Nowadays, humans are not the only ones who are prone to allergic reactions. Quadrupeds can suffer from as many as four types of allergies. What symptoms can your dog have, how to prevent them and how to treat them?
Allergies in a pet are a worry for many owners, who may not even notice what is happening to their pet.
The most common case is food allergy, which is just as often a health concern for many people. Allergies in a dog can start at any age, but usually appear within the first four years of a pet’s life.
An abnormal reaction of the body, which is an allergy, can manifest itself in many different ways. It occurs when certain allergens come into contact with the allergist. Mostly, it can be noticed in your pet when itching, dandruff, pimples or even hair loss occurs. These are not the only symptoms, as respiratory problems are equally common allergic reactions. Typically, your pet’s behavior will also change, and he may become restless, scratch excessively, or lose his appetite, for example.
Veterinarians are divided on the effectiveness of allergy tests. Some of them believe that allergy testing in a dog only shows the animal’s reaction to a specific allergen, and does not define an accurate picture of the entire allergy. Allergy tests are performed from blood and skin. Your pet’s blood is drawn for the test, and the skin reaction to a small amount of allergen given through an injection is checked. If a skin lesion such as a blister appears, this indicates an allergy to that particular substance.
The hardest to check is food allergy, the symptoms of which can only be alleviated by removing the substance causing the allergic reaction from your pet’s diet. It manifests itself mainly through problems with hair, which falls out not during the moulting period of the animal
Unfortunately, complete elimination of the allergen is almost impossible, so more and more owners try to give their pets self-prepared food. This way, you know what was used in the food and it is much easier to determine what is causing the allergy.
Regardless of the type of allergy that occurs, it is incurable and will be present in your pet’s life until the very end. There are a number of ways that you can make your dog’s life more comfortable by prolonging symptom-free periods.
This time is called the remission period, during which the dog’s allergy does not show itself and the animal appears healthy. This can further alleviate subsequent severe allergic reactions. However, it is important to remember that you should not give your dog any medication on your own, so as not to accidentally harm him.
It’s worth removing allergens from your dog’s environment, as it’s the contact with them that causes unpleasant side effects in your pet. Of course, you should contact a veterinarian who will prescribe the appropriate treatment to help prolong the remission period. This will positively affect the comfort and life expectancy of your pet
It is important to use a specific diet, or change the current one to one in which there is no allergen that affects the dog badly. Immunotherapy is often used, which gradually accustoms the body to higher doses of allergen.
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