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Recognizing Allergies in Dogs
Allergies in your dog can show up as a skin inflammation or itch that just won't go away. This type of non stop itch not only makes your dog highly uncomfortable but it can then start your dog off on a scratching spree. With continual itching, a dog can start licking and scratching themselves to the point of developing sores. Those sores then can easily become infected and in turn can leave you with a very sick dog. Another way that allergies can make themselves known in dogs is by attacking the respiratory system which can cause sneezing, coughing, wheezing and lung inflammation. There can also be in both the respiratory case and the skin inflammation case an occurrence of a watery type discharge from the eyes and the nose.
If you have noticed any of the above symptoms, get your dog into the vet right away because unlike allergies in humans where there are times that we just wait things out, taking the same approach with your dog is not the best course of action.
An effective way to combat the skin inflammation is to start giving your dog regular baths in cool water with a mild dog shampoo. Your vet can point you in the right direction for stronger skin inflammation cases but there are some over the counter shampoo's that will work quite well. If the cause is not flea related then you do not want to use a shampoo that is medicated for flea protection, instead use something a bit more natural to sooth your dog's skin that contains Aloe Vera.
In regards to the respiratory allergies, besides seeing your vet there are a few things that you can do around the house to keep you and your dog breathing a little easier. Keep the area in which your dog spends the most time as clean as possible. Make sure you keep your carpets and your furniture as clean as you can get them and try giving a good dusting to things on a regular basis with a slightly damp cloth or one of the Swiffer type material pads.
One treatment that has come about in the past few years and has gained much popularity through vets and pet owners is that of immunotherapy. In consultation with your vet, an immunotherapy program for your dog may be the way to go if they suffer from severe allergies. This treatment consists of a series of shots in order to prevent allergies and depending on the seriousness of your dog's symptoms the shot series could take over many months or years to work.
Now, another type of allergy that your dog may experience is an intestinal one. Symptoms of this type of allergy are shown through digestive problems, diarrhea and vomiting. The main cause of this type is through either an immediate or a developed allergy to dog food and doggie treats. This commonly occurring allergy is the main reason that your vet discourages you from changing your dog's regular food on a consistent basis. It is also not a good idea to give your dog any human food such as table scraps. The reasoning for this, in addition to allergies is due to a dog's inability to digest certain human foods at all.
Keep in mind that regular visits to your vet will keep your pet healthy and you informed if your dog develops an allergy.
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