Discovering that your pet suffers from one of the allergies of dogs out there, can be a scary and confusing time, especially if you’re a new dog owner, or have never owned a sufferer of one of the allergies of dogs.
Of course, the prevalence of the different allergies of dogs varies, as does the treatment of the condition, but here are a few of the basic facts relating to allergies of dogs that might help the process go a little bit smoother.
Contact Allergies
Contact allergies of dogs are allergies to something in the environment. It may be a specific plant, item or even something in the air or it may be something more general, like an allergy to grass. For contact allergies of dogs, the ideal treatment is to remove the cause of the allergy from the environment – easier said than done in cases where the allergen is a common one!
Other options for allergies of dogs, where the allergen is something the dog is in contact with, are anti histamines, immunotherapy, or even steroid treatments, all of which can be used with varying success on dogs with allergies of dogs like these.
Identifying an allergy may be quite tricky. Of course, contact allergies of dogs that begin suddenly, shortly after the introduction of something new in the environment are easy to spot, but if the dog suddenly develops an allergy to something that has been in the environment for some time, allergy testing may be required to identify it.
Flea Allergies of Dogs
More common than contact allergies, flea allergies of dogs can still be a tricky problem to treat. Far from an ordinary reaction to a few fleas, pooches that suffer from flea allergies of dogs will have a severe itching, scratching and biting reaction to even one flea!
Anyone who’s ever tried to keep even a non sufferer of flea allergies of dogs from getting fleas will know that it requires vigilance, and a good arsenal of anti flea products to do so!
You’ll have to invest in a spray for the environment, anti flea shampoo for the sufferer, and any other dogs you have, anti flea dip, and probably a flea collar. Medication, including steroids, may also be prescribed in severe cases. If you have a sufferer of flea allergies of dogs, try to check the dog, and his sleeping area, regularly, and if you see even one flea, take immediate action!
Food Allergies of Dogs
Another fairly common of the allergies of dogs is an allergy to specific foods. Often, these types of allergies of dogs are to common foods or ingredients in commercial dog food brands. Typically, your dog will display generic symptoms of allergies of dogs, including itching, scratching, biting and hives.
When diagnosed, your vet will typically put your dog onto a hypoallergenic food, or recommend a hypo allergenic diet like chicken and rice, and usually, if you adhere to the dietary guidelines, your dog will stop having any symptoms of allergies of dogs.
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