7 Reasons to Suspect That Your Pets Might Have Allergies
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You start to notice localized reddened skin or generalized respiratory issues. The nose is dry or discharge is running out of it. Your dog constantly seems to itch everywhere or is lethargic all of a sudden. Know that you are an awesome pet owner if you are aware of your dog’s reactions, such as their emotional behaviors or physical changes. Below is a list of 7 common things that you might notice happening to your dog, whether it is a legitimate allergic reaction or common reactions to normalcy.
7 Reasons to Suspect That Your Pets Might Have Allergies
1. Stress
If you have seen the 2019 movie The Secret Life of Pets 2, you will remember when the protagonist dog Max needs to go to the vet to get a cone around his head to prevent him from scratching his neck. Max scratches his neck because he is nervous about his owner’s toddler’s reckless behavior and the possible damage that might occur. This can also happen because of transitions in your dog’s life; maybe you just moved, had a new baby, or even removed a piece of furniture for a better one. This can cause a change in behavior, emotions, or physical reactions, as we started with.
2. Medication
New medication always has a warning of hundreds of different symptoms from the least to the worst. Be aware of the new medications that your canine’s veterinarian just prescribed for a recent diagnosis and any of the symptoms that it cautioned. Most importantly, your dog might be ALLERGIC to the medication, and so you might need to bring him/her to the hospital! If the reaction is not imminent, you must stop its ingestion as soon as possible, and bring him or her to their local veterinarian for another medication, if the recent diagnosis requires it.
3. Sickness
Sickness, or illness, may come from multiple causes such as older age, a weakened immune response, or even an allergic response which can reduce the canine’s ability to combat his illness. Pet Health Network says that 10% of underlying illness doesn’t show symptoms at home but can only appear to their veterinarian at an annual checkup! Your dog might exhibit depression, respiratory symptoms, digestive problems, bad breath, weight loss, a dry nose or drooling, and dry and itchy skin which might be cases for a “normal illness” and will not be the cause of an allergy. For example, they might just have intestinal parasites.
4. Skin
Do you see rashes, dry skin, reddened skin, or smell a different odor? These might be from an allergic reaction, but a veterinarian’s advice is required. A different odor might result from sexual pheromones or stress. Dry, reddened skin might result from stress (as discussed above), a new, dry environment, or during the winter season. However, dogs can be allergic to flea bites and flea saliva, which will cause flea allergy dermatitis. Other physical reactions can be lethargy, dry nose, etc.
5. Environment
Environmental factors can play a part in a pet’s allergies, such as pollen, seasonal, or non-native plants (e.g. Bermuda grass to the Southwest) that can bring about allergic triggers. Your dogs (or even you) can be allergic to their city.
6. Prior Disease
Deadly diseases like valley fever or hay fever can cause your dog to be susceptible to common allergies, and then cause them to need specific foods, environments, etc. These prior diseases can then cause a genetic disposition to develop common allergies like corn, soy, dairy, wheat, egg, fish, and even high-protein meats like beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, and chicken.
7. Food
Just above this, the ten most common allergens for canines demonstrate to dog owners what they need to be careful of when searching for the right food for their pets. There are so many household pet food brands out there and they speak about their quality diets and high-quality formulas. Dog brands can be also be trusted if they are compliant to Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and Business Service Management (BSM) Partners (i.e. a companion animal product industry’s full-service consulting firm for 500+ food brands), such as Zignature Turkey Limited Ingredient dog food that promises safety and quality assurance in terms of dogs’ health with their use natural ingredients.
In conclusion, VCA Animal Hospital says that a dog’s allergy symptoms can be confused for other diseases or disorders, so veterinarian professional advice is required. However, allergies will be harmful to the body’s immune response, even for years, but the family must follow the doctor’s orders to relieve mankind’s best friend’s discomfort.