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Choose the Right Puppy for Your Family
Purchasing a puppy for your family is a very big decision. It should never be approached casually, or lightly. A new pet becomes part of your family. You should do everything you can to educate yourself about the breed of puppy you are...
"How to Keep Your Cat Free from Diseases with This Quick Guide to Cat Parasites"
Parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off of other creatures. Among cats, parasites generally feed on the animal's blood. Detecting internal parasites can be difficult, but a close inspection of skin and fur is usually all that is needed...
I Hate To Say That I Told You So
I created the Perverted Perfection Website at http://politics.billknell.com so that people could get another view of all things political. Apart from Left, Right or somewhere in between, there is the fact that politicians have been steadily...
Our Children's Story
OUR CHILDREN'S STORY Randy N. Warner One we must regrettably share with our children for they most certainly will find out on their own. PREFACE: We hope they learn from our foibles stemming from ignorance, apathy and politics. It is, but for our...
Pet Healthcare
Cat and dog fleas are more than just an itchy nuisance, fleas are a health hazard to animals and humans alike. Fleas carry diseases, Anemia, dermatitis and harmful parasites, like tapeworms, are just a few to name. It's not only kind but important...
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Does Your Dog Have Allergies?
Many people don’t realize that their dogs, just like human beings, can suffer from allergies. In fact, about twenty percent of the dogs in the United States alone suffer from one allergy or another, with flea allergy dermatitis being the most common form of allergies in dogs. Other types include atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and inhalant allergies.
Signs and symptoms of dog allergies may vary but are often marked by persistent itching and discoloration of the skin (most common in skin allergies), coughing, sneezing, wheezing, and mucus discharge (most common in inhalant allergies), and nausea, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea (common to food allergies and other ailments.)
Over-the-counter preparations and treatments for common dog allergies exist and may be purchased at any good pet supply store, but care should be taken when choosing such treatments. Consultation with a vet is the best first course of action for several reasons. First of all, what you think is an allergic reaction may actually be signs of a more serious ailment and a vet should be the one to determine whether that is the case. Secondly, if the allergy is severe enough, over-the-counter treatments may not be sufficient to treat the symptoms and a prescription strength treatment may be required. There is also the chance that the dog does not have an allergy at all. The last thing you want to do is medicate your pet
unnecessarily.
If you do think your dog has some type of allergy, consult your vet. The doctor will be able to perform tests to determine whether an allergic condition exists, how severe it is, and what the proper treatment will be. If the dog has an allergy to certain foods, it will be imperative to restrict the animal’s diet to eliminate those items that cause a reaction. The vet’s testing methods can help to determine whether this type of allergy exists as well. If the dog has flea allergy dermatitis (an allergic reaction to the saliva of fleas, rather than to the insects themselves), an extreme flea prevention regimen will be recommended.
Just like humans, dogs that suffer from various allergies can live comfortably with them if they are detected and treated properly. It is important to keep in mind that this is not a time to “play doctor” by attempting to diagnose and treat a possible allergic condition yourself. Only your veterinarian is qualified to determine whether your dog is suffering from allergies and what course of action to take.
This article may be published in it's entirety provided an active (clickable) link to http://DogBlog.thynke.com is included along with the "About the Author" resource box.
About the Author
Mike Nalbone is the publisher of The Dog Blog at http://DogBlog.thynke.com
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