Dog Allergies a Conundrum Indeed!Dog allergies, rashes, dog itchy skin, dog hot spots, dog hair loss, chronic dermatitis...need I go on? Our pets are having more and more allergic reactions than ever before. Where does it all start ? Let's look at the definition of Conundrum:
A dog allergy reaction is NOT a stand alone health problem. Allergies do not come from nowhere out of the blue.
Canine AllergiesWhat is an allergy?According to Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary: ... an allergy is a condition of unusual sensitivity to a substance or substances which, in like amounts, do not affect others. In other words...your dog is reacting to substances which really shouldn't under normal circumstances bother him. Dog allergies may be characterized by...
What is an Allergen? Allergens are usually protein substances but, can be non organic things, such as... light, cold and heat. An allergen therefore, is ANY substance which causes an allergic reaction. Allergies can be the underlying cause of other dog health problems too, such as...
Allergies almost always are the hidden cause of respiratory system problems such as... sneezing, coughing, asthma, labored breathing, bronchitis
Dog allergy reactions are the same as human allergy reactions. They are the result of an over active Immune System. Your dog's immune system is reacting incorrectly, to what should be a harmless substance.Therefore, the allergy is the symptom. The symptom will show up as inflammation. That can happen externally ( on the outside of his body ) and internally ( on the inside of his body ). The allergy symptom (inflammation) is not the root cause. It is the resulting buildup, which takes place over time, of toxicity in your dog's body. Two Main Causes of Canine AllergiesFood Allergens - Food allergies commonly occur in dogs that are fed the same food for a long time. Your dog's immune system is having to cope with the same allergens for so long, that finally your dog's poor body begins to have a bad reaction to the food source.Perhaps your choice of dog food, might not be the natural dog food it should be. Guess what? The foods that most often cause allergies in people, cause the same reactions in dogs. Common Food Allergens
Dairy products Wheat ( very commonly found in pet food ) Corn Yeast (brewer's yeast) Environmental Allergens - Dogs like people, can react to anything in their environment. Common Environmental Allergens
Dog collar Dog bed Dust mites Fleas Also, long term exposure to chemicals can slowly weaken the ability of your dog's liver to detoxify the blood. Some examples are:
Chemicals in food ( colors, dyes, preservatives ) Cleaning supplies Household chemicals Grooming products Pesticides ( flea/tick control ) Second hand smoke Car fumes Some dogs ( and people ) have food allergies AND environmental allergies. Is your dog scratching in the spring, summer and fall? Likely this is a reaction to something in the environment at that time. If your dog continues to have this reactions during the cold winter months, that could indicate a non-seasonal, or year-round allergy, such as a food allergen source. If you live in a warmer climate all year, environmental allergens can really build up and cause year-round allergy issues for your dog. Your dog may also have an acquired predisposed genetic family history of allergies. Golden Retrievers for example, are famous for having dog hot spots. English Springer Spaniels, ( meet our Pager below ) also seem to have more than their fair share of dog allergy symptoms, such as inflammation of the ears. What About Those Fleas ?Fleas can cause flea bites. Fleas can be the cause of flea allergy dermatitis. This is a dog allergy reaction too. Your dog's Immune System is reacting to the protein in flea saliva.Most dogs that are sensitive to fleas will develop an itchy, scratchy patch just at the base of the tail...a favorite place for fleas to congregate. Fleas are parasites and will choose a weakened host ( that means your dog with a weakened Immune System ) to make their home.
Meet Wonderful PagerIsn't Pager the most handsome English Springer Spaniel you ever saw in your life? Or maybe I just think so, because I love him so much. Pager came to live with us Saturday May the 9th, 2009. Pager's condition of dog itchy skin, severe skin allergy inflammation, and dog hair loss was severe. Much testing had been done by his previous owners, to determine which allergens were causing Pager to have so much trouble. Seems Pager was allergic to most of the same things that people are allergic to...dust, grass, cats, molds etc. Cats...hmmmmm...that's a problem, since we have four cats! The usual conventional treatments of cortisone and antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs had been utilized. No real progress had been made. Obviously, conventional steroidal and antibiotic treatment, didn't do much to help Pager with his dog allergies. Poor Boy! These drugs treat the outward symptoms of inflammation, but do not fix the root cause. So, therefore, they don't often cure anything at all. In fact they only make the condition of dog allergies worse. Here's why... An Example of the Allergy Cycle of Treatment
inflammation which leads to -> a trip to the vet which leads to -> drugs to treat the allergy inflammation which leads to -> candida/yeast overgrowth which leads to-> intensified inflammation which leads to -> a trip to the vet which leads to -> more drugs to treat inflammation which leads to -> more candida overgrowth which leads to - > and so on, and so on... In short, here's a recap...allergy inflammation = drugs = candida/yeast overgrowth...repeat, repeat, repeat........... Stop the madness!
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