Choosing the Right Dog Allergy Treatment

Author: Loy Bond

If you have a dog with an allergy, choosing the right kind of treatment can be the difference between roaring success, and dismal failure. Of course, the first step is matching the type of dog allergy treatment to the type of allergy. Here is a breakdown of the types of allergy, and the recommended treatments.

If Your Dog Is Allergic to Inhalants
It may sound strange, but, like humans, dogs can be allergic to inhalants, like dust, pollen, and certain types of mold. Treatment for this kind of allergy could include avoidance, particularly in the case of dust or mold, where you keep your pet away from areas where they are likely to come into contact with the allergen.

If the allergy has resulted in itching, as it is likely to do, using a topical treatment like a shampoo regularly will help. It’s also been proven that adding essential fatty acids to your dog’s diet is an efficient dog allergy treatment for inhalant allergic dogs too. More dramatic allergies may require anti histamines, steroids, or even immunotherapy may be required.
Food Allergies

Often very difficult to pinpoint, at least the dog allergy treatment for food allergies is simple – avoid the food stuff(s) the dog is allergic to. Place your dog on a hypoallergenic diet, or a home cooked diet with simple ingredients, and that should be the end of that. You could also use many of the treatments listed for the inhalant allergic dog above, however, those would be a temporary solution only, and as soon as the treatment stopped, the allergy would return.

Contact Allergies
These are probably the least common dog allergies – this is when your dog becomes allergic to an item, like a particular type of blanket, or a plant, grass, or another item in his environment. Dog allergy treatment for contact allergies is much the same as for food allergies – temporary relief will be gained by using a standard treatment, but for long term relief, simply remove the allergen.

Flea Allergy
Many dogs are allergic to fleas, and when bitten, they develop allergy symptoms. In this case, common dog allergy treatments may help, but the key is to keep the dog, and his environment, free from fleas.

Remember, for every one flea you see on your dog, there are a hundred more in the environment, and even one flea can drive an allergic dog crazy with biting and scratching! Bathing, dipping and collars are the first line of defense, but remember to regularly treat his kennel or environment too, as there may be many fleas lurking there too.

Whichever kind of allergy your dog has, finding an effective dog allergy treatment is crucial to his well being. If you’ve ever had hay fever or hives as an allergic reaction, you’ll know just how unpleasant suffering with an allergy can be. You wouldn’t want to grin and bear it, would you? You’d seek help. So do the same for your best friend – find him a dog allergy treatment that works.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/choosing-the-right-dog-allergy-treatment-990069.html

About the Author

Your dog's health means a lot to you, as well as your own. Keep yourself informed and learn more about dog allergies at CureDogAllergies.com, where you'll find everything you need to know to keep your dog, your home and of course yourself free of allergies, and in tip top shape!

Dog Health Issues – Diabetes

Author: Alisa M. Chagnon

Dogs can be born with diabetes or get diabetes at any time in their life, just as humans do. When a dog has this illness, it is no different than the form that people have. Diabetes in dogs is a chronic disease. This means that treatment can not cure this and make it go away. Any person or dog with diabetes will need ongoing treatment to control it, manage it and keep symptoms from becoming troubling.

This illness causes a dog’s body to be unable to breakdown glucose (sugar). If not managed properly, this can cause the sugar level in the dog’s blood to be either too high or too low. The most devastating effects of this come in later stages if the diabetes in the dog is left to worsen: blindness can occur. Loss of digits, such as toes can happen as well because of improper blood flow to limbs. This can also cause kidney damage and heart disease. The final stages of an untreated diabetic dog will be death.

Therefore it is vitally important to have your dog begin treatment immediately if he or she is found to have this. The treatment or management of this illness will be the same as a human. Your dog may need to have insulin shots to balance the glucose levels. While most dogs will certainly not enjoy having daily shots; this is required to maintain your dog’s good health. After a while, a dog may become compliant to the injections. A very strict and exact diet is needed as well. Certain foods can shoot sugar levels to dangerous heights. Lack of certain foods can allow sugar to become so low that a dog can go into shock.

Your dog should have their blood checked at regular intervals for any type of illness, including dog diabetes. When found, treatment should begin right away. If you are in-between vet checkups there are some early warning signs to look out for. If you notice that your dog sleeps a lot more than normal, shows signs of dizziness or drinks excessively it is suggested to schedule a vet checkup right away for your dog.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/dog-health-issues-diabetes-355464.html

About the Author

http://www.petchidog.com and http://www.petpugdog.com

Fleas, Ticks and Mites, Oh My!

Author: Garry Neale

External parasites are common among most dogs. An external parasite is an insect that lives off the blood supply of the host. The common parasites found on dogs are; fleas, ticks, mites and lice.

Fleas

Fleas are parasites and derive most of their food supply from their hosts. Fleas not only feed off dogs, but will bite just about any other mammal they come in contact with, including humans. A dog that has a heavily infestation will scratch themselves constantly which leads to other secondary skin problems. Fleas are also a host for and infect your dog with tapeworms, an internal parasite.

When fleas are fall off or are removed from a host for a period of time, they don't have a food source. As a result, the hungry fleas will attack the first warm-blooded creature that comes near and often times, this mean biting people. The adult fleas live on blood and must have a blood meal in order to reproduce.

In order to get rid of fleas some people try using a flea comb, but this is not very effective and it's also very time consuming. Most dog owners prefer to use a flea shampoo to attack the problem. Shampooing your dog also gets rid of the skin flakes that fall on the ground and act as food for the flea larvae. Flea collars and topical medications are not as effective as shampooing or dipping, but have been shown to help prevent re-infestation.

Ticks

Dog ticks are another parasite that feeds on blood. Dogs usually get ticks from bushes and shrubbery. These ticks are usually found in the ears, around your the neck or in the creases on the inside of the leg. The ticks can be removed with a pair of small tweezers, but try not to crush the tick while removing as this may cause its saliva to enter the dog's body, creating a possibility of skin irritation or infection. Remove the parasite as gently as possible.

The dog tick is the primary carrier of diseases like canine ehrlichiosis, and in some cases rocky mountain spotted fever, a disease that is also very dangers to humans. Your dogs should be examined closely for ticks on at least a weekly basis if it spends anytime at all outdoors.

Mites

Mites are microscopic parasites that burrow their way into the dog's body through the skin. All dogs normally have a small population of mites living on their body. However, a condition called Mange can develop if your dog's immune system is not working properly. If you see your dog is losing hair and patches of bare skin are visible, you need to have it checked thoroughly by a vet. A lot of diseases can cause hair loss, so it doesn't necessarily mean your pet has Mange. But only a vet can tell for sure.

Severe scratching is another sign to watch out for. If your dog scratches a lot, you need to have it checked. Also, as the mite population gets out of control, your dog may take on a strange athlete's foot-like odor.

Ivermectin, a commonly used de-wormer is the most common treatment for Mange. The medication is usually administered orally, but it can be injected under the skin. In sever cases, your vet will usually institute a regimen of medicated shampoo treatments.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/fleas-ticks-and-mites-oh-my-485406.html

About the Author
Garry Neale is and avid dog enthusiast and creator of the popular e-book, "The Dog Lovers Guide", a FREE dog owners handbook you can download at no cost from his Dog Lover Website.

Protecting Your Dog From Fleas

Author: Steve Searls

The easy natural ways to protect your dog from fleas.

- Make use of vacuum cleaners to get rid of dust. Do not forget to seal the vacuum bags before you dispose them off.

- These parasites mostly breed on your dog's bed. You must clean the bedding once a week with warm soapy water.

- Use of a dog shampoo also helps in keeping the fleas away.

- Cedar made products are naturally flea repellent. Use cedar shampoo for your dog and also put cedar oil on their beds.

- A dogs dry skin attracts fleas. To keep their skin moist you should refrain from doing too much shampooing. Linatone oil in their food can also help.

- A mixture of brewer's yeast and garlic can be given in small doses to your pet. This creates a certain odor in pets, and seems to repel fleas.

- Fresh or dried pennyroyal leaves is also a natural flea repellent. Use this in carpets to avoid the abundance of fleas in your home. However, do not use it if you have small children around, as this could be toxic.

- You may also use a mixture of lavender oil and rock salt to bathe your dog and sprinkle it in the places where dogs usually prefer to rest.

- Marigolds can also be planted in your backyard as it keeps away fleas, as well as other certain kinds of bugs.

- You may also give your dog a quick bath in boiled lemon water or by using orange peels in the water. This can also be used for soaking your dogs bedding for a few hours before washing it with warm soapy water.

Remember that bathing your dog will only work if the infestation is low. In fact, these methods of keeping fleas away are only preventive in nature and wouldn't work well if the infestation level is too high.

There are number of commercially made products that are also available in the market. Let us take a look at them.

- Advantage: This is a product from Bayer having imidaclorid as the active ingredient. Advantage comes in liquid form and is applied on the dog's back. It quickly kills the fleas by breaking the nervous system of the fleas and its effect lasts for about a month. Although it is a liquid, it is safe for your dog as it does not get absorbed into its bloodstream.

Advantage also kills the flea larvae.

- K9 Advantix: Also from Bayer, it has quickly become the favorite of veterinarians and dog owners. It is for dogs only. Its active ingredients are Imidacloprid and Permethrin. It kills fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks, including deer ticks and keeps working after swimming or bathing.

- Frontline Plus: Frontline is not much different from Advantage except that it is not soluble in water. The product can be used safely for your dogs and puppies. It is very efficient in repelling the fleas and its effect can last for over four months.

It contains Fipronil as its active ingredient.

Like Advantage, Fipronil also attacks the nervous system and causes instant death in about 24 hours. In spite of being highly toxic it is not harmful to your dog, unless your dog is not allergic to fipronil.

- Biospot: Biospot is meant for dogs only. It kills up to 75% of fleas and larvae and is also effective for mosquitoes. Biospot can temporarily alter the color of your pet's hair and make it appear yellowish. It contains permethrins and IGR and is effective for about a month.

- Knockout: Another effective product that is exclusively meant for dogs. Its active ingredients include Pyriproxyfen: 21 pyridine: 0.05% cyclopropanecarboxylate: 2%. It also contains NYLAR to control the flea growth.

- Proban and Prospot: Again exclusively and widely used for dogs. However these repellents only work when the fleas bite the dog as they are effective only after they are absorbed in the bloodstreams. You also need to remember that you are injecting a small quantity of poison into your dogs body and you may not even know the side effects. Also, if your dog is allergic to the flea bites these may not be the right products.

Fleas thrive during the summer as it is their breeding season. Commercial products are effective during this time, but it is always better to consult your vet before you actually begin to using these products on your dog.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/protecting-your-dog-from-fleas-234430.html

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Teaching your dog tricks is every dog owner's dream. Learn how dog tricks training can help reinforce basic obedience training for dogs, as well as improve agility.
Dog Tricks Training

Best Tips For Dog Tick Removal

Author: John Williams

Ticks are a nasty little arachnid pest that attach to your dog and can be very irritating and soar for your pet. They carry many different diseases that can be mildly dangerous to your dog and other members of your household. Some diseases take up to twenty four hours to pass on to their host so getting rid of the pests easily and quickly is essential.

There are a lot of ways that you may have been taught as a child to get rid of ticks from the skin, the most popular is probably to burn the tick into releasing his grip of his own accord so no further problems can arise of having the jaws still stuck into the skin.

The second way often taught to get rid of ticks is to smother them in oil based liquids of Vaseline to help take the tick out in a similar fashion to the way noted above.

These ways are both wrong and can be very dangerous, the first is dangerous, can be painful for your dog and will more than likely scare your dog into behaving in a bad manner. The second is also dangerous and unneeded, the idea is to keep your skin and around the area of the tick as clean as possible to avoid further infection or disease.

The way to remove the tick properly and with little damage or pain is to use sterilised tweezers to dislodge the critter, it takes patience if the tick is stubborn and doesn't want to move but it is the safest way to remove the pests.

Be careful not to pull on the ticks body wile pulling him out, if you pull too hard on the body it will come off separate to the jaws and mouth of the tick causing it to be harder to dislodge.

Start by cleaning the tweezers with alcohol or burning over a flame if alcohol is not available. You may want to also put alcohol around the area in question to keep it clean. Once this is done try to get as close to the skin of the dog and grab the tick at the jaws, to do this you will need to place the tweezers from the side into position. If the tick refuses to budge, try moving from side to side to unhook the jaws wile pulling away from the skin. Doing this and keeping constant pressure on the tick will cause him to tire and give in, releasing the tick in one go.

Finnish off by cleaning the area with alcohol or soapy water and you job is complete.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/best-tips-for-dog-tick-removal-295025.html

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