This time of the year is connected, besides enjoying sun and awakening nature, with annoying allergic reactions for many. However, has it ever occurred to you that your dog companion could be allergic to pollen as well? How can you recognize it and what can you do?
For many of us who suffer from pollen allergy, this time of the year is not only full of sunshine, rising temperatures and longer days. Nature awakens, everything starts to bud and blossom. It is certainly beautiful, but allergic people can’t really enjoy it that much because of swollen eyes, sneezing and blocked-up nose. However, has it ever occurred to you that your dog companion could have allergy to pollen as well?
Dogs’ reactions to allergens are different from people’s, so we don't get to see them with the above-mentioned watery eyes or allergic asthma very often. The most typical sign of pollen allergy in them is the so-called atopic dermatitis. Therefore, it is more difficult to find out the cause of the problems because allergy to food, domestic fungi, mites or flea bites have the same manifestations. However, it is characteristic for atopic dermatitis that’s caused by pollen allergy that it disappears during autumn and winter.
Although this may be surprising, allergy is not a rare health problem in dogs. Some breeds are even predisposed to them. Pollen allergy usually occurs before the dog is three years old for the first time and its manifestations deteriorate over time. You may notice your companion more often intensively scratches or licks itself due to itchy skin, mainly on the head, in armpits and in the surroundings of the rectum or between toes. Such mechanically damaged skin then becomes susceptible to bacterial and yeast inflammation. This may result in reddish, bald or moist nidus. In this case, these infections must be addressed primarily before the allergy itself.
Specific allergens can often be detected by blood tests and the determination of antibody levels. Of course, we cannot cure an allergy, but identifying its cause will help us at least eliminate its impact on the dog. The symptoms can then be reduced by regular bathing in clean water or a special shampoo designed to reduce itching which reduces the contact between the pollen and the skin. Administering unsaturated fatty acids, such as those contained in salmon oil, will also help the dog with itching. In some more serious cases, the vet may also prescribe antihistaminics (but never give the dog any human drugs without consulting him/her!). In the most serious cases when itching is unbearable, corticoids need o be administered.
If antibody tests were performed and we know the allergen, immunotherapy is possible with the dog. However, you shouldn’t expect the effect to be immediate, the improvement will be slow. However, as the pollen allergy season is quite short, it does not complicate the dog’s life so much, so no stronger treatment is needed.
Do you suspect your dog companion is allergic to pollen? Even though it’s usually enough to bath the allergic dog as mentioned above, it is good to at first exclude the possibility it is allergic to food. Ignoring such allergy for a longer period of time could have adverse effects on the dog’s health.
The trend of pets has been a matter of the past 150 years. But what will the next 150 years look like? With the evolution of our society and its values, circuses and zoos are on the radar, and the number of people who do not eat meat, and even vegans,...
Do you have a pregnant cat at home? Is this stage slowly coming to an end and you are starting to panic about the birth? Let me take you through it from the beginning to the end. Let's take a look at when it is necessary to intervene, when the help...
July is the time to prepare for autumn kittens. It's good to remind ourselves what cat pregnancy entails, when and how to prevent it and why.
Outside temperatures suggest that the boater season is just behind the corner. Many people take their family and children on a water adventure. Some boaters even take their four-legged friends along. What can you do to make sure your trip goes...
In the summer, most of us move to the garden, whether at our home or cottage. Of course, we also want to let our rodent friends loose, and simply bringing the cage out won't do it. How can we make a comfortable, safe outdoor enclosure?
Does your cat wander outside? Are you tired of constant meowing and scratching on doors, or constantly opened windows? Then it's time to get your cat a door.
The nutrient requirements of each dog varies depending on its age, physical condition, lifestyle and size. There are many aspects, and you need to take them all into account when choosing your food.
Cats can take a cold a lot harder than we do. For them it's a relatively serious and very contagious viral disease. A cat cold is a combination of diseases, whose symptoms include a cold.
What elements play an important role in cat nutrition, why do they need them and in what proportion should they get them? This is the alchemy behind the preparation of quality cat food.
Although traveling is fun, it can also be stressful. We have to make sure we don't forget anything and that everything goes according to plan. But what if you decide to travel with your little friend, a guinea pig? Let's take a look at what you...
It is a well-known fact about cats that they like lying in the sunlight. However, that doesn’t mean they are never hot and the risk of overheating is not real for them.
The fact that there are different cans and dry food for dogs and cats is not a marketing stunt. Both beasts have their specific nutrition needs which vary in certain aspects and if you give them the wrong food, they will start suffering quite soon.
