Dealing With Your Dog's Allergies

Dogs can suffer from allergies just like humans. They can develop allergic reactions to certain foods, dust, pollen and parasites. If your dog is scratching excessively he may be suffering from an allergy and you should investigate further because allergies that are ignored are not only very painful and uncomfortable for your dog, they can develop into very serious conditions.

The first thing you should do is to find out if your dog has any external parasites such as ticks or fleas. Flea infestations can cause allergic reactions in some dogs and spring is a time when many dogs suffer from flea bites. Give your dog a bath with a gentle, safe flea product specifically formulated for dogs and see if that relieves the symptoms. If your dog still continues to scratch, it's time to visit the vet.

Your vet will have to determine what is causing the allergic reaction in order to treat your dog and there are a few methods for doing this. Performing a blood test to measure IgE is one of the things your vet may do. IgE are allergen specific antibodies and your vet will test for abnormal levels of IgE to try and find what is causing the allergic reaction in your dog.

Another method your vet may try is an intradermal test. This test consists of shaving some of your pet's fur and injecting allergen solution into the skin. If the substance causes a reaction this determines what is causing the allergy and treatment can commence.

Elimination diets are also a popular diagnostic tool for discovering what is making your dog allergic. This process involves a diet that your vet will prescribe which is comprised of very basic ingredients. If your dog's allergic symptoms subside while on this diet it means your dog has a food allergy. You will then be asked by your vet to introduce certain ingredients to determine which is causing your dog to have allergies. Once the culprit is found, all you have to do is avoid feeding this item to your dog.

Some people choose to inject their pets with steroids as a fast way for dealing with allergies. While steroids do provide quick relief from scratching they do not treat the problem, they only deal with the symptoms plus they have some serious side effects. Steroids are usually used in severe cases and only under the direct supervision of a veterinary.

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