Dog Blog

Between 15% to 20% of all dogs in North America suffer from allergies. As in humans, allergies may manifest in different ways producing varied symptoms in your pet. Knowing the signs of allergy suffering will bring your dog faster relief and happier days. As with any pet related medical issue, always consult your veterinarian if you suspect a problem.

Food Allergies

Dogs can develop allergies or food sensitivities at any point during their lives. Often, dogs eat the same type of food for years, so their diet may be overlooked. The most common problem causing foods include:

Soy products
Beef
Chicken
Corn
Wheat
Pork
Milk
Whey
Eggs
Fish
Lamb
Chemical Preservatives
Artificial Sugars

Symptoms of Food Allergies often include:

Itchy Skin
Ear Inflammations
Ear Scratching
Frequent Licking or Biting of Paws
Anal Itching
Face Rubbing
Head Shaking
Loss of Appetite
Coughing

Remedy:

Once food allergies have been determined to be the cause of your dog’s symptoms, eliminating the potential allergens from your pet’s diet is the first course of action. Begin by excluding foods which are known instigators (see list above). Look for either a commercial product which contains ingredients your dog has not eaten before or prepare home-made food for your dog consisting of two parts starch to one part protein. Suggested protein alternatives include duck, salmon, venison, or rabbit. Potatoes are suggested as an alternative starch. All ingredients should be served boiled and fed in normal proportions to your dog’s regular diet. Once prepared, the food can be individually packaged, frozen, and then used as needed. Home cooked diets are generally nutritionally incomplete and should only be used temporarily during the test period.

One item at a time, begin adding ingredients present in your dog’s former food to his new food. If symptoms reappear, the food allergen should be easily identified. During the test period, make certain your dog eats only the new food. Eliminate treats, dog bones, table scraps, rawhide, chews, vitamins, etc. Once the offending food has been identified, look for a commercial food which does not contain that ingredient.

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis, or canine atopic dermatitis, is an allergic skin disease generally caused by an immune hypersensitivity to environmental substances such as mold spores or dust mites. Indications your dog has this sensitivity generally present themselves by the age of two. Food and flea allergies, as well as parasitic infections, should be ruled out first as their symptoms are similar to atopic dermatitis.

Symptoms of Atopic Dermatitis include:

Excessive Grooming
Licking or Chewing of the Paws, Stomach, or between the Toes
Change of Stomach Skin Color to an Irritated Red
Ears which are Red or Hot to the Touch

Remedy:

Skin allergy testing can be conducted by your veterinarian to determine your dog’s specific allergy.

Flea Allergy

Caused by the saliva secreted by the flea, a flea allergy is the most common form of dog allergy. Sometimes the bite of a single flea may cause your dog to launch into fits of self-chewing and biting lasting for five to seven days.

Symptoms of Flea Allergy Include:

Severe Biting & Chewing of
The Tail and Surrounding Area
Stomach
Inside hind legs

Remedy:

A skin test can be performed to confirm your dog is allergic to flea saliva. Once a flea allergy has been confirmed, a strict control regimen should be initiated. Flea control products are safer now than they once were with options ranging from topical solutions to pills, shampoos and sprays. Garlic and Brewers Yeast have also been touted to keep fleas away as have weekly topical applications of lavender and eucalyptus oils. However these solutions have not been scientifically confirmed.

Whatever remedy you choose, consult your veterinarian first. Overly strong flea killing preparations may cause your dog more harm than good. Additionally, regular dog grooming (through your dog’s coat and down to the skin) will help find and eliminate fleas and flea droppings.

Inhalant Allergy

Inhalant allergies are substances in the environment which cause your dog’s immune system to react, releasing antibodies containing histamines, serotonin, and leukotrienes. Pollens from trees, grass, ragweed as well as mold spores, chemicals, dust mites and wood chips in pet bedding may cause your dog substantial discomfort.

One clue to diagnosing this allergy is timing. Is your dog’s allergy seasonal or year round? If you know to what your dog is allergic, avoidance is the best remedy. To help mitigate possible allergens, use dehumidifiers to reduce mold, air conditioners during pollen season, air cleaners with HEPA filters for dust and pollen residue, and vacuum frequently.

Inhalant Allergy Symptoms Include:

Biting and scratching at the body
Red or Irritated ear flaps which are hot to the touch
Head shaking
Rubbing the face
Severe scratching or biting of the flank, groin, paws and armpit regions

Remedy:

Providing your dog relief may come in the form of a cool bath with colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, eucalyptus, or a medicated shampoo. However these will only provide your dog temporary relief and will need to be repeated frequently.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are natural anti-inflammatory agents which have proven successful in approximately 20% of dogs tested. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oils such as Cod and Omega 6 fatty acids come from plants containing gamma-linolenic acid – such as evening primrose. Antihistamines have also proven effective in dogs with allergies with one short-term effect being lethargy or tiredness.

Corticosteriods (steroids) are substances which interfere with the function of the immune system and reduce itching by reducing the inflammation. They also affect all the organs in your dog’s body and should be used under medical supervision for short periods of time or in small doses.

Blood tests and intradermal skin testing can also be performed to judge specific reactions to allergens.

Contact Allergies

Contact allergies are the least common of dog allergies. Items such as flea collars, grass, shampoos, plants, chemicals, and wood chips may cause allergic reactions. By eliminating the irritant, symptoms should disappear.
If you think your dog may suffer from allergies, keep a journal. Make notes as to the symptoms, their severity, and when they occur. This will help your veterinarian pinpoint the problem and help your dog achieve a speedier recovery.

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About The Author: About The Author: M. H. Molock is the owner of dogclothes-apparel.com, an online dog clothes and accessories store. She also writes extensively on animal and pet issues.

Please take special care to keep antifreeze away from your pets. Unfortunately, many dogs and cats enjoy the taste of antifreeze; however, even tiny amounts can cause extreme sickness, kidney failure, and even death.

The signs of antifreeze poisoning include weakness, vomiting, drooling, unconsciousness, problems with coordination, and panting. If you suspect your dog or cat has ingested antifreeze, it is critical that you rush him/her to a veterinarian immediately. This is an emergency situation.

Kidney failure can begin as soon as 20 minutes after consumption and if the antifreeze gets into the animal’s bloodstream, the chances of survival decrease rapidly.

It should also be noted that pets do not need to ingest the antifreeze directly to become ill. Licking their paws after coming into contact with the fluid can be enough to seriously affect them.

Take care that your vehicle is not leaking any antifreeze and if it is, mop up all spills that occur, no matter how small.

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While milk is not necessary to a dog’s (or cat’s) diet, it can be a treat if given from time to time. However, some pets cannot tolerate milk because they do not produce an enzyme called lactase. Lactase helps with the digestion of lactose, which is found in milk. After weaning, the level of lactase activity falls to about 10 per cent of its peak activity. In some animals, diarrhea will occur if more lactose (i.e. milk) is consumed than the pet can digest. This is called “lactose intolerance”.

A further contributing factor is the fact that cow and goat milk contains 4.5 to 5 per cent lactose, compared to 3.1 per cent in a bitch’s milk (lactating female dogs) and 4.2 per cent in a queen’s milk (lactating female cats). The high level of lactose in cow’s milk can overpower a dog or cat’s ability to digest it. This is why many pups and kittens often get diarrheea from drinking cow’s milk. This does not mean that milk is unhealthy for dogs and cats. On the contrary, in pets that are able to tolerate it, milk can be an excellent source of protein and calcium.

Pets with milk intolerance can still consume dairy products under certain circumstances. For example, dairy products such as cheese (including cottage cheese) and unpasteurized yogurt usually have the lactose removed or have it partially broken down through bacterial action. As a result, these products are often well tolerated by cats and dogs that would otherwise get diarrhea after drinking milk.

It should be stated that neither boiling milk nor the use of skim milk affects an animal’s ability to tolerate milk, since the lactose content remains unchanged in either case. The same applies to pasteurized yogurt and cultured milk (e.g. buttermilk), neither of which is well tolerated by lactase-deficient pets.

If a dog or cat has loose stools whenever milk is fed, that pet is likely to be lactose intolerant and milk should be withheld. It is also wise to advise your veterinarian of this fact and discuss the potential implications involved with regard to your pet.

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Pica, is a craving for unnatural, non-food items. Dogs do enjoy their grass and grass-eating is not always viewed as pica. However, if your dog eats grass excessively and as more than a passing snack the habit may escalate into a pica. No one really knows why dogs eat grass – it is one of the mysteries of the dog world!

That being said, it is unlikely that only one reason exists. Some dogs likely eat grass because they simply like the taste, others may do it to provide further bulk to their diet should they perceive this to be lacking, and still others likely eat grass to try and settle or clear an upset stomach.

If your pet is on a good quality diet, has regular stools, and isn’t showing other health concerns, grass-eating is unlikely to be a problem. You may want to try and curtail the behaviour to avoid it from becoming a problem by keeping your lawn cut short and free of grass clippings and leaves and providing your dog with an outdoor toy that it can occupy its mouth with (i.e., a rawhide bone).

If you are at all in doubt, take your dog to your veterinarian for a thorough physical examination and a review of its current diet and dietary needs. Hopefully this way you can convert the bovine back to a canine!

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