There are a myriad of substances that dogs develop allergic reactions to. A large part of managing the symptoms of dog allergies is to recognize and limit your companion's contact with the allergen, or item that is causing the reaction.
Much like humans, canines can suffer from allergies due to seasonal changes, bites or stings from insects, skin contact with an allergen, food allergies, or any combination of any of these. The symptoms can range from itching, red, swollen skin with or without sores, watery eyes, sneezing, diarrhoea, vomiting, irritability, restlessness, reoccurring respiratory infections, and much more.
Owners can become very frustrated when trying to figure out the cause of the symptoms. Since your beloved pooch is unable to tell you what is wrong and why, it becomes necessary to use an elimination method to determine the allergen. By identifying the allergen it may be possible to completely remove the agent from the environment of your pet and thus remedy the allergy problem. For instance, if your dog is allergic to corn, feed foods that have no corn in the ingredients. Sometimes, it may be advisable to try allergy testing if the symptoms are severe enough to warrant this type of testing.
An elimination process is simple but lengthy. For those that are unfamiliar with the process allergies to food are an easily illustrated example. Begin by completely removing the current food being eaten. Boil chicken and feed it pain for one week, if the symptoms lessen or disappear, this is a safe food to be fed. Next add rice to the chicken and feed this combination for one week as well, if not reaction these two ingredients are considered safe. Continue adding ingredients to the mix such as potatoes, fish, peas, corn, one at a time and slowly develop a menu that can be used. A veterinarian may also offer a dog food that has been specially developed to address food allergies. This is a basic idea of how an elimination process is completed it can be applied to items in the environment as well.
Whenever you are dealing with dog allergies you need to have a medical plan of action if there is a problem. Keeping Benedryl on hand is an excellent start. This antihistamine can help if there is a situation that your friend gets stung or bitten or has a serious allergic reaction, this is an excellent first step in treatment while transporting to the veterinary clinic. This antihistamine can also be used as palliative care short term. There are prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs that can be used to maintain the dog allergies symptoms a veterinarian is the best resource for dosing and selection of this therapy.
Shampoos with oatmeal have been found to be soothing to the skin. This is a great way to lessen the symptoms as well as remove any allergen that might be caught within the coat. Some owners will shave the coat of canines with long or thick hair, especially during warmer months when they suffer with seasonal allergies.
Allergies can be something that develop with age or disappear with maturity. It differs by each furry friend
