Allergies - Dogs May Suffer Too
By Kirsten Hawkins, Fri Dec 9th

Many people don’t realize that their dogs, just like humanbeings, can suffer from allergies. In fact, about twenty percentof the dogs in the United States alone suffer from one allergyor another, with flea dermatitis being the most commonform of allergies in dogs. Other types include atopicdermatitis, food allergies, and inhalant allergies.

Signs and symptoms of dog allergies may vary but are oftenmarked by persistent itching and discoloration of the skin (mostcommon in skin allergies), coughing, sneezing, wheezing, andmucus discharge (most common in inhalant allergies), and nausea,lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea (common to food allergies andother ailments.)

Over-the-counter preparations and treatments for common dogallergies exist and may be purchased at any good pet supplystore, but care should be taken when choosing such treatments.Consultation with a vet is the best first course of action forseveral reasons. First of all, what you think is an allergicreaction may actually be signs of a more serious ailment and avet should be the one to determine whether that is the case.Secondly, if the is severe enough, over-the-countertreatments may not be sufficient to treat the symptoms and aprescription strength treatment may be required. There is alsothe chance that the dog does not have an at all. Thelast thing you want to do is medicate your pet unnecessarily.

If you do think your dog has some type of allergy, consult yourvet. The doctor will be able to perform tests to determinewhether an allergic condition exists, how severe it is, and whatthe proper treatment will be. If the dog has an tocertain foods, it will be imperative to restrict the animal’sdiet to eliminate those items that cause a reaction. The vet’stesting methods can help to determine whether this type ofallergy exists as well. If the dog has flea dermatitis(an allergic reaction to the saliva of fleas, rather than to theinsects themselves), an extreme flea prevention regimen will berecommended.

Just like humans, dogs that suffer from various allergies canlive comfortably with them if they are detected and treatedproperly. It is important to keep in mind that this is not atime to “play doctor” by attempting to diagnose and treat apossible allergic condition yourself. Only your veterinarian isqualified to determine whether your dog is suffering fromallergies and what course of action to take.

About the author:Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville,TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dogtravel.