senior care services to take some of the burden

Posted on: 1 September 2017

Dogs can suffer with allergies the same way a human can. Sometimes the symptoms are like what you experience and sometimes they are not. Sneezing, watering eyes, and a runny nose could indicate an allergy, or it could be a cold – yes dogs can get those too. However, if you notice your pet scratching more than normal, biting at its paws, or pawing at its ears, it could be an allergy too. Here are a few things you can do to try to make things more comfortable.

Grooming

If your pet is scratching at itself constantly, which could cause open sores and lead to infection, the problem may be fleas. To help your dog, you will need to groom it daily. This entails brushing or combing, and possibly bathing. In addition, if the dog has long hair, have it trimmed short during flea season. If the dog is an indoor pet, make sure you vacuum the house daily and wash its bedding often. You can also sprinkle the yard with a flea repellant, but be sure to use something that is safe for your dog and children.

Diet

One of the most common allergies a dog will have is to its food. Your pet may chew on its paws, cough, sneeze, and/or paw at its ears. Even if you have fed it the same food for years, it is possible that it will develop an allergy to it. You should have a vet do a saliva test to find out what is triggering the allergic response and then change its diet. However, this change will need to be gradual so you do not upset the digestive system in other ways. You may have to do a series of changes over a few months to find the foods that will not bother the animal.

Environment

If your pet exhibits symptoms of allergies when it is outside, or only during certain times of the year, it is probably something in the air. While you can get medications from the vet to help with the symptoms, it is also important to keep the dog inside as much as possible. This means you are going to have to spend more time plying with it to keep it happy. When you notice the symptoms do not ease up when inside, or when the season changes, you are going to need to lean things inside. Vacuum, mop, change the air filters, and launder the pets bedding.

While it is rare for a dog to have serious problems due to an allergy, it will be uncomfortable. Take the time to talk with a vet and have a checkup to make sure there is nothing else wrong with the animal. Treat the symptoms and work towards avoiding the irritants so your pet doesn't have to suffer too much. Visit a site like http://www.oakbrookallergists.com for more help.