Dust Mites, Dogs And Allergies
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Did you know that almost 25% of the more than 54 million dogs in the U.S. that have received professional vet care are found to have some form of an allergy or other immunological disorder? One of the most common types of dog allergies is the inhalant type. This known as atopy. Included in the list of these allergens are:
- pollens
- molds
- mildew
- the common dust mite
Dust mites are tiny, microscopic creatures that belong to the family of eight-legged creatures called arachnids. Also included in this family are other familiar household pests:
- spiders
- chiggers
- ticks
- pollens
- mold
- dander
- dust
Dog Elimination Diet
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Annie had been scratching like crazy. She was trying so hard to get to the base of her tail that she was spinning around in circles!
We had heard that there was a process called an elimination diet that would help determine if the food she was eating currently would be causing her allergies. During our research we learned that one of the problems with trying to determine if food allergies are present is that dogs are usually allergic to only one ingredient, or to a small number of ingredients and not to the whole diet.
This means that the real challenge becomes isolating the food that is really causing the problem.
Historically the way to determine the root cause, which ingredient, was to Read more
Dangerous Foods For Dogs
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Annie loves treats and like most people with dogs we enjoy giving them to her. We have cooked her dog food when we thought she was suffering from allergies and needed to get her away from store bought cans. We couldn’t help but think that there were foods that we should not be feeding her. In fact there is the risk of your dog not getting the proper nutrition from the home cooked meal.
Worse though is that some foods we as humans love are in fact dangerous to dogs.
Unfortunately dogs love the flavor of chocolate, just like so many humans. The reason this is unfortunate is that in sufficient doses it is lethally toxic to dogs. Chocolate contains the chemical stimulant theobromine that together with caffeine and theophylline, belongs to the group of methylxanthine alkaloids. Dogs are unable to metabolize theobromine effectively. If dogs eat chocolate the theobromine can remain in their bloodstreams for up to 20 hours and can result in: Read more
Home Remedy Or Vet Visit
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When a dog owner is first aware of the incessant scratching and licking that their pet is enduring there is a tendency to ignore the situation.
Don’t feel bad, but it is true.
You watch your best friend going slightly nuts from being uncomfortable and choose to do nothing. The reasons for this are not usually based on owners that do not care. Rather many owners will believe that the symptoms will disappear on their own. As an example fleas are most prevalent in the spring and summer so they think “hey, if I wait until the Fall this problem with Fluffy will go away”.
How Did My Dog Get Allergies?
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Like many ailments dog allergies are generally often genetic or inherited.
The first year a typical dog with allergies starts with a short period of biting and chewing . This may be mild and hardly noticeable - at first. With repeated exposures to the offending allergens, the dog gradually experiences prolonged periods of discomfort and the signs of allergy ailment become more pronounced and severe. These offending allergens come in many shapes and sizes although the more common allergens such as house dust mites or mold spores will produce signs of allergy year round, while allergies from plants that pollinate during warm months only happen at that time.
Food based allergies can happen independently or it may be a component of an overall allergy problem. Because of the complexity of allergy diagnosis, the combination of patient history, physical examination and allergy signs in the pet are all important in making an accurate diagnosis.
Can allergies in my dog be prevented?
Inhaled Substances aka Allergic Inhalent
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Your dog might be allergic to inhaled substances, otherwise known as Allergic Inhalant Dermatitis.
This form of dog allergies can appear anytime of year when at its most severe although it usually seasonal. It stems from your pup being allergic to inhaled substances. As in humans there are a wide range of suspects but some of the primary causes are:
These substances result in itching skin and dermatitis.
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