Brushing your Golden Retriever regularly will help prevent shedding (especially important if you have allergies) and matting of his fur. Matting is not only unattractive, but it’s uncomfortable for your dog as well. Brushing also helps you remove burs and other foreign matter that could threaten his health. Regular grooming will help maintain a shiny, healthy coat and enhance your Golden Retriever’s quality of life.
Grooming your Golden Retriever is a time-consuming process. Grooming should be done at least once, preferably twice, ever week. You can expect to spend about one-half an hour in the grooming process. The first step in the grooming process is a good brushing. Brush the entire body, from head to tail. When you’ve finished brushing, you can use a comb to remove any remaining loose hair and help distribute oils evenly throughout your Golden Retriever’s coat. While you’re accomplishing hair removal, you can also inspect your pet’s roots and skin for ticks and fleas or skin irritations. This will also be a good time to inspect his ears to be sure they’re clean and healthy and trim his nails.
You should give your Golden Retriever regular baths, too. Though it’s a little complicated, the path will keep his coat and skin in good condition and reduce your exposure to allergens. After brushing to get rid of tangles and loose hair, bathe your Golden Retriever with a shampoo designed specifically for dogs. Human shampoos are too harsh for a dog’s sensitive skin. You’ll find that two baths a month will be sufficient to maintain your Golden’s coat. If you do it consistently, your Golden Retriever’s coat will be easier to brush and clean.
Abhishek is an avid dog lover and he has got some great Dog Health Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 80 Pages Ebook, “How To Take Care Of Your Dog’s Health” from his website http://www.Dog-Tale.com/192/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
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.
Medical Problems In Golden Retrievers
Epilepsy In Golden Retrievers
Also known as seizures, epilepsy disorders normally occur from viral infections, and environmental factors as well. Even though an inaccessible seizure isn’t always a problem, dogs that have recurring seizures should never be bred. Vets can recommend medicines that control recurring seizures, although medicine isn’t always effective. Although epilepsy doesn’t affect the health of a Golden Retriever, it does have an effect on breeding. You can never tell if it is indeed heredity, therefore breeding is pretty much out of the question – to avoid passing it on to the litter.
Golden Retrievers Skin allergies
Skin allergy is the most common medical issue with Golden Retrievers. Skin allergy is normally the result of allergens such as flea bites, dust, airborne pollen, food, and even mold. Symptoms will vary, although they can include bits, scratching, licking, and even ear infections. Diet is extremely important here, as it can help to prevent a lot of these problems. If you consult with your vet, you can more than likely eliminate the risks your pet has of getting a skin allergy.
Hypothyroidism In Golden Retrievers
Hypothyroidism is a condition that causes the thyroid gland to malfunction. Golden Retrievers that are affected by this disease will normally show such symptoms as coat problems or obesity. This medical problem can also result in a lack of fertility as well. A lack of fertility can be a big problem for breeders, as it makes it very hard for the affected Golden Retriever to breed.
The treatment of hypothyroidism involves taking the oral supplement for hypothyroidism on a daily basis. Once it has been treated successfully, the prognosis will appear to be normal and dog will have a normal, healthy life span, providing there are no other medical problems. This condition is somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, and can be diagnosed by your vet.
Some Golden’s who suffer from hypothyroid problems will have seizures, although this will stop once they go on the oral treatment medicine. Even though the hypothyroid condition isn’t associated with epilepsy, you should monitor your dog to be on the safe side. You don’t want to take any chances with your dog coming down with epilepsy, which is why you should always have your vet do routine checks.
Even though medical problems are somewhat common with Golden Retrievers, you can help to prevent them by making sure your dog is healthy. If you do your part and make sure that you treat your Golden well, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Golden Retrievers are generally healthy dogs, although they can get ill from time to time. If you take your dog to the vet and get him treated as soon as he gets sick – like any dog, Golden Retrievers will be better and back to his normal self in no time at all.