Most Common Allergies in Dogs and How to Treat Them
It is very common for dogs to be exposed to allergies, and the most usual symptoms of an allergy are found on their skin or ears. Unlike humans, who can overcome these conditions, dogs will only suffer from them more with age.
That’s why it is important to do regular veterinary check-ups with your dog, and determine whether they have any allergies on time.
How to Notice That Your Dog Has an Allergy?
Allergies are an immune response to a particular substance or allergen. When a dog’s immune system reacts to some of the allergens, it results in symptoms like skin irritations, and respiratory and digestive issues.
If you notice your dog chewing paws, scratching, sneezing, coughing, or vomiting, it may have an allergic reaction.
Check your dog's body for rashes, redness, and hives, and if you notice any other strange symptoms and suspect your pup has an allergy, bring him to the vet as soon as possible. Only the veterinarian can determine what it is about and give you expert advice to follow.
What Are Dogs Mostly Allergic To?
The most common elements the dogs’ allergies are coming from are:
- Fleas
Dogs can be allergic to the saliva of fleas. Sensitive dogs can have severe reactions to flea bites and experience enormous discomfort and itching. In some difficult cases, this allergy can result in further skin infections and hair loss.
- Food
Food allergies cause digestive problems, diarrhea, and vomiting, but they can also cause skin problems and rashes. Dogs can easily be allergic to some ingredients in their food, most commonly, protein.
- Chemicals
These allergies come from cleaning products or soaps and shampoos that end up on surfaces and materials in the dog's environment. Such allergies usually cause skin irritations.
- Medication
Dogs can have an allergic reaction to medicines they are given. Therefore, if your dog is prescribed medication for the first time, pay attention to symptoms like swelling, hives, or breathing problems.
- Their environment
Seasonal and environmental allergies affect dogs, just like humans. They can be allergic to pollen, grass, mold, or dust. They often cause issues seasonally, meaning they come and go, and to dogs, they bring lots of itching and inflammation.
How to Diagnose and Treat a Dog’s Allergy?
Diagnosing a dog allergy is complex, so it should be done by a professional veterinarian. The vet should examine and rule out all possible causes of similar symptoms, and perform blood and skin tests on your dog.
However, reaching a precise diagnosis of an allergy takes time and patience, as it’s not easy, but when you finally determine what’s been troubling your dog, you should get acquainted with the allergy-specific treatment.
The first thing when treating any allergy is to try and eliminate the allergen. Therefore, if your dog has a flea allergy, you should use flea-repelling products on your dog all the time. Be on a constant watch-out for fleas and make sure any other pets in your dog’s environment are free from them too.
When it comes to food allergies, watch out for problematic ingredients in your dog’s food. Still, sometimes it’s hard to avoid them, and medications prescribed by your vet should bring your puppy relief.
Environmental allergies are obviously the hardest to deal with. As it is impossible to get rid of the allergen completely, your furry love will probably have to be on constant medications or injections that are prescribed to it specifically.
The injections against a specific allergy should have a small amount of the element dogs are allergic to, so they can develop some resistance over time. This treatment might take a very long time, but if your dog’s health is seriously affected by the allergy, it is worth going through it.
Can Dogs’ Allergies Be Cured?
Unfortunately, dogs’ allergies can not be completely cured. Therefore, it is very important for you to create realistic approaches and expectations toward your dog’s condition and stay positive during the treatment.
Even though your dog may not be able to overcome the annoying and exhausting allergy, the right treatment will bring it proper relief.