Many pets suffer from allergies. Get an overview on what you can do for your animal, if they battle with allergy!
What is allergy?
Allergy is the body’s immune system response to substances (allergens) that are generally harmless.
The animal must have been exposed to an allergen a certain number of times before symptoms appear. Many pets are allergic to things they breathe in through the air. Animals typically, react to different pollen and house dust.
What are the symptoms of allergy?
Symptoms of allergy may occur in many disguises: itching, recurrent ear problems and repeated skin infections.
The veterinarian can do a blood sample to be examined for substances your animal may be allergic to (allergy test). Your veterinarian will be able to guide you, on which treatment needs to be initiated.
How do you treat allergies?
It might be necessary to give medication to an animal with allergies. Medication is a symptomatictreatment. It can give a “relieve” here and now – but of course does not cure the cause of the problem!
Allergy might not be completely cured. There is however a lotyou can do, to help your animal to a better life.
You can have your pet vaccinated against the (substances/allergens) which is the cause of the allergy (hyposensibilisation) and build up the animal’s tolerance to allergens, which in the long run makes life more tolerable.
Keep in mind – it is NOT a “quick-fix solution”.
Battling on several fronts!
There are many things you can do to strengthen your pets immune system.
Think holistic and see the big picture: the better the immune system works and the healthier the skin is, the stronger we stand in the fight against allergy.
The body can be strengthened both inside and out.
Give the animals a dietary supplement with essential fatty acids. Over 80% of all animals with allergies will benefit from getting an extra supply of essential fatty acids.
You can get food fatty acids added, but it’s also available as a supplement to the food.
There are some new supplements that contain biotin, fatty acids and a substance called PEA. The latter can be freely described as a natural antihistamine which also helps reduce the symptoms of allergy.
Do you have a pet that can’t tolerate house dust and or pollen?
Some dogs benefit from having a bath, but not all animals enjoy the water and soap. There is an alternative to a bath!
Take a damp towel and wipe it over the animal – both on the body, head, legs and paws. This way you remove dust and pollen from the fur that can cause irritation. Think about how a car looks on summer day when there’s pollen in the air!
Use a spray to strengthen the skin. Many shampoos and conditioners are made especially to the coat! Remember when we battle allergy we need to focus on the skin.
Talk to your vet about which spray is the right choice for your animal.
Some animals benefit from a very simple solution: take a little almond or argon oil in your hand and gentle rub it into the skin.
Remember to keep your home clean; dog baskets, blankets etc. collect a lot of dust and must therefore be washed regularly. Wash your fabrics once a week at 60 degrees.
Change the bedding frequently and air out the bedroom. If your pet sleeps in the bed, give it a thorough cleaning!
Does your dog frequently ride along in the car? Cars collect huge amounts of dirt and also need to be cleaned – alternatively place a blanket where the dog lies in the car. The blanket is easy to take out of the car and wash!
A steam cleaner is a great tool for your daily cleaning of the home and the car!
Want to go a step further in battling allergies? You can purchase an air purifier for the home that cleans the air from pollen.
If you have a pet suffering with symptoms of allergy, you can try to changing its feed. There are many different allergy diets, each with their own focus area. Consult your vet in choosing the right feed for your pet.
The new feed must be administered for at least 2 months before assessing whether the animal has fewer signs of allergy.
Think holistic!
Good health is connected to both the mind and body.
How is your everyday life with your pet?
If your pet is living a “stressed” life, you might find it beneficially to look at the animal’s psyche.
Stress affects the health of the animal. The word “stress” can cover many things however the effect of stress is the same regardless of the reason.
If your animal is stressed, the body will store stress hormones (cortisol) that destroys the immune system and has a lot of devastating effects on the body – it will make the animal more prone to all diseases and is a predisposing factor for allergies!
If in doubt concerning your pets’ daily wellbeing please contact one of the country’s many skilled dog trainers.
The trainer will be able to help you read your dog’s language and signals, and thereby increase the animal’s wellbeing.
The more balanced your pet is, the better the body will provide for them and make them healthier in every way!
You can also begin the studies about the language of animals on your own.
It’s our responsibility to learn the language of animals. This way we can make the necessary changes in their lives that will benefit their health!
Allergy is a complex diagnosis. If we consider all aspects, there is a lot we can do to help our animals live a better and healthier life.