Do pets have allergies, and what to do about it?

​Do pets have allergies, and what to do about it?

Humans suffering from allergies may have a runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, itchy eyes and skin. Pets also suffer from various allergies, as humans do.Pets can show a variety of different symptoms. Signs of Food allergies can be anything from chronic ear inflammation, gastrointestinal problems, and chronic diarrhea to chronic gas, licking of their feet, or itching of body parts.

For humans, the end of fall is considered often an end to the allergy problems, but when it comes to pets, their problems associated with allergies can be all year-round.

WHAT CAUSES ALLERGIES IN PETS?
Allergies are considered the body's immune response to foreign proteins and are common in pets and humans.  Pets can suffer from an allergy when their immune system overreacts to foreign material such as dust, pollen, insect bite, or a specific food protein. Resultantly, a large amount of histamine and white blood cells are produced in the body, resulting in what is seen as symptoms of allergy.
 
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGY?
If you are a pet owner, you might have seen your pet itching and rubbing its body against hard objects.
The symptoms that usually appear in pets as a result of allergies are sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, ear infections, itching of skin.
In dogs, the most common sign of allergies is excessive itching on the overall body, including ears. In some dogs, only licking a specific part of their body is an indicator of allergy.

FOOD ALLERGIES IN PETS:
The most common allergens in dogs are beef, diary, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit and fist. Most dogs are allergic to more than one item. Looking at this list, you may ask yourself: where to start to find the culprits? You can try to change the food to see if there is some change. That approach can take a long time to get results. This hit and trial method usually takes months to see the results.

There are hypoallergenic foods commercially available for pets. These foods are free from those allergy causing ingredients. Most of the time, they are free from beef, dairy, wheat and grains. You need to patient; it can take approximately up to 30 days to see any improvement in your dog’s skin.
 
There is another way, it is not inexpensive but there is a saliva-based food sensitivity and intolerance test kit you can order. You can swap your pets mouths and send the cotton swap back to the company. There are test kits available for dogs, cats and horses and they test for the common allergens.

ENVIRONMENTAL RELATED ALLERGIES:
Environmental allergies are usually found more often among dogs than in cats. The allergies often show up when the dogs are between 1 year and 3 years. Like with humans, the allergy is a reaction of the dog’s immune system to a substance in his surroundings.  The environmental pollutants can be grass, mites, mold, fleas and pollen just to name a few. These allergens can be seasonal or irritate your pup all year around.
 
Unfortunately, some dog breeds are genetically predisposed to allergies and more prone to express symptoms. Breeds like Retrievers, Terriers, Boxers, Dalmatians, Bulldogs, Shepherds, Beagles and Irish Setters are more prone to environmental allergies.
Your pup may show some common symptoms while his body tries to deal with the bothersome allergens. These symptoms are usually skin-related ones and are a result of atopic dermatitis (atopy). which is skin inflammation and extreme itchiness. Dogs may seek relieve from these uncomfortable symptoms by excessive chewing, biting and licking. These actions can result in hair loss or open wounds which can get infected if no treatment is given.
The areas commonly affected are the feet between the toes, wrists, ears, flanks, around the eyes and groins

​HOW TO TREAT YOUR PET TO AVOID SECONDARY INFECTIONS?
Consult with your pet’s veterinarian. He may suggest given your pet antibiotics to prevent secondary infections due to excessive itching of the pet's skin resulting from allergies.
Using medicated shampoos will help keep the overall skin health better and can help prevent the case from worsening.
 
We hope that your pet does not suffer of any allergies but if you have any advice to give our readers; we would be happy to hear from you.

Disclaimer: Information given in this blog is just for entertainment purposes and does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as that. Please see a veterinarian for any pet related health issues.
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