Dogs not only cause allergies, they can suffer them too, and if your old dog is allergic, this is, most probably, its misery season.
Seasonal allergies can hit dogs just as hard as they hit people, or even worse, however, if your old pal is diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, it can cope with the season in a very comfortable way.
Allergies in dogs are mostly hereditary, and they surface between the first and third year of age. Most allergens are inhaled, but some are ingested, and the symptoms show up in the form of skin problems and severe itching. In some cases, dogs may also develop skin or ear infections.
If you see your old dog licking its feet, rubbing its face, and scratching all the time, you’ve got an allergic pal!
There are two common allergies that may attack your dog:
– Flea allergies. This is the most common cause of allergies in dogs, because they react to flea saliva and a single flea bite can cause a serious allergic reaction
– Allergic Inhaled Dermatitis (Atopy). Ragweed, pollen, house dust, house dust mites, mold, animal dander, feathers, grasses, trees, and shrubs are the common causes of this type of allergy. These allergens can be inhaled, ingested, or passed through the pads of the feet.
At first sight, it may look as if it is impossible to prevent this allergic reaction, since these elements are everywhere.
It is difficult to know exactly what is causing your dog’s allergy. If the vet can’t identify the cause through a physical exam or your pal’s history, he will have to perform allergy tests.
Nevertheless, as soon as the vet identifies the cause of the allergy, it can be treated properly:
– The best treatment is hyposensitization or immunotherapy, in other words, allergy shots, because these can be tailored to attack your dog’s specific allergy.
During the treatment, your dog will be given regular shots of low levels of the allergen until it becomes less sensitive to it.
The down side of this treatment option is that it may take up to a year to work, it may be expensive, and in some cases, it may not work.
– The most popular treatment, however, not the best, is the use of steroids to restrain the effects of the allergy. This treatment is effective, but the steroids have severe side effects, which could be even worse for an old dog, thus, you should try it only if the shots don’t work.
