The Top Six Sources of Allergies in Dogs
Is your dog suffering and you don't know why? The cause may be an allergy. Allergies can come from many different sources and may cause your dog a great deal of discomfort.
Symptoms of a possible allergy include: excessive scratching, chewing and biting skin or tail, licking and chewing paws, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, vomiting, increased number of bowel movements, diarrhea, hives, rashes, hot spots, chronic ear infections, yeast infections, hair loss and reoccurring skin infections are all signs that your dog may be suffering from some sort of allergy.
Here are the top causes of allergies in dogs:
1. Pollen - Probably the most common cause of excessive scratching is a seasonal allergy cause by particular pollens. If you have allergy problems at the same time your dog does, you may be both suffering from the same thing. To make a determination you can have the vet do a scratch test or you can keep track of the different pollen counts on the weather report to see if you can determine which one is causing the allergy.
2. Insects - Small insects such as fleas, mosquitoes, ticks and mites are another major cause of seasonal allergies. This normally happens in the hot, humid time of the year when they are hatching in large numbers. You can either use foggers around the yard and in places where insects are likely to hatch or you can use some of the prescription products, provided by you vet, that are designed to eliminate insects on your dog. In a few cases your dog may have an allergic reaction to these products so you may want to pay extra attention when beginning use of them.
3. Mold - In humid areas mold can cause you and your dog to itch. Whether this is a seasonal problem or a year round problem depends on where you live and the year round climate. Mold will grow wherever there is moisture, so check your house out thoroughly for plumbing leaks or anywhere moisture may collect and sit, such as the condenser pan of your air conditioner. You can also do things to keep the humidity low such as running your air conditioning regularly, using the exhaust fan when showering, etc.
4. Other Animals - Dogs, cats, birds and other furry creatures can all produce allergens that could affect your dog. Cat allergen especially is very light so it can easily get airborne, it sticks to just about anything, it is very potent and can last for many years. The best way to deal with this problem is to keep the animal very clean by bathing on a regular basis. Other possible solutions include products that are designed to seal the allergen to the animals body, powders and sprays that you can put on carpets and furniture, as well as, HEPA air filters that are specifically designed to catch allergens that are floating in the air.
5. Food - Although not as common as other allergens, your dog may be having an allergic reaction to his food, especially if the symptoms seem to last year round. Often a dog will be allergic to the protein source in his food, such as a particular meat source or the protein portion of grains like wheat, corn or soy. It may also be a reaction to molds that have grown in the grains or other ingredients used to make the dog food. It has become very apparent that the standards for cleanliness and quality just aren't what they should be in a lot of dog food manufacturing plants. You need to do a thorough dog food comparison when deciding on your dog's diet.
6. People - Believe it or not your dog could be allergic to you. Humans put out allergens much the same as animals do. Assuming you already bathe regularly, which I'm sure you do, this may be solvable using allergy shots.
