Dog Allergies

Allergies are becoming more and more common in dogs, just like they are in humans. It is important that pet owners understand allergies, so they know what they need to look for!

Signs of Allergies

Dogs become very itchy with allergies. You may notice your dog chewing and licking himself until he becomes raw. Many dogs seem to focus on their feet, back end, groin, neck, ears, and flanks. Many dogs also have chronic yeast infections.

With food allergies, many dogs have gastrointestinal signs, so they may have vomiting and diarrhea that owners can’t get under control. Some dogs seem to have increased bowel movements or just seem to have upset stomachs. They may belch or have gas more than a normal dog.

However, the most common sign of allergies in dogs is bad skin that never clears up. Their skin never looks very healthy and vibrant. Many dogs also have chronic ear infections that come back as soon as they clear up, no matter how many times an owner cleans their dog’s ears!

Treatment of Allergies

Allergies can be as hard to treat in dogs as they are in people.

Most of the time, you treat the symptoms and try to make the dogs as comfortable as possible. Then, if the owners are willing, you will need to work on finding out the source of the allergies. However, with seasonal allergies and food allergies, it can be very difficult to get rid of the source!

Owners typically don’t bring their dogs in to the veterinarian until they have a very bad infection. By then, they may have both a bacterial and a yeast infection, so they need an antibiotic and possibly an antifungal for the yeast infection. Many veterinarians prescribe steroids to make them more comfortable quickly. Omega three capsules may help make their skin healthy.

With ear infections, a medication should be prescribed to take care of the infection. A good cleaning will be necessary to make sure the medication can reach where it needs to go to be effective.

There are some allergy medications that can be started to try to help, though they are not always the most effective. Antihistamines are pretty safe to give, though they do not work for every dog so, if possible, it might be helpful to look for the source of the allergy.

Finding the Source of the Allergy

Many owners struggle with their dog’s allergies. They can be allergic to many things in and out of the house, like dust, grass, and much more. Many allergies are seasonal but, unfortunately, many dogs are allergic to the ingredients in their food.

Some owners start with a veterinary dermatologist to find the source of an allergy, while others start with a food allergy trial.

Starting with a Food Allergy Trial

It can be very difficult to do a food allergy trial, and many owners fail. This is because food trials can take twelve to sixteen weeks to get the full results. Many owners do not see results right away, and they get discouraged. They also see their dog every day, so they do not notice any difference. For this reason, it is important that owners schedule visits weekly or biweekly with their veterinarians.

It is very important that you pick the right food when doing a food trial. Many owners are trying to keep their dogs as healthy as possible, but the labels are really misleading. A company does not have to list every ingredient that is in the food. So, many owners who try to do a food trial and pick food without chicken in it may pick food that says duck and potato formula. However, it may still have some chicken in it.

For this reason, it is important that owners talk to their veterinarians when discussing food trials. There are specialty foods made just for dogs that have allergies. They go through rigorous testing to make sure that their products are not going to cause harm to your dog.

Pet owners need to make sure that their dogs eat only a certain food and nothing else. One scrap of food, and they have to start over, no matter how far into the trial they are! If the dog gets into the garbage, the results would be messed up! Owners with small children and multiple pets may have trouble with a food trial. Any visitors will have to be told that they can’t feed the dog.

Many owners get upset because they can’t give their dog a treat! However, some owners make treats out of the specialty food just so they can still spoil their dogs while on the food trial.

Many owners are unable to go through with the process of a food trial and, if they can’t, they should not waste their money on the expensive food! Also, there may be times when more than one food trial needs to be done to find out exactly which ingredient a dog is allergic to!

Dermatologist

Though it can be expensive, dermatologists can help pet owners find out exactly what a dog is allergic to, using a skin prick test. Then, they will use this information to make injections. This is known as hypo-sensitization. Owners can give these injections at home, and they seem to work well for dogs that are always itchy!

Allergies can be hard for owners because itchy dogs can keep them (and their dogs) up all night. However, if they are willing, they just might be able to find the cause or at least make their dogs more comfortable on some medications!