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Allergies in Dogs |
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Yesterday I took my golden retriever, Nala, to the vet. She has been having ear problems on and off for a few months. We ended up spending about an hour with the vet talking about…you guessed it…allergies. |
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| Author: Niko Babovic |
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Whereas I thought the ear infections and problems were simply due to the breed (I just never thought it through), apparently they are a very common symptom of allergies. Other symptoms of allergies in dogs are consistent licking of their paws, legs and armpits and breaking out in hives. Luckily Nala has not had hives, but she is definitely a paw licker. After studying her charts and discussing her symptoms, we came to the not so very conclusive conclusion that her allergies are probably inhalant as opposed to food.
I never thought about food allergies in dogs, but my vet said they are quite common, the most common allergens being beef and milk. Granted, Nala doesn’t eat steak washed down with a glass of milk every night, but just like with people, the slightest amount can affect a dog. Think about dog biscuits (Milk Bones), rawhides and treats, not to mention dog food. Even the lamb and rice based food have milk components. Needless to say, I was relieved to hear him say he thought her allergy lies within the environment. I didn’t want to put her on a completely restrictive diet, being the notorious food snatcher she is. And with dogs, an allergy free diet is very extremely limiting.
So then we discussed her inhalant allergy treatment. First, she needs to take antihistamines every day (sound familiar?). Dogs actually need much more antihistamine than humans to be effective, and with a golden retriever or other medium to large breed, she needs to take double what an adult person would take. That means I’m giving her 50 mg of Benadryl 3 times a day. The vet told me I could also try Claritin or Alavert or any generic brand, just double the dose. I can wean her from them as her symptoms clear up.
She is also on 2 types of ear medicine, including an ear flush. If her symptoms do not get better, we can consider a blood test to determine the specific allergen (more than likely some type of pollen, but could be mold or dust mites). From there we could go on to allergy shots. Either we could do this through our vet practice, or choose to see a dermatologist specializing in canines.
She may have her symptoms up until the first frost, just like us people; they may flare up before getting better again. She may end up being on allergy shots, or simply continue her antihistamines for awhile. I wonder, will she ever be prescribed an Epipen?
About Author
Heather Legg writes for http://www.beyondallergy.com - an online magazine and resource for allergy sufferers offering latest news and information on different types of allergies and treatments.
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