What Are Those Dog Allergy Symptoms Trying To Tell You?

Allergies don’t just affect humans, dog allergies are more common than you might think and can severely impact on the health of your dog. Dogs can be allergic to many things including fleas, chemicals, food ingredients, pollutants in the air and even their own fur. Rather than simply administering medication, such as steroids, it would be better to find what is causing the allergy and remove it. This may not be easy however, especially if your dog has multiple allergies.

Dog allergy symptoms include wheezing, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, a patchy coat, runny eyes or nose and tiredness or lethargy. So what causes allergies in dogs and how can we find and eliminate them?

One of the main causes of allergies in dogs is fleas. Fortunately this is easy to control. There are several good products on the market to eliminate fleas on dogs. Make sure you buy one and use it according to the manufacturers recommendation.

Food allergies are another very common occurrence. Dogs may become allergic to chemicals in dog food or to the actual ingredients themselves. Some ingredients in dog food cause allergies more frequently than others. Among these are eggs, fish, beef, chicken, corn and wheat. Of all these corn is probably the worst and unfortunately is very common in cheaper brands of dog food. Hypoallergenic dog food is available which omits most of the common allergens or you may choose to talk to your vet to see what he recommends.

Your dog may even be allergic to his own fur. This is particularly common for long haired dogs. Dogs can ingest a lot of hair when they clean themselves and this makes the allergy worse. Washing your dog once or twice a month and brushing him daily will go a long way to combat a hair and dander allergy.

Your dog may even be allergic to the chemicals used to clean your home. Use natural cleaning products or those without bleach or other harsh chemicals. Mold can affect your home without you knowing it. Testing for and removing mold will improve the health of your entire family including your dog.

A natural way of providing fast relief from dog allergy symptoms such as itchy or flaky skin is to bathe your dog in water that has oatmeal dissolved in it. Natural shampoos containing eucalyptus, tea tree oil or aloe vera can also provide quick, temporary relief.

Mixing some omega 3 fish oil in with your dog’s food can dramatically improve skin conditions in some dogs. Evening primrose oil can have the same effect.

Anti histamines are a rapid answer to most allergies if nothing else works. They may make you dog lethargic during the day, but are a safer option than steroids.

If your dog has allergy symptoms, it means that something in his environment is upsetting him. Discovering the cause can be a challenge, but caring for a hypoallergenic dog is easy once the problem has been identified. Always ask your vet for advice if you do not know where to start.