Treating Dog Allergies
Dog allergies can be hard to deal with, both for them and for you. The constant scratching and rubbing can drive both of you crazy. Dogs are not only exposed to indoor pollutants like cleaning materials, dyes and dust mites, they also come in contact with all kinds of potential sources of allergies outside. If your dog is experiencing skin allergies or red, runny eyes, the best cure is to find out the specific cause of the allergy and eliminate it from their environment. Herein lies the problem. What is the source of the allergen? You must treat dog allergies like you are a detective trying to sniff them out.
Here is a list of some major causes of canine allergies:
- Pollen
- Grass
- Dyes
- Wheat
- Cleaning supplies
- Flea saliva
Grass, flowers, pollen and tons of other things can cause your dog to experience skin irritations. You can treat dog allergies that are seasonal with antihistamines for a short period of time. Benadryl is often given to dogs for seasonal allergies. Give about 1 mg. per pound. So for a 10 pound dog give 10 mg. You can give it every 8 hours as needed.
Canine allergies can be caused by insects as well. The always dreaded flea is one of the major problems for most dogs and their owners. Your dog may be allergic to flea saliva. They may be causing infections from all the scratching they are doing because of the infestation. Keep in mind that fleas will infest your home and jump on you as well. Try these natural flea control remedies.
Food allergies need to taken into consideration as well. Most dogs do not suffer from food allergies like humans do, however there can be cases of food allergies in dogs as well. Many dogs are allergic to beef. If you are feeding your dog a beef based dog food you may want to switch to a lamb or turkey based food. Avoid feeding your dog soy and wheat or corn based food as well. These have proven to be the cause of some canine allergies.Here is more information on dog food allergies.
If you have a dog with allergies that has just appeared recently, the best way to figure out the cause is to think of any items that have recently been introduced to your pets environment. Just to give you an example, one of my dogs started showing signs of an allergy by whining and rubbing herself on anything that was around. She was constantly scratching and was beginning to get hot spots on her head. I started thinking about it and over a couple of days I remembered that I recently got her a cute hot pink collar with little designs on it. Even though it was adorable on her, I took it off. The scratching and rubbing stopped immediately. She was allergic to the dyes in the collar. Dogs with allergies give you clues, they are just not always easy to pick up on.
Don't ever give your dog raw hide bones or treats with color. The color is made with a dye that can cause long-term health problems for your dog in addition to allergies. Don't feed them food that has dye in it either. This is very important for providing your dog a healthy life. The best way to treat dogs with allergies is prevent the situation from even getting started.
One thing that is important to mention is, treating dog allergies with non-toxic supplements and natural substances as much as possible is the best approach. Dogs can live much longer and healthier lives if you avoid whenever possible, giving them chemicals in the form of medication and putting chemicals on them in the form of flea products.
Always consult with your vet for medical problems.
Here are some herbs and supplements that are helpful for allergies.
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