Our Biscuit Guarantee » Allergies & Intollerances in Dogs

20% of Dogs Suffer from a Dog Allergy: Could Yours be One?

Your pet could have a dog allergy if he’s constantly scratching and chewing himself.

Now, before you panic, I’m not talking about the normal kind of scratching and chewing, you know, the kind dogs normally do.

What to Look For

• No, I’m talking about worrying a particular spot so much that the fur is gone and he may be creating sores.
• Or, maybe your dog seems to constantly have an upset tummy. He seems to be vomiting a lot and/or having diarrhea. I mean several times a week, not a once in a while thing.

·  Or, maybe he has dry, itchy skin and dull coat. He has lots of dandruff and is shedding a lot. He just doesn’t look the picture of health.

Clinical trials show about 20% of dogs suffer from a dog allergy.

So, it’s not a lot of dogs. But it is becoming increasingly more common.

But before you rush off to the vet you need to know the symptoms of a dog allergy. After all, you know your pet better than anyone. You live with him or her. You know what’s typical behavior and what’s not.

Your vet only sees your pet for 20 minute intervals once or twice a year. Don’t you think you know if something seems a bit “off” with your furry companion?

Of course you do! But, first, you have to know the symptoms of a dog allergy.

7 Symptoms of a Dog Allergy

•loss of hair,
•dry, itchy skin
•ear inflammations
•chronic hot spots
•chewing on self
•poor coat
•stomach upset

Now these are pretty generic symptoms. They could mean one of five different types of allergies or they could mean nothing.

You know your dog better than anyone so you know if Max is showing unusual behaviours or not. If you suspect an allergy, make some notes and date them, that way, if or when you do end up at the vet, you’ll have concrete information.

If Lucy’s losing hair rapidly and you suspect an allergy, your next step is to figure out the type of dog allergy.

The 5 Types of Dog Allergies

 

• food
• contact
• flea
• bacterial
• inhalant

Food Allergy

Your dog’s food could her sick. Though many food allergies are gastro-intestinal,–you know, diarrhea, vomiting– From a veterinarian perspective approximately 10 to 15% of all allergic skin diseases in dogs are caused by food allergies.

Some common food culprits for dog food allergies are
•corn
•wheat
•soy
•dairy
•oats
•beef, lamb or other meats

Corn and Wheat are often, but not always, the culprits in a food allergy. (Other culprits can be a protein source like chicken or beef. A surprising number of pets are allergic to these.)

But corn and wheat allergies are showing up as common allergens the same way they’re showing up for people. They’re cheap fillers in pet food and a build up of them in your pet’s body can cause an allergic reaction.

It’s the same if you develop a wheat allergy or some other food allergy.

Check the label on your pet’s food. If corn or wheat is listed as one of the first ingredients in the list, that means they are primary ingredients. Change the food and go for one with a high quality meat source as a primary ingredient. Look for one without corn or wheat and feed it for two weeks and see if your pet improves.

Take Notes! I can’t stress this enough. If you try 2 or 3 different foods over the course of a couple months, you’re bound to forget some of the details. You’ve got enough on your mind in your life.

So, give yourself a break and jot it down! List dates you started feeding the new food, brand names and if you noticed any changes in your pet’s behavior or appearance.

Simple Treatments

In the meantime, if your pet is suffering from seriously itchy skin, try the solution your grandmother would have reached for–the oatmeal bath. An oatmeal based shampoo will soothe your pet’s skin and help it to heal faster.

You can make a paste at home by mixing plain oatmeal with water until it has a thick texture, then spread it on the infected places.

You’ll have to entertain your pet for 10 minutes or so to let the paste sit and some of it will be absorbed by his skin. Then, rinse it off. You can do this daily as needed.

You can also buy a good oatmeal based shampoo.

Flea Allergy

 

Who woulda thought? One of the most common dog allergies is to fleas?

Hmm…Actually, the dog isn’t allergic to the fleas, he’s allergic to the flea’s saliva.

Symptoms can be similar to food allergies, they include itching, redness and swelling.

But it’s the dog scratching himself that is likely to cause the hair loss and scratches to the skin rather than the allergy itself. Hot spots can also form, these are red, round patches where the fur has fallen out.

There is a skin allergy test that can test your dog (or cat) for a flea allergy. If Fido has a flea allergy, he’ll and his home will have to be treated de-flea’ed. Easier said than done.

Anyone who has ever had to deal with fleas knows the challenge of thoroughly cleaning everything over and over. Including your pet. 

Dogs have varying species of Staphylococcus (Staph) bacteria on them normally. Normally, this doesn’t cause a problem for the dog but occasionally, some will develop an allergy to it.

The symptom is commonly hair loss and develops patterns that look like ringworm. Infections will develop and this dog allergy needs to be treated with antibiotics.

Contact Allergy

Just like it sounds, this is a dog allergy that is caused by something touching the skin; fabrics like collars or bedding, topical medicines, and other items that come in contact with your dog’s skin can be the culprit.

Pets develop reddened, itchy skin and you may see small, pus-filled welts.

The treatment for this type of dog allergy is simple once you’ve determined the source. Get rid of the contact.

But, like the food allergies, you may have to experiment a bit to determine the problem. If you dog has his own bed you might try covering it with a towel (duct tape it on the bottom so it actually stays covering the dog bed).

Take off her collar when you can, don’t apply any medication to her skin. Try this for two-three weeks and observe.

See what happens. Try the oatmeal bath like listed above. If nothing happens, well, try the vet. But you’ll have your notes and your experience so you’ll be a step ahead!

Inhalant

Your dog is breathing something that is making him sick.

It could be dust or mold or something else. This is harder to figure out but if you’ve tested for the other allergies and your pup is still having problems, you can work with your vet to determine the cause to this one.

Your Dog Doesn’t Have to Suffer.

Allergies ARE treatable.

Most dogs exhibit allergic symptoms if at all, when they’re young (up to four) so if your pup is older and you haven’t seen any symptoms, hopefully they’ve been spared this discomfort.

If you think your dog has a dog allergy, the hard part is diagnosing it. Observing, taking notes and going to your vet well informed is the best thing you can do.

Once the diagnosis is made you can get rid of the offensive thing and help your pet have a happier allergy-free life!

A dog allergy can often be controlled with a diet change. The first thing you have to do is get rid of the source.

Good luck!

P.S. Please remember, this website is not meant to provide a diagnosis to your pet but merely to provide some general information.

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