your dog's skin conditions looks severe and appears to be infected, your veterinarian may prescribe corticosteroids, cortisone shots or allergy medications. You can also use products available in the market that can help you treat the skin allergy symptoms that your dog may be experiencing. Different shampoos such as hypoallergenic or hydrocortisone formula, itch stop sprays, lotions and salves can soothe and reduce inflammation. Hydrocortisone products also help in fast healing. All of these products are of big help to your dog health if allergy occurs.

Some dietary supplements and excellent dog foods that contain pure, natural ingredients can also improve skin condition and boost immunity. It can also end food allergies and strengthen the digestive and immune system. Vomiting, diarrheas, loss of appetite or lethargy are symptoms that are often mistaken as food allergy instead of food intolerance. To expose a food allergy and isolate the offending ingredients, perform an elimination diet for the betterment of your dog health. These symptoms also indicate one of several serious canine illnesses, so better seek veterinary attention.

Occasionally, dogs suffer allergic reactions to a vaccination. Most of these vaccine reactions are mild involving lethargy, loss of appetite or a slight fever. We rarely encounter vaccination's moderate to severe reactions, but it can seriously affect your dog health. Development of any swelling or hives on your pet's body, particularly around or on his face after taking his shots minutes or several hours later is definitely serious. This could even progress to swelling of his throat, difficult breathing, seizure and even death. Seek immediate veterinary attention before it's too late.

We may think that dog allergies are usual, but we must do something to reduce the chances of putting our dog health at stake. If you suspect your pup experiences a canine allergy of some sort, you figure out what is causing the problem and make him feel better! Know about your dog health before anything gets worse. In that way, you will feel better, too, and can enjoy more time with your pet.