Like Our Human Friends Can Us Dogs Have Allergies?
Humor magazines have had fun with the way some dog owners resemble their dogs but, whether or not the dogs look like their owners, dogs do suffer many of the same illnesses. Dogs, just like humans, can become unhealthily obese from bad eating habits and not enough exercise. Dogs can also acquire diseases like diabetes, heart disease and gum diseases that cause dental problems and bad breath. Dogs can also, believe it or not, develop allergies.
Just like people, dogs get itchy skin and watery eyes from contact with things that they are allergic to. Other allergies can cause the dog to develop flu-like symptoms such as diarrhea and throwing up.
Dogs with allergies are not as uncommon as you may think; some experts, in fact, say that one out of every five dogs will have an allergic reaction to some substance.
If your dog has allergies the treatment is pretty much just a two-step procedure: 1) Get the dog to a veterinarian to determine what triggered the allergic reaction and 2) Do whatever is necessary to protect the dog from further exposure to whatever it was that caused the allergic reaction.
Following are descriptions of some of the most common allergies in dogs.
Flea allergies. No one will be surprised to hear that dogs get fleas or that the fleas torment the dog, but most people may not be aware that some dogs are actually allergic to flea bites. The problem is, when a flea bites a dog, it leaves behind a bit of it’s saliva in the bitten area. It’s this saliva that causes an allergic reaction in some dogs.
If your veterinarian determines that your dog is allergic to flea bites the obvious remedy is to get rid of all the fleas in and around your house. It will be hard work and you may want to bring in a professional exterminator and get all new bedding for your dog. Also, if fleas are a special health risk to your dog, you’ll need to keep it isolated from any other dog that may have fleas.
Food allergies. Food allergies are perhaps the easiest allergies to avoid. To have an allergic reaction to some food, your dog must eat the food and, as any good veterinarian will tell you, your dog should be eating nothing except its dog food. Table scraps for a dog should be considered toxic. Dogs may act like they love it when you feed them off your plate but sooner or later something they eat will either make them sick or trigger an allergic reaction. Remember that the food we humans eat contains preservatives, food coloring and artificial sweeteners; most of that stuff is harmless for most people but most of it can be really unhealthy for a dog.
Skin allergies. Dogs can suffer from dermatitis as an allergic reaction to the ordinary impurities in the air; impurities such as mold and dust; the technical term for this is “atopic dermatitis.” The dermatitis may show up as a rash that is visible on some dogs but are barely visible on others but, in most cases, you’ll see your dog biting and licking its paws, stomach or groin. It may be fleas or it may be an allergic skin rash — check it out!
Bacteria allergies. It is not common for a dog to be allergic to staphylococcus (staph) bacteria on its skin but when it happens it develops some dramatic symptoms such as hair loss, red blotches on the skin and possibly the development of pus pockets(pustules) filled with fluid. The staph bacteria itself is not rare — its virtually everywhere in some amount — but this type of reaction to it is, fortunately, very rare. Your dog is more likely to develop a bacterial allergy if it is in other ways unhealthy or if it has other serious allergies.
Your veterinarian will run some tests on your dog’s blood and will determine the nature of the bacteria and the most likely cure — most likely some antibiotic or an immune stimulant.
We all love our dogs and hate to see them sick or in pain. Whenever your dogs behavior becomes frantic or, at the other extreme, fatigued or when you notice anything abnormal in its behavior or physically, it is best to get your veterinarian involved as fast as possible.
Gary Allison is a third generation of professional dog breeders. It all started with his grandparents in 1970 with the Boston Terriers and has expanded to Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, Pugs, Shih Tzu’s and Pomeranians. He is also actively involved with dog rescue and has a website that showcases the puppies he occasionally has for sale at All My Puppies Online Gary is also the author of two consumer guides, Carpet Secrets and Moving Secrets Guide
Dog Health Symptom: Does Your Dog Itch Like Crazy But Has no Parasites?
Many of us dog owners get really amazed to see our dogs scratching away to glory in spite of the fact that there is not a single flea on its body! This is one thing that most dog owners will know. Many a time, our dogs just keep on scratching their skin although they do not have fleas or any other parasites. This is one thing that all dog owners have to be careful about. Continuous itching without any reason might have larger health implications.
This incessant itching can highly be an early symptom of dermatitis. Dermatitis is similar to fever in human beings. When we have fever, we just start sneezing like crazy or have congestions. But in case of dogs, their skin becomes itchy and they keep on scratching their skin. Fever in dogs happens generally when they inhale a large amount of pollen.
If you notice, you will see that your dog starts itching more during the months of August and September. This is a time when you need to take extra care of your beloved pet. Pets become especially sensitive to things around them during these months. Thus, this is the time when you have to look out for Dermatitis because your dog will be highly susceptible to it.
The other months when your dog will start itching indiscriminately are March and April. Since these two are the pollen months, dogs become very likely to catch hold of Dermatitis during this season. The grass pollen season of May, June and early July are also particularly troublesome months.
This dog health symptom is something that affects your dog particularly badly. Once your dog gets affected by Dermatitis, it will practically suffer from scratching problems throughout the year. This gives rise to another problem of increased sensitivity which means that something like dusting your sofa will also make your dog uncomfortable and scratchy.
The owners who have a dog who is less than six months old are lucky because young dogs do not get Dermatitis. It is a disease seen in dogs that are three or more years of age. Also, almost every breed of dog can get Dermatitis as it is not a breed specific disease.
However, despite of not being a breed specific disease, Dermatitis is something that affects certain breeds of dogs, like Dalmatians, West Highland White Terriers, White Haired Fox Terriers and Poodles particularly badly. Dermatitis is something that should be treated immediately because it can make your dog suffer a lot and live in great discomfort.
As for the treatments of Dermatitis, you must consult your dog’s vet. There are multiple treatments available but you have to choose one that suits your dog’s breed and age, so it is best to go for whatever your dog’s vet suggests.
Apart from the treatment, you also need to take care of the fact that your dog gets regular grooming so that its skin remains in perfect condition. If your dog is not groomed regularly, it might suffer from skin problems that are extremely uncomfortable.
Article by Kelly Marshall of www.ohmydogsupplies.com – the place to find free shipping on dog toys in over 100 different models
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Dog Health Treatment & Advice : What Does Mange Look Like?
Mange takes the form of scaly, dry lesions and patches of hair loss on a dog’s face, legs and ears, and a skin scrape at the vet’s office will confirm the condition. Identify mange on a dog, seeking both topical and oral treatments, withhealth information from a veterinarian in this free video on pet care. Expert: Dr. Aimee Beger Bio: Dr. Aimee Beger works for mcclintock Animal Care Center in Tempe, Ariz. Filmmaker: Ryan Quinn
There is Nothin Like a (dog Loving) Dame
Well at least that’s the view of the founder of the leading dating site for dog lovers – www.doglover.biz. Derek Collinson says “I believe (dog loving) dames are passionate, loyal open, kind, and sensitive and have a great sense of humour and I should know – I married one!” “Perhaps that’s why they love dogs because dogs too have these qualities in abundance and they welcome them as kindred spirits!”
“Well known dog lovers such as Pamela Anderson, Bridget Bardot, Jennifer Aniston, Audrey Hepburn, Alicia Silverstone, Bo Derek, Jane Seymour and Janet Jackson to mention but a few prove that when it comes to attractive women, there is nothin like a (dog loving) dame!”
Since www.doglover.biz started just over six months ago single dog lovers both male and female have joined from all over the world. Americans in particular are continuing to join every single day in increasing numbers – hardly surprising when it is estimated there are over 40 million single dog owners in America.
Derek echoes what many members have already said “Why should they settle for anything less than a soul mate who understands and can share their passion for their treasured pooches when they can find one on Doglover.biz!”
At the moment there are more women than men members and Derek would like to see this change so that there is a 50/50 split. “We are conducting an ongoing marketing campaign and would like to increase the awareness of Doglover.biz especially with single male dog lovers.” Doglover.biz is currently offering a 7 day free trial of its Premium Membership to encourage dog lovers to try the service and hopes that this offer will appeal to the many single male dog lovers that are out there looking for a soul mate.
And Derek adds “dog lovers male and female will find every conceivable match making feature here to make that special connection with someone who shares their passion for dogs including mail-match, flirts, chat rooms, instant messenger, audio, video and image upload, forums, blogs, invite friends to your social network and flirts as well as sending and receiving emails”
“In addition they will be able to get advice from the leading experts in dating, dog behaviour, dog health and dog communication as well as the latest news about dating and dogs from around the world updated daily.”
Dogs too benefit because Doglover.biz is donating 20% of membership subscriptions to dog rescue – something that is very close to Derek’s heart since he and his wife already own two rescue dogs from Limerick Animal Welfare as well as a Spinone called Findlay.
So you single male dog lovers out there why not logon to Doglover.biz today and share your passion – after all there is nothin’ you can name that is anythin’ like a (dog loving) dame!
Derek founded the leading dating site for dog lovers www.doglover.biz in June 2006, inspired by his lifelong love of dogs and the need for dog lovers to share their passion with others like them.