Top 10 dog allergies

Top 10 dog allergies

You probably have heard of allergies, but have you ever heard of dog allergies? Here is the complete details of top 10 dog allergies.

Allergies are mostly something we are born with; it is the same thing for dogs. Dogs, just like any other animals, can develop allergies to certain things in life.

Dog allergies develop when your dog is subjected to a kind of allergen more than one time, his immune system becomes very sensitive to this substance. In an attempt from his immune system to protect his body from this allergen, it overreacts causing inflammation and other allergy symptoms.

There several types of dog allergies, some of them are inherited which means your dog will already have the tendency to develop the allergy as he grows. Other types come from contact with allergens or from inhaled allergens.

Since symptoms of diseases and allergies can overlap, you should never try to treat your dog without professional diagnoses. However, you have to know the most common types of dog allergies to be aware of what might cause allergies to your dog, so you can help reduce the effect.

Here is a list of the top 10 dog allergies, you ought to keep a close eye on your dog, so whenever you notice any of the symptoms or whenever your dog comes in contact with any of the allergens, seek the vet’s advice immediately.

• Skin allergies
• Fleas’ allergies
• Food allergies
• Mites’ allergies
• Seasonal Allergies
• Environmental allergies
• Home Allergies
• Cleaning products allergies
• Shampoos allergies
• Medication allergies

Skin allergies

Skin allergies, also known as allergic dermatitis, are the most popular dog allergies. This is simply because most of the allergens reflect on dogs’ skin.

Dog dermatitis is inherited. Food, mites, grass, and household products all are types of dog allergies that can pass through genetics and manifest themselves on skin.

Like any dog skin disease, skin allergies have similar symptoms as hair loss, itching, hot spots, rashes, and other apparent changes on the skin.  

Heat is another reason for dog skin allergies. Dogs can develop skin rash as a result of hot weather.

If you live in a place that gets hot in some parts of the year, you better cut your dog’s hair and don’t expose him to direct sun heat.

Since nearly most of the dog allergies will cause a skin allergy, Symptoms are the same. You might not be able to determine what exactly caused an allergy to your dog, so it is recommended you seek the counsel of the vet before trying to apply any healing products.

Skin allergies are usually treated by identifying the reason for the allergy and cure the reason first. Then you may apply medical shampoos and products to complement the treatment process.

Fleas’ Allergy

Fleas are a nightmare to dogs. This is one type of dog allergies that can develop from a single bite from a single flea to your dog.

Some dogs may get bite by fleas and they start itching but still don’t develop allergies. Other dogs who are allergic to fleas will have more intense and annoying effects.

Symptoms of a flea allergy appear on the skin. While itching is not a prove of allergy, other signs like rashes, hair loss, and small pinkish-red pimples on the skin can indicate that your dog is allergic to fleas.

To treat flea’s allergy, the most important thing you should do is to remove the fleas from your dog’s body and the surrounding environment.

Ask the vet about topical or oral products you should use to kill the fleas and prevent other fleas from reproducing.

Beds, cushions, and sofas are places fleas love to live in. Once you noticed a flea allergy with your dog, you have to wash and vacuum all these things to eliminate their spread.

Removing fleas from your home may take some time, meanwhile, you should see the vet know if your dog needs medications to prevent other secondary infections.

Food allergies

Have you ever tried to feed your pal some food and his tummy refused this kind of food? You might have jumped to the conclusion that your dog is allergic to this food.

You may be right, but in some cases, it is just food intolerance or sensitivity.

Just like some humans are intolerant to dairy products and their stomach can’t digest them, dogs can be intolerant to some food. This is different from allergies because food allergens trigger the immune system to respond to something the body thinks are harmful.

Food allergies are mostly inherited like other dog allergies. Common dog allergens are beef, chicken, egg, and milk.

This kind of allergy will cause gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea.

To diagnose a food allergy, your vet will need to know what exactly the type of food that causes allergy. He will ask you to feed your dog just one or two kinds of food for some time, and then gradually introduces other food to spot what causes discomfort.

Food allergies can be easily prevented once you discover them. You can simply search for foods for dogs with allergies and feed him with.

Mites’ allergies

A kind of allergy both you and your dog can develop at the same time. The symptoms are pretty much the same too. Your dog will rub his eyes too much till it turns red.

Perhaps the good thing about this kind of dog allergies is that you can deal with it at home before you even confirm that your dog is allergic to dust mites.

The first thing you should always do is to make sure your home is free of dust.

Well, we know that dust surrounds us everywhere and it is sometimes accumulated in places out of reach or in storage places that we don’t use every day. But, you can at least control what your dog can reach.

You have to have several covers for your bed and pillows, and your dog’s bed, if he has one, too. Covers should be changed and washed occasionally.

Carpets and curtains are places where mites can lay their eggs on, the best thing is to use a vacuum when cleaning your home. If you can wash the curtains and carpets then why not?

Finally, wash your dog’s stuffed toys as they may be an attractive place for dust mites.

Seasonal allergies

As the name suggests, these are dog allergies appear at certain times in the year. The symptoms are the same as human seasonal allergies, starting with sneezing and running nose and ending with itching and skin symptoms.

Seasonal allergies in dogs can be easily spotted if your dog has those symptoms at the same time every year. Vets will also do skin and blood tests to confirm the case.

The treatment of seasonal dog allergies is usually done using some oral medications and proper nutrition.

Give your pooch food rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, you may need to consider a dietary supplement as per your vet’s recommendation.

Keep your home and your dog’s home clean. Your dog should be clean too, give him a bath with an anti-itch shampoo recommended by the vet and ask him about how often you should bath your pal.

Dogs love to play and run in open areas, but with seasonal allergies, going outside will come with its costs.

Try to limit your dog’s visits to streets or parks in those times of the year when he develops an allergy. If you have to, make sure you give him a bath after the hangout.

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Environmental allergies

Grass, weeds, bushes, and trees are part of nature, we can’t prevent their presence. But they can trigger dog allergies.

Environmental allergies are similar in symptoms and treatment of seasonal allergies. They may also occur at the same time. While seasonal allergies occur because of airborne substances on particular seasons of the year, environmental allergies can occur at any time.

Dogs can have allergies to some plants like juniper, daylily, and bermudagrass. Mold spores and animal dander are also kinds of environmental allergies for dogs.

Since it is difficult and even impossible to remove these allergens, the best thing you as a dog parent can do is to keep your dog away from what causes an allergy to him.

If you notice your dog allergy develops seasonally, then it is a seasonal allergy, but if it happens at different times of the year, you should then consider taking your dog to do an allergy test to determine what exactly causes the allergy and start the treatment process.

You have to do the same things you do for a dog with a seasonal allergy. Your vet may also recommend antihistamines for dogs besides other medications to help relieve itching and other symptoms.

Home Allergies

Do you know that you can be a participating reason for your dog’s allergies? Dogs are not allergic to humans, but some things human use are allergens to some dogs.

The perfume you wear when going outside for a walk with your dog, the cigarettes you smoke while staying home with your pooch around, some fabrics of the clothes you wear, and some plastics and rubber materials things around in your home are made of, all of these could be a possible allergen to your dog.

The worst thing about home allergens is that it is very difficult to determine what exactly causes dog allergies. You may not even be able to determine it is a home allergy not any other kind of allergies.

With the same exact symptoms of all other dog allergies, things become more difficult.

You can try to pay much attention to your dog to see when the symptoms start to appear, and what he contacts in your home every day. You might also need to visit a vet to undergo some tests to confirm it is not other types of dog allergies.

Once you discovered the reason, keep it away from contact with your dog.  

Cleaning products allergies

While keeping your home clean can prevent many types of dog allergies, it can trigger others.

Dogs can get allergic to chemicals found in cleaning products. It is not likely that you can determine what particular ingredient can cause the allergy, so it is better to reduce chemicals when it comes to cleaning.

There are many allergen-free products available at the market, choose suitable products with little fragrance or no fragrance at all.

Avoid using spray cleaning products as they can spread chemicals to areas your dog can reach, or even spread the chemical in the air that your dog breathes.

Wash your dog’s stuff like beds, covers, and toys with detergents made especially for allergic people and animals.

Air fresheners can give your home a nice odor but can bother your dog if he has this kind of allergy.

So, if you ever notice your dog feels uncomfortable with any kind of cleaning product, or known symptoms of dog allergies appear after cleaning the house, stop using all chemicals and consider buying allergy-friendly products.

You can switch to natural alternatives as well like apple cider vinegar diluted in water and baking soda mixed with water.  

Dog Shampoos allergies

You no doubt love your dog and want to get him the best grooming products ever. But, be careful because some dogs can have allergies to ingredients in dog shampoos and other products.

If your dog is allergic to the shampoo you are using for his bath, you will notice he is itching after the bath, with the continuous use of the same product, he will continue itching and other symptoms will appear.

Your dog will be shaking his head abnormally, rubbing his ear and there may be some patches, rashes, and swellings on his body.

When you notice an allergic response from your dog to a specific kind of bathing products, stop using this product immediately, wash your pet thoroughly to remove any remains of the product and consult your vet about the next step.

Ask him to recommend a shampoo with less chemicals and more natural ingredients like aloe Vera.

Hypoallergenic shampoos and medical shampoos are designed to reduce symptoms of allergies, they can contain soothing ingredients to relieve itching. Be careful while using them because they can also cause problems if your dog licked his body with the shampoo on it while bathing.

Medication allergies

Although it is not as common as other types of dog allergies, it can have very serious harmful effects on your dog’s health.

Medications are meant to cure and treat diseases your dog already have, yet, some dogs may be allergic to specific components of some medicines.

Since nearly all dog allergies symptoms are the same, you may mistake the symptoms of medication allergies to the disease it is primarily taken to treat firsthand.

Medication allergies may occur because your dog is allergic to a specific drug, antibiotics are one of the common allergic drugs for dogs.

Tests for allergies are the same, blood test and skin test altogether will help the vet to determine the precise reason for dog allergies, and hence decide what treatment process he should follow.

The first thing your vet will do is to stop the allergic medication, if your dog becomes okay, then he won’t need further treatment except for the original disease he had and he was taking the drug for.

The vet may prescribe anti-itch shampoos and other topical creams to treat symptoms like itching and rashes on the skin. He may also use antihistamines for the treatment process.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON TOP 10 DOG ALLERGIES

Dog allergies are something irritating for you and your dog. You should never wait when you notice any symptoms of any allergies on your dog.

If your dog has any kind of dog allergies, don’t get upset, you can together get through this by following simple instructions and taking suitable precautions.

Remember that the treatment process may need a long-term commitment, and you bear part of the responsibility in this process.

Your first responsibility is to keep away any allergens from your dog if possible. Dog allergies like food, cleaning products, shampoos, and home allergies are all things under your control, you can simply stop using these items in your home.

For other types of dog allergies that you have no control over like environmental, seasonal, flea, and dust mites’ allergies, try to give your pal the utmost care by offering a clean dust-free place for your dog to live in. Always remember that cleaning is the key to eliminating most of the allergen substances in the surrounding.

Regular visits for the vet are a must if you know your dog is allergic to anything. You can’t just visit the vet once and continue doing the same things forever. You can’t know if the prescriptions are doing the same for your dog or they became of no effect by time.

When it comes to dog allergies medicine, seek the advice of the vet yourself, and don’t follow any recommendations from anyone, your dog’s health certainly worth it.