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Dog Beds for Larger Dogs
Large dogs and extra large dogs require more thought and planning when owners purchase a permanent dog bed. Even though large dogs can be just as lovable as their smaller canine counterparts, they require a more complex sleeping situation than small...
Dog training - house training your dog
House training is one of the most important parts of training
any dog to be a valued part of the family. As with many other
aspects of dog training, the best way to house train a dog is to
use the dog's own nature to your benefit. The great thing...
Feline Anxiety Causes Cat Litter Box Problems
Cats experience anxiety and get stressed out just like us human staffers. Unlike people, cats don't have a lot of creative ways to express their feelings. Unfortunately, when cats suffer from stress and anxiety, they generally communicate it in a...
Small Dogs - Different Breeds, Different Personalities
Small dog breeds are great pets, but since their personalities are all different, it's a good idea to look at their individual characteristics to see if they fit with your lifestyle. Pomeranians: Pomeranians developed from a much larger dog breed...
Toilet Training for Dogs - Tips from Animal Behaviorists
Generally, dogs are very clean animals - they won't soil close
to where they eat, or where they sleep. But living in a house is
unnatural for an animal whose instincts would be to roam
wherever she wants to go, so you will have to help her...
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Does Your Dog Have Allergies?
Many people don’t realize that their dogs, just like human beings, can suffer from allergies. In fact, about twenty percent of the dogs in the United States alone suffer from one allergy or another, with flea allergy dermatitis being the most common form of allergies in dogs. Other types include atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and inhalant allergies.
Signs and symptoms of dog allergies may vary but are often marked by persistent itching and discoloration of the skin (most common in skin allergies), coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and mucus discharge (most common in inhalant allergies), and nausea, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea (common to food allergies and other ailments.)
Over-the-counter preparations and treatments for common dog allergies exist and may be purchased at any good pet supply store, but care should be taken when choosing such treatments. Consultation with a vet is the best first course of action for several reasons. First of all, what you think is an allergic reaction may actually be signs of a more serious ailment and a vet should be the one to determine whether that is the case. Secondly, if the allergy is severe enough, over-the-counter treatments may not be sufficient to treat the symptoms and a prescription strength treatment may be required. There is also the chance that the dog does not have an allergy at all. The last thing you want to do is medicate your pet
unnecessarily.
If you do think your dog has some type of allergy, consult your vet. The doctor will be able to perform tests to determine whether an allergic condition exists, how severe it is, and what the proper treatment will be. If the dog has an allergy to certain foods, it will be imperative to restrict the animal’s diet to eliminate those items that cause a reaction. The vet’s testing methods can help to determine whether this type of allergy exists as well. If the dog has flea allergy dermatitis (an allergic reaction to the saliva of fleas, rather than to the insects themselves), an extreme flea prevention regimen will be recommended.
Just like humans, dogs that suffer from various allergies can live comfortably with them if they are detected and treated properly. It is important to keep in mind that this is not a time to “play doctor” by attempting to diagnose and treat a possible allergic condition yourself. Only your veterinarian is qualified to determine whether your dog is suffering from allergies and what course of action to take.
This article may be published in it's entirety provided an active (clickable) link to http://DogBlog.thynke.com is included along with the "About the Author" resource box.
About the Author
Mike Nalbone is the publisher of The Dog Blog at http://DogBlog.thynke.com
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