Dog Allergies – Understanding Causes and Prevention
September 12, 2009
If your dog is scratching excessively, losing hair, or sneezing it may well be suffering from an allergy. As most dog owners already know, dog allergies are as common as they are in people, and in many cases can be dealt with in the same way. But with older dogs it can certainly become more of a concern. While allergies can develop at any age, as dogs grow older and slower some types occur more often and may result in more discomfort due to their weakened state.
The 5 Different Types of Allergies
There are five types of allergies that can affect dog health in a dramatic way. These are food, flea, bacterial, contact, and Atopy, which is the most common. As a dog ages, its capacity to fight off some of these is reduced. Much as in people, the immune system has simply lost its strength. There are many dog allergy treatments available for these different types of allergies, but of course prevention is always the best option.
Proper Care Minimizes Symptoms
One very simple way to reduce the risk and minimize symptoms is to pay more attention to your beloved pet. Thinning hair and skin can make the dog more susceptible to skin allergies, so make sure that your dog’s coat is brushed every day to not only provide a chance to inspect their coat but to keep it healthy. Ask your vet if there are any special shampoos available for the type of breed you own, and wash the coat regularly to keep it clean and in good condition.
Food
Food allergies are hard to avoid. The only way to deal with them when they occur is by a process of elimination. Older dogs tend to have a much more stable and less varied diet;, therefore, it should be easier to eliminate the responsible ingredient. Once you have identified the culprit, be sure to check the ingredients each time you buy food or consult a vet for additional advice.
One common cause of food allergies results from wheat or corn, which are both used as fillers in commercial dog foods but have no nutritional value. Many dogs are very allergic to these two ingredients, but sometimes it takes years for symptoms to manifest. Whether or not they have problems, these types of fillers are a sign of low-quality dog food. Before you buy, look at the main ingredients. If either of these are in the first three ingredients listed, do not feed your dog this food. Especially an older dog should always have the best.
Fleas
Flea allergies are the easiest to spot and stop as you can see the fleas with the naked eye. Taking more time to groom and wash older dogs is the best preventative measure, but there are many products on the market to help rid your dog of fleas.
Bacteria
A dog’s skin will always contain a certain amount of bacteria, but older dogs can develop greater sensitivity, causing skin-crusting and hair loss, which is further aggravated by excessive scratching. A simple course of antibiotics will often treat this allergy.
Contact
Contact allergies are allergies caused by certain materials which may irritate your dog’s skin. They are not very common for older dogs because you likely have certain producst you always buy and have long since eliminated any aggravating substances from their life. An older dog’s environment rarely changes.
Causes are usually easy to identify because there has been a change somewhere. This could be a new plastic feeding bowl or a new wool dog jacket. Simply removing the offending item will prevent the allergy from becoming a long-term problem.
Atopy
Atopy is caused by an aggravating inhalant, such as dust mites, human skin residue, or mold. As your dog nears the end of its life, it will spend much more time lying around the house and is therefore more likely to develop this allergy, especially if the house is not clean.
Again, the simple rule is to avoid the cause, but this is not always possible. Treatments such as medicated shampoos and diets rich in fatty acids can help quite a bit. A simple skin test by your vet will identify this allergy and the root cause.
Older dogs are usually subject to a set routine long established by their owner and are seldom exposed to a changing environment, so identifying allergies is often as simple as identifying what variable in their life has been altered.
Pay attention when grooming, and make a note of any big change in surroundings so that you can identify the cause of any allergy. Even when your aging dog seems healthy, pay close attention to its skin, and monitor their mood as they may show signs of irritability before symptoms even manifest.
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