Note: This is a guest post written by Victoria from Bling Bling Puppy where you can find everything from discount dog beds, dog carriers, toys, collars and more. My mutt Ace lives with allergies, and the majority of his symptoms went away when I switched him to an all-natural, grain-free dog food.
Allergies can be a real pain to deal with when your dog is being afflicted with them. Usually the first sign is your dog will scratch herself more then usual. The first thing owners will usually do is check the dog’s skin for fleas or ticks. If you detect no biting insects, then the culprit is usually an allergy (though some allergies are caused from insect bites).
Some dogs are more prone to skin allergies than others. These dogs are usually ones that have either double coats like an akita or a chow or that have very thick fur like a poodle or a bichon. That does not mean that short-haired dogs are immune to skin allergies. Many dogs suffer from this condition, and there are a number of factors that contribute to it.
Common symptoms of skin allergies in dogs:
1. Excessive biting, licking and or scratching of the skin
2. Red and swollen skin
3. Flaky and dry skin
4. Chronic ear infections
These symptoms will increase or decrease depending on exposure to what is causing the allergic reaction. Many times it can be as simple as a common household item. These can be household cleaning chemicals, perfumes, chemicals in a new carpet or air fresheners. Other times it is something they pick up from being outdoors. It can also come from something in their diet that does not agree with their body chemistry.
Eliminate the source of your dog’s allergies
The first step is always to try to eliminate the source of the allergy. You can start by trying to eliminate products one by one that could be causing the problem until you find what the problem is.
If your dog has had a recent change in her diet, that is usually the first place to start. Avoiding commercially processed foods, especially ones with bread or grain fillers, is a good way to control most diet-based skin allergies. Look for organic dog food or grain free dog food.
If you do go with store bought foods, go with brands that have the fewest ingredients possible and have a high meat content with possible vegetables like carrots and peas.
Our dog suffered from food allergies and a diet change helped get rid of them. It turned out that the added ingredients like guar gum were the culprits to his allergies. Once we changed his diet, the problems ceased. We were mostly certain his problems were diet related since he wasn’t exposed to chemicals or changes to his environment.
If your dog’s skin allergy goes untreated for too long she can develop bacterial infections, so it is best to get treatment early. If left untreated your dog can wind up very sick and develop dangerous illnesses that can even threaten her life. The dog could also develop ugly sore spots that get inflamed from over chewing, scratching or licking.
Allergy testing for dogs
If you do take your dog to the vet, the vet may suggest a simple blood test to determine the problem. Although cheaper, a blood test is nowhere near as accurate as an intradermal skin test.
The dog is usually (but doesn’t have to be) sedated during an intradermal skin test. The vet will shave an area on the dog’s body and inject small amounts of different allergens into the dog’s skin in patterns. This allows the vet to determine if any of the potential allergens cause your dog to react and identify the true culprit.
Be prepared to pay $300 or more for an intradermal skin test. Not all vets are trained to do allergy testing, so you may have to make an appointment with a specialist.
As a temporary allergy relief, many vets will prescribe Benadryl. This helps reduce the itching at the price of causing drowsiness in the dog. Benadryl helps ease your dog’s suffering until the source of the problem is identified, but it should not be used as a long-term fix for more than a week or so.
If you suspect your dog has allergies, make sure to visit your local vet to get your dog treated while the symptoms are still early.
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My poor Gus gets allergies this time of year. The vet has him on some meds now but he was so itchy and miserable at first. Poor baby. At least we knew what it was from last year’s bout with itchiness.
Aw, poor Gus. At least it doesn’t sound like he has to deal with the allergies all year long.
No, not year ’round but it sure has been a pain to deal with this summer. Poor guy doesn’t always sleep through the night so we have to comfort him.
My poor dog Manchitas (Jack Russell Terrier) is very allergic, we have to be very careful we the products we use on her and buy her special hypoallergenic food. although she’s dealing with a rash right now in her tummy, she has already have the allergies test and we can’t seem to find the source of the rash.
We also caress her to sleep and I massage her during half an hour every afternoon so she can relax during the day… it has really helped.
I hope you are able to figure out what causes your dog’s allergies. She’s lucky to have such a caring owner.
My pooch Pax had severe allergies when he was a puppy. It was heartbreaking to see him so miserable, but going to the vet got to be a long and expensive process. Whenever his allergies flair up these days, I just order the Pet Medications online…it’s so much easier and it saves him days of suffering before I can get into the doc!
My dog has severe damage on his skin due to allergies to beef. I’ve given him a Benedryl and at the moment. I don’t have the money to take him to the Vet just yet. What can I do to help him in the time being besides changing his diet.
You could switch to a different protein source of the same brand (so the price should be the same) or try a grain-free food. My dog has skin allergies (not as bad as your dog’s), and it seems to help if I give him a bath with oatmeal shampoo every now and then. There are probably some itch creams for dogs you can get at pet stores, but obviously the best thing to do is go to the vet once you are able.
If anyone out there has tried a product called Nzymes, I’d like to hear your experience with it.
I just started it 5 days ago… I’d seen the online info for months, many months but was skeptical. It’s a bit pricey, but still far less than probably one visit to the allergy vet.
I had the blood test done probably a year and a half ago… she is allegedly allergic to flaxseed and dust mites. Removing flax from her diet did NOTHING. I tried single protein for weeks at a time. No change. She has always been on premium/holistic/organic kibbles. Mixed meat and veg (raw and cooked) with her kibble. Tried home-cooked meals.
Tried fish oil (sardine/anchovy and salmon), vitamins (Ester-C, Biotin, E, Zinc), vinegar (inside and out!), coconut oil (unrefined, organic, cold-pressed). Medicated shampoos. As for the dustmite allergies: we have hard-wood floors so it’s easy to keep clean, and I wash her bedding once a week (besides hanging it outside almost daily). She’s still itchy.
So, I thought, as a last resort, I’d try the Nzymes. Some people (unbiased online sites) said it worked wonders, some say it helped, only a couple said it didn’t work. So, I’m going to give it a try before going to an allergy vet and trying the shots (which apparenly has a 50% success rate).
Alot of what the Nzymes site says does make sense… the fact that dog “allergies” seem so common today does NOT make sense.
I’ll keep y’all posted on Esme’s progress. If this stuff works, I’M going to start taking it! (they make a people formula too) Cross your fingers for us…
I haven’t heard of that product. You will definitely have to keep us posted. I hope Esme (and you) are feeling much better soon!
A follow-up on my previous post about Nzymes. It’s been about a month. I’m going to say I see signs of progress. She is still itchy, but not nearly as much as before. Her problem areas look much better (swollen, puffy, infected nailbeds, swollen, crusty, hairless chin) so obviously this stuff must be doing something positive in her system.
If you have done any research on dog allergies and skin problems, this Nzymes site has probably popped up every time you search. It’s worth investigating. It seems like they promise miracles and maybe that’s an exaggeration because it does take time and some diligence – it’s not like a miracle pill or drug – you have to get at the root of the problem which is the digestive system.
It does seem expensive (the kit I ordered was just over $100 w/ shipping) but consider what one trip to the veterinarian costs… And it does last quite awhile. You should see progress before you’ve used even a third of the supplement(s).
I will continue to post updates (good or bad). I’m sure hoping I can give it a two-thumbs up so other people can help their dog’s “itchies and scratchies”.
I’m glad that you have seen some improvements. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and report to us about this product. It’s always good to hear from someone real.