Allergies in dogs

I covered pollen the other day so why not cover allergies in dogs. 

From the humble retriever through to the active agile Vizsla allergies are seen.  From doodles to Heinz 57 dogs allergies are seen.  Did you know though in some dog breeds like French bulldogs they seem to be more related to colours.  The colour gene for blue, lilac is known for Alopecia, licking of feet, chewing and general discomfort.  There is now a DNA test you can have done on your dog to know if they have a genetic atopic dermatitis.  Thats quite a step forward to help owners and breeders alike. 

But allergies what are the signs?

Chewing and biting of feet. Licking feet.  Swollen red feet. 
Sores on hocks (Back leg joints).
Swollen ears. 
Hair loss.
Hives which do not go. 


Now there are allergic from plants which are obvious. For example if you ran your hand through stinging nettles you would have lumps on your skin called hives.  Dogs are no different.  So any plant which has toxic in the leaves will give off a reaction. 
Allergic reactions from insect stings, bee and wasp stings.  Again unless the animal is stung you wouldn't know it was going to react.  
Adder allergic reactions to venom, head swelling  or limb swelling to hives all over body. 
I will do an article on adder bites for you. 

So what do we do in these cases.  Well here we use Piraton.  It is an antihistamine which is okay for dogs to have. Just google the correct dose for pets weight.  Seeking vet advice also. 
Sometimes the allergic reactions are so severe you must seek vet advice straight away as in some cases, something to calm the skin, antibiotics, steroids is used also.  So use common sense, is it a small reaction or serious. 

fucillinosis is a name give to dogs who have sores on their nose, swelling, and they burst.  This is from a nasty insect sting and dogs needs steroids and antibiotics for usually a month. 

Then we get to the more annoying allergies.  Food and environmental. 

Did you know that Dragon labs do an allergy test now? It can be done at same time a titre test is done.  They are by far more reasonable in price than vet prices.  These check for food allergies, and environmental. 

So what foods are most commonly seen?  Chicken, Salmon, Turkey, Corn, White potatoes, Maize. 
Considering most dog foods are chicken based and corn, or potatoes based you have to really read ingredients. 
If dogs are allergic to all proteins there is a food called OMNI PET which is all vegetable and the only protein source is omega three oils.  
But once you know the food group to avoid then you can feed accordingly. 
You can still raw feed if your dog has allergies, as Durham animal feeds and the dogs butchers have more novel proteins. 
Or you can go to dried foods.

When it is environmental it's really difficult.  Dust mites is the most common.  They live everywhere and if you have carpet then you have a job on your hands to keep dog off it. 
Cleaning products can also cause big allergies in dogs.  What you use on their bedding or in their crates.  What you're using on your own floors and so on.  

Having an allergy test is wise so you know what to avoid.  Or try to eliminate.  For example air purifiers in houses remove a lot of allergies from the air.  There are also products more natural for cleaning. 

Your veterinary surgeon can arrange allergy testing for you. They will cost far more than dragon labs.  With dragon labs your vet has to take the blood and you submit the blood. This keeps costings down. I asked them recently if their is a difference between their testing to a vets considering the price different. They said it's purely marketing.  So worth knowing. 

Now why are dogs getting more allergies. Sorry to say it's the environment that dogs live in.  Mostly unnatural in houses.  Dogs lived in kennels or on soil years ago which was probably far better. But the other thing noted is vaccinations.  The solvents used to mix the vaccine up to administer into your dog contains chicken DNA which is now known to cause chicken allergies in your dog.  But once a dog has had an issue then the whole immune system is not working as well and then more and more food groups or environmental occurs.  Sadly but truth.   We have to be very mindful if we should ever have a vaccine these days.  Whats the likelihood of your dog catching Parvo etc. Is it worth the long life allergy risks.  Hmm only you can answer this. 

When I was a child seems like ages ago now. Dogs all had little huts outside and were chained up.  I do not remember anyones dog have allergies.  Dogs lives have got considerably better haven't they. But is it also diet related, yes... Because back then dogs were fed scraps off your table and bones.  I remember mum buying some tinned meat on occasion but generally dogs were fed natural foods.  When the dog food industry became thriving with dried foods etc, then the health declined also.  We have to recognise this. 


Feed as natural as you can do.  Be aware of your environment.  An interesting fact is I was loosing hair and I was always told it was my thyroid.  A friend said to me late last year stop using shampoo and conditioners and go natural products.  So I did.  Now Im a fan of the Cornish company seaweed shampoo conditioner and soap.  No more hair loss, no more dried out skin.  I always say I feel cleaner too after a shower.  SO my skin is much much better.  Now relate that to dogs, go natural as you can do.  

I have a Bracco here called Geralt and he has a shampoo which is gentle, with colloidal silver in it.  It's the only shampoo I can use on him with out him having an outbreak of hives and sores.  Sadly we live in a toxic environment.