5 Ways to Make Life More Comfortable for Dogs with Allergies

If you notice that your dog has developed some sort of allergy there are certain things you can do to make their life a lot more comfortable which is something that needs to be done as soon as possible. Naturally, the first thing you should do is make an appointment to take your pet to the vet because there are many conditions that can appear to be allergies but in fact are not. Then of course, there are quite a few things that can trigger an allergic reaction in your dog and a vet would be able to carry out tests to find out the causes.

Below are 5 ways to make life a lot more comfortable for your dog if they suffer from allergies.

Take Your Dog to the Vet

The vet would be able to figure out why your dog has developed an allergy or if their condition is due to some other health concern. If it should prove to be an allergic reaction to something, the vet would determine this by carrying out certain specific tests which might include blood tests and skin smears to name but two. Once a diagnosis has been reached an appropriate treatment would be set in place to help alleviate and cure your pet's allergy if possible. The thing to bear in mind is that some allergies can just be controlled and not cured as such.

Invest in Good Quality Pet Specific Topical Treatments

When a dog suffers from any sort of skin allergy it's really important to treat them on the inside as well as the outside. This means asking your vet to recommend or prescribe an effective dog shampoo which would help take out any environment allergens, harmful oils, bacteria and any other substances which could be causing the skin irritation.

Depending on the severity of the condition, you might need to bath or cleanse your pet's skin twice a day. If however, the condition is an environmental allergy then vets normally recommend the dog be bathed every 7 days with a recommended shampoo and topical treatment which would help alleviate the irritation whilst at the same time treat the condition and prevent any infection from setting in.

Treating Eye Irritations Caused by Allergies

Often when a dog suffers from an allergy, they get very runny eyes or sometimes the allergy can cause a dryness of the eye. You should ask your vet for advice about administering over the counter people eye drops which are safe to use on our canine friends. These drops are very good and will help remove any allergens present in your dog's eyes which are causing the irritation. You should use the drops first thing in the morning, again in the afternoon and then lastly in the evening for anything between 2 and 4 days.

However, if there is any yellow, greenish or white discharge in your dog's eyes there might be something more serious going on which would require a course of antibiotics to clear up an infection and this is something your vet would be able to prescribe once a thorough examination has been carried out on your pet.

Treating Your Dog's Ears for Allergens

Allergens and other micro-organisms are everywhere in our environment and quite often these can get lodged in your dog's ear canal. If this happens to your pet, their ears would need to be gently flushed out with a specific dog ear treatment medication which would help restore the pH balance in your dog's ear canal. If your dog loves being in water or playing with the hose pipe or sprinkler system this can very often cause an ear irritation which develops due to moisture remaining in their ear canal so this is something to keep an eye out for.

Alleviating Allergies Caused By Diet

A lot of skin allergies dogs suffer from are diet related and could be triggered by a number of foods your dog might eat. Tests would need to be done to find out which foods are triggering the allergies and a vet would set this in place for you. However, a regime set out by a vet or a dog nutritionist has to be strictly adhered to with no cheating otherwise it would ruin the test and hinder finding out what food is causing the problem.

A completely new diet might have to be given to a dog suffering from a food related allergy which could mean not feeding canned or dry dog food. The reason being they may contain certain unwanted contaminants which trigger the allergy. Nutraceuticals namely fish oils are derived from Omega-3 fatty acids are often recommended by vets because they contain natural anti-inflammatory properties and therefore promote healthier lipid layers in a dog's skin which helps combat micro-organisms and allergens found in the environment.

Conclusion

With the warmer summer months here, dogs and other animals as well as humans, are more prone to suffer with some kind of allergy. This is why it's so important to keep an eye out for any clinical signs that something is amiss with your dog. Working closely with your vet, you can make your pet's life a lot more comfortable as quickly as you can whether your dog is suffering from a non-seasonal or seasonal allergy.