Dog Allergies

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 Same as people, dogs can also have allergies. Dog allergies can be caused by many harmless substances. There are many different types of allergies that can happen to dogs. Those allergies can be visible through skin conditions or some other special warning signs and symptoms. The most common types of allergies are skin irritations. Certain substances can cause the immune system of a dog to react in a particular way. Many new types of allergies are becoming common with dogs. The main symptoms of skin irritation are itching, hair loss, redness and skin infection caused by irritation. If your dog starts scratching, the problems with the allergies can become bigger.

Dog Food Allergies

The most usual symptoms of food allergies are hair loss, hot spots, skin irritation and itching. Some other possible symptoms are loose bowel movements and throwing up. Different kinds of food can cause dog food allergies. Some dogs have low tolerance to milk, cheese, corn, soy or beef. It takes some time before you notice that your dog is allergic to certain kinds of food. You need to be aware of the initial symptoms. If you are not sure which type of food is causing allergy, you should just try different dog food and see if the condition of skin irritation is improving. If there is no sign of improving, you need to take your dog to a veterinarian to make an allergy check.
You can consult your veterinarian about a special protein diet. This kind of diet can help you find out which kind of food is causing allergy. You should follow the instructions from the veterinarian and gradually introduce different kinds of food into the diet.

Dog Atopy

Atopy allergies usually start with face rubbing, hair loss, biting and itching. There may be other symptoms such as papules. Papules are small red bumps. The typical cause for atopy allergies are fleas. There are also other causes, such as chemicals, airborne or some of the common products that you use at home every day.

 Dog Contact Allergies

The usual symptoms of contact allergies look almost the same as symptoms of bacteria allergies and flea allergies. Different types of substances can act as allergens. Anything that the dog is coming into contact can cause contact allergies. It can be caused by plants, chemicals, bedding or some products used for cleaning. Contact allergies can be treated by special kinds of shampoos. There are also some oral forms of steroids that you can get with prescription from your veterinarian. Some natural substances, such as omega-3, can also help with treatment of dog contact allergies.

If you suspect that you dog has contact allergies, you should consider changing the things that dog comes in contact with. If your dog uses a plastic feeding bowl and you see that your dog has acne on his chin, you should consider changing his old bowl to a bowl made from other materials such as steel, ceramics or glass.

Dog Flea Allergies

Dog flea allergies are much like food allergies. At the beginning, there will be some redness on the skin. After that, skin will become itchy and your dog may start chewing different spots. Dog flea allergies are cause by dog fleas. Fleas extract saliva and this is causing irritations to dog’s skin. Fleas are similar to mosquitoes. They also such the blood from the dog. One of the possible treatments is to give the dog a cool water bath. You should use a special shampoo that helps repelling fleas.

In some cases, the dog may chew his own skin. If the problem is severe, there may be need for antibiotics to cure the infected places on the dog’s skin.

You should remember that the first step is to identify an allergy. You may not be aware that your dog is allergic to certain substances and food. You may get some wrong conclusions and the allergy conditions can become worse. You should remember to treat the dog allergies gradually and patiently. Removing the causes of dog allergies will help ease the allergy symptoms and let your dog feel better. You should always consult your veterinarian if you are in doubt about the types of dog allergies.