Coping with Skin Allergies in Dogs and Possible Treatment Options
Have you begun to see your dog itching and scratching excessively? Is the scratching causing wide open sores and loss of hair on your best friend? If so, this is a good sign that your dog may well be suffering from dog allergies. Dogs do not have the typical blotchy eyes and a runny nose like we do when we are dealing with an allergy. Additional signs may include excessive itching of a specific area, or biting their paws to the point of bleeding.
What Are The Causes of Allergies in Dogs?
An allergy occurs when a dog’s immune system excessively reacts to certain substances. The body creates antibodies as a means of protection when the cause of the dog’s allergy comes into the body. These antibodies will then bind to immune cells in skin and different tissues. Therefore, when the allergens steadily penetrate tissue surfaces, the antibodies incite the immune cells to emit powerful substances (referred to as histamines) into the neighboring tissue. This then leads to inflammation and dog itching.
There are a number of factors to take into account when attempting to discover the root of allergies in dogs. An allergy that affects a dog’s skin is normally brought on by one (or some) of the following: fleas, food, and airborne particles.
Flea Dermatitis or Flea Allergy is typically caused by flea saliva. That’s why it’s especially vital to liberate your dog of fleas regularly. Some breeds of dogs tend to be more sucseptible to this variety of allergy than others. Skin allergies in pitbulls are usually caused by flea dermatitis.
An atopic allergy is triggered by the breathing in of airborne particles in the environment, consisting of mold spores, dust, tobacco smoke and pollen, instigate atopic allergies. If a dog is allergic to pollen, the pet will display symptoms, even if kept in the house as the particles will move into the home. Sneezing, coughing and wheezing generally go along with this variety of allergy.
Food allergies are the next most common variety of allergy in dogs. The most probable reasons for food allergies in dogs include: soy, corn, milk, chicken, eggs, beef and wheat. Diarrhea and Queasiness frequently are warning signs of this variety of allergy in dogs.
Contact allergies are the least diagnosed variety of allergy in dogs and is brought about by contacting with something. Triggers could include plastic, grass and wool. Some dogs can have allergic reactions to specific chemicals in the household, however, this isn’t very common.
Identifying Dog Allergies
A vet might be able to identify the problem, however,although it may call for a system of elimination to identify the source of the dog’s allergy and may perhaps refer your pet to a veterinarian dermatologist. If fleas are ruled out, your dog might be put on an elimination diet for a couple of months. Your dog is given food it has not eaten in the past, such as poultry, lamb, and potatoes, with the previous food being reintroduced in stages until the allergy resurfaces.
The allergen is thought to be one or more ingredients if the animals scratching is decreased by about 50% of what it was earlier. To test for contact and atopic skin allergies, veterinarians utilize an intradermal allergy test that functions by mildly tranquilizing the animal with slight amounts of possible allergens which are injected into the skin on the shaved section. If the animal is allergic to a certain substance, the skin near the area of the injection will become inflamed.
Treating Skin Allergies in Dogs
Keeping the dog away from allergens and curing the symptoms of dog allergies are the best methods of treatment. Drugs like antihistamines and steroids could be suggested to ease effects of scratching and inflammation in pets, although like all drugs they can be accompanied by harmful side effects and the long-term effects are still undetermined.
Prolonged usage steroids is not advocated as these medicines work by suppressing the immune system. Continued steroid use may eventually leave your dog at risk in regards to infections, diabetes and other ailments.
Herbal Treatments
Luckily for dog owners, there are numerous non-toxic and all natural homeopathic and herbal cures for dogs experiencing skin disorders.
Melaleuca alternifolia commonly put on externally to stimulate healthy skin and keeping your pet’s skin clean while Althaea officinalis root is a great and commonly accepted remedy for restoring the skin. Homeopathic remedies like Apis and Ledum have excellent healing characteristics and are especially useful in healing reddened and chafed skin, or minor irritations and abrasions.