Each dog scratches itself now and then, but allergies may be the reason if it seems like your pet is constantly scratching in the spring. Your pet will benefit from immunotherapy to the allergens causing the problem if this is the case. Finding the source of your pet’s allergy and treating it would be a wise decision.
How do veterinarians determine if your pet has allergies?
If you notice your dog scratching more frequently than usual, the first thing to do is to give it shampoo for ticks and fleas. Ticks and fleas are the leading causes of scratching in dogs, and a tick and flea shampoo will suffice. If your dog is itching after multiple baths, you need to treat your pet’s allergies.
What options do you have?
A large number of pet owners choose to give steroids to their pets. While steroids may solve the issue, they come with many negative side effects, usually uncomfortable to your dog. The best way to take care of it is to determine its reactions. Once the vet has identified this, they can get an appropriate prescription to reduce allergies immediately and keep your pet healthy and content.
Diet Experiment
After checking your pet’s coat for ticks or fleas, the vet will examine your pet’s nutritional needs in the very first instance. Be sure to include all of your pet’s favorite food items and treats. The introduction of a brand new kind of food to your dog’s diet can be the cause of an allergic reaction to food.
If your vet determines that your pet suffers from food allergies, they’ll immediately assign it to the prescribed diet called the elimination diet. Lamb, meat, fish, and potatoes are all typical staples of these diets. The elimination diet is known because if your pet is better when it’s on, it is a sign that you have food allergies.
Following that, your pet’s normal diet is introduced one food at one time. If symptoms of food allergies appear again, they will be able to identify the allergy and should stop feeding that dog food.
There are many websites where you can speak with a specialist about the best diet, such as animalfriendsdermatology.com.
Skin Testing
If the cause of your pet’s allergies is not because of food, the vet can use intradermal or skin testing. It’s a very regular test that any vet can conduct. It is the most accurate and dependable means of determining whether or not a pet has allergies.
The test is simple and is painless and painless for the pet. The vet will trim a tiny amount of hair and then draw allergens on each marker. The vet will inspect your pet’s skin every couple of days for allergy signs. If your pet’s face turns dark or red, it’s most likely due to one or more injection substances. If there’s no change, it’s possible that you missed something previously and that something in the food your pet eats could be the cause of the problem.
And there is also a treatment called Allergy Specific Immunotherapy (ASIT) that is known to be the most effective way to address the issue of environmental allergies in animals. You can check out this page to learn more about pet immunotherapy.
Blood Tests
Blood tests are one of the most familiar ways to determine if your pet has allergies. They can be done right in your vet’s office in a short amount of time. The test is easy and measures IgE, a chemical within our immune system. When you find that the IgE levels for a suspect allergen exceed what they should be, it means that your pet is allergic to the substance.
Treating Allergies
If your vet has identified the allergy, they’ll determine a strategy for treatment. Vaccination is the most typical treatment they’ll offer to your pet over some time. In time, you’ll start to notice your dog scratching less, and the signs will disappear.
Did you know that dogs with allergies are also prone to getting ear infections? Allergies cause the skin barrier to break down and increase the wax production in the ear canal.
It allows the few typical yeast and bacteria on the skin and the ear to overproduce, allowing more severe bacterium strains to proliferate. It causes an increase in ear irritation, pain, and discharge. It is crucial to have proper pet ear care to prevent it.
Conclusion
As you will see, treating allergies to pets can be addressed in many ways. The intensity of the reaction and the displayed signs can determine which treatment or the preventative alternatives you select. Be aware that allergies in pets can be fatal in some situations, particularly when they trigger respiratory distress.
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