Your Dog's Allergies: What You Can Do

When you are the pet parent to a dog that is an integral member of your family, you want to take the same care of their health that you do for your human family members. And if your dog has allergies, you may wonder if there are any pet health remedies or treatments that you can provide them to help them be less miserable due to allergy symptoms. Get to know some of the ways that you can take care of your dog with allergies so that you can be sure you are doing everything you can to keep them happy and healthy.

Switch to a Grain-Free Food and Possibly Even Chicken-Free

Many dogs that suffer from allergies do so at least in part because they develop food allergies. Man of the commercially produced dry dog foods use corn products and other grains as fillers. They also tend to use chicken by-products (the parts of the chicken not fit for human consumption like the bones and underdeveloped eggs, among other things).

Historically, dogs were primarily carnivores and did not consume much if any grain. Similarly, they would not eat ground up chicken bones and other parts of the carcasses (other than the meat itself). As such, it can be detrimental to a dog's health and immune system to eat such things. And many dogs become highly allergic to chicken as a whole as well as grains.

If your dog shows allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and constantly itchy skin with no obvious cause, try switching them to a grain-free and chicken-free food for a few months. Should their symptoms clear up or improve over this time period, then you may have found both the cause and solution to your dog's discomfort.

Give Your Dog Daily Antihistamines

Allergies in dogs are not all that different from allergies in humans as far as how they function or how they affect the immune system. An allergic reaction occurs when your dog's immune system mistakes particles in pollen, food, and other microscopic elements as invading organisms. This creates histamine, which is designed to combat against those invaders.

As such, just like in humans, an antihistamine given daily or twice daily can help to reduce the reactions that the immune system has and therefore the allergy symptoms. Be sure that you consult with your veterinarian first to determine which allergy medicine would likely be most effective for your dog based on their symptoms and the severity of their allergies. They can also help you determine the appropriate dosage for your dog which is based on their weight.

Now that you know a few of the steps that you can take when your dog suffers from allergies, you can be sure that you are doing everything you possibly can to keep your dog feeling healthy and happy all year round. To find out more, speak with someone like Ashworth Road Animal Hospital PC.