Believe it or not, humans are not the only animals on the planet that can develop allergies. In fact, man’s best friend can often develop dog allergies which may make their lives very difficult. One of the main difference between a dog allergy and a typical human allergy is the fact that your pet can not describe the problems that they are going through, this can make diagnosing the problem much more difficult. You may also be amazed at how many different types of dog allergies that can develop over time when it comes to your family pet. These canine health issues can occur not matter what the age, breed or weight of you pet. Whether they are sickly or healthy, any dog can develop allergies. Here at Dog Allergies RX, we are not only going to go over the various types of dog allergies but also how you can go about fixing these problems. One of the first things that you should know about dog allergies is that there are several different kinds. Each of of these allergic reactions can be caused by different things and show themselves in different ways.
Allergies To Pests
One of the more common dog allergies revolve around pests, more often than not fleas. Although you may think that this type of allergy is the most discerning, honestly, fleas are one of the easiest dog allergies to get rid of. Fleas are drawn to your pet because they feed on the blood and can comfortably live on your pets dermis (skin). Usually an allergic reaction is caused by parasites in the flea’s saliva and not the actual pests themselves. Luckily, for the most part, this particular problem can be solved with both topical and oral medications, as well as, simple flea collars.
Food Allergies
Another very common dog allergy occurs due to an inability to process food. Have you ever read the ingredients that are in your dog’s food? You may be surprised at what you find. Although food related dog allergies only occur about 10% of the time, they can be very dangerous and cause severe health problems in your pet. This type of allergic reaction occurs because of the simple fact that the stomach enzymes in your pets intestines have a negative reaction to one or more of the ingredients in the food that they are eating. Although it may be difficult to determine whether or not your dog is having an allergic reaction to their food, because the symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting can be associated with many other health problems, it is a dog allergy that occurs in younger dogs, usually between the ages of 3 months to a year old. No one know why your dog may develop an allergy to certain foods but it can easily be remedied through trial and error.
If you believe that your pet may be dealing with a food allergy, one of the best things that you can do is to change their diet until you can identify the the ingredient that is causing the problem.
Contact Allergies
These allergies occur when your pet develops an allergic reaction to items that are commonly found in the home or on your property. This dog allergy should not be confused with irritations that can develop due to common irritants that would effect any animal in a negative way, such as, poison ivy and other poisonous plants or household products. Contact dog allergies can often occur out of the blue, so to speak, and for no apparent reason.
Common items like wood, certain fabrics, metals or even detergents can cause these allergies because for some reason or another your pet’s immune system decides that it is a threat and over reacts when the animal comes in contact with the item. Much like with food allergies, one of the most effective ways to eliminate this type of allergy is to find out what is causing it and make sure that you pet no longer comes in contact with that item. Not only is this the healthiest way to reduce contact dog allergies but it is also significantly cheaper than medications.
These are only a few simple examples of the more common dog allergies. There are many more allergic reactions and allergens that can effect your beloved family pet and we are going to go over them all here at Dog Allergies RX. It is also important that you know that this site is for educational purposes only and there is no substitute for seeking out the medical attention of a veterinarian. Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions that you may have.
