One of the glitches dog-owners usually face is an allergy. It is truly hard to watch your dog with the itch and sometimes when the allergens get to work hard enough, cuddle times become limited.
As awful as it sounds, let’s face it. It can really come to that terrible point.
Before we get to prevention, the first thing you should know about is that a lot of things could cause allergies. Common allergens are classified into three: fleas, food, and environmental allergens.
Symptoms usually show in the dog’s skin, especially when the allergies are caused by fleas. Allergies caused by fleas is called Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD).
The extreme itchiness, which usually leads to endless scratching, often leads to inflammation.
On the other hand, if the affected areas are the ears and the paws, the dog is probably suffering from food allergies. Other parts to check are groins, eye surroundings and underarms.
Environmental allergies, on the other hand, are seasonal. It can be anything, like the dust during summer, pollens in spring or even molds.
So what are the easy tricks you can pull off to prevent your dogs from having allergies?
Or how to cure them if they already have it?
Wipe them up.
You may have taken your dog for a morning walk or brought him with you to the grocery store. He may have caught allergens which may trigger body reactions.
So, wipe his whole body up. You may use a sanitized towel or a grooming wipe would be better.
Professional grooming.
Grooming is preventing. Taking your dog to the groom shop once in a while is not just for aesthetics. Groomers can really do a great deal in scrubbing the dirt off your dog and removing matters from their fur.
Then you can do the maintenance at home. Comb the fur while he sits on your lap. Don’t forget to check the skin for symptoms of allergy.
Give him a nice and safe bath.
Bathing is one of the most effective ways to tackle allergies. Just to be on the safe side, make sure that you check your dog shampoo or wash so that it doesn’t contain any irritants or chemicals that could trigger your dog’s allergies.
Hypoallergenic bath products are usually the way to go. If you want to be more cautious, you can head to your vet for consultation on the best brand he can recommend.
Check ingredients carefully.
Before buying any food intended for your dog, take time to read the labels. Your vet may already have advised you on specific food and chemicals to exclude from your dog’s diet.
Also, observe your dog for any symptom or reaction when trying to feed him, especially on foods new to his diet.
Give him vitamins, supplements or shots.
Vet consultation is again a “must” in this step. Ask your vet for food supplements and vitamins that you can add to your dog’s diet.
If you want to keep it natural or to save up, you can do your personal research on herbal remedies. You can google your way through or visit the city library for careful studies.
We know these steps take a lot of your time. But keep in mind that investing time on your dog’s health is always worth the efforts. Because imagine the sheer happiness of seeing your canine friend in the best state he can be.
