How can I find a treatment for dogs with allergic reactions?
Your dog is as much a member of the family as anyone else. No matter the breed, a beloved dog brings joy, loyalty, and companionship to the home. This unconditional affection is a special part of your life, and seeing your dog irritated by allergies can be a truly sad sight. There are a number of allergens that are common to dogs, from skin irritants to specific foods. While there are a number of ways you could pursue treatment for allergy symptoms your dog has, it is important to understand the causes of allergy symptoms and the treatment options that are available. Not only is getting your dog allergy relief essential, but you also want to do so in such a way that does not reduce their quality of life. CBD and omega-3 oils from SeaPet can promote pet health in a variety of ways to make them less susceptible to allergies, or they can help to reduce the symptoms of allergies.
What types of allergies do dogs have?
There are three broad categories that most dog allergens fall into: Food allergies and intolerances, environmental factors, or medications. Food allergies are important to distinguish from food intolerances in your dog. An allergy is when a food causes a response from the dog’s immune system, whereas an intolerance is when a food doesn’t agree with the dog but does not lead to an immune response. Food intolerances in dogs tend to lead to symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting or mild skin irritations. Food allergies, on the other hand, tend to cause more dramatic skin irritations, such as hives or swelling. In more extreme cases, food allergies can lead to anaphylaxis in dogs. A dog might display gastrointestinal signs as well, which can make figuring out if your dog has an intolerance or allergy tricky. Talk to your dog’s vet if you are not sure whether they are experiencing a food allergy or just an intolerance. In many cases, allergy medications for dogs are not particularly effective for food allergies. For intolerances or allergies, you might want to try doing an elimination diet with your dog in which you remove potential problem foods from their diet and slowly reintroduce them to identify the culprit.
Environmental allergens come in many forms and are some of the more common allergens that dogs experience. Dogs can be susceptible to seasonal airborne allergens, such as pollen, much like humans are. An important difference is that these allergens in humans tend to cause respiratory irritation, like a runny nose or sneezing, while dogs tend to experience skin irritations, like itching. Year-round irritants, like mold or dust, can affect dogs as well. Fleas are common environmental allergens, and some dogs are allergic to flea saliva. This can lead to itching, redness, and swelling in the affected areas. There are a variety of over-the-counter allergy medicines for dogs that can prove effective for these types of problems.
If you notice an allergic reaction after you switch to a new medication or shampoo for your dog, they might be allergic. Certain breeds, like Dalmatians, are more prone to this, but any dog could have an allergic reaction to a new medication or soap. These types of allergies most frequently present as skin irritations such as redness, hives, or itching. If a shampoo or medicine irritates your dog, you could try allergy medication, but switching to another product might be a more sensible and effective choice. Make sure to talk to your dog’s vet if you are concerned that your pet might have an allergic reaction to a particular medicine or shampoo.
What are some common treatment methods for dog allergies, and do they have side effects?
Because most allergic reactions in dogs present as skin problems, it is very important to note that all skin allergies can lead to infection if the dog scratches, bites, or rubs the affected area. Even seemingly mild symptoms can become health problems if your dog continues to re-irritate the site of the reaction. This makes finding an effective allergy treatment for your dog worthy of moving to the top of your priority list. There are over-the-counter allergy medicines for dogs that provide allergy relief in either oil, topical, or pill form. In many cases, an allergy medicine can be an effective remedy for dog allergies. A dog allergy medicine can be particularly effective for environmental allergens, as it is challenging to entirely avoid allergens like pollen or dust.
Benadryl
However, it is important to understand that an allergy medicine might well come with side effects. For example, one of the most common treatment options for a dog with allergic symptoms is Benadryl. You can purchase this antihistamine over the counter to reduce symptoms in a pet in a relatively short span of time. However, Benadryl can also cause your dog to experience drowsiness or lethargy. Talk to your vet if your dog has conditions like glaucoma or lung disease, as Benadryl can be unsafe for a dog with those problems.
Prednisone
There are also prescription allergy medications that a vet can recommend for a dog with allergies. If your dog has more significant allergy symptoms that do not respond fully to over-the-counter options, they might prescribe a corticosteroid, like prednisone, to your pet. Prednisone can be an effective treatment for dog allergies because of its anti-inflammatory properties as well as its ability to reduce the immune response of a pet. Of course, while Prednisone treats the symptoms of dog allergies effectively, it comes with side effects. Overuse of prednisone can cause your dog to have digestive issues like vomiting or diarrhea. Likewise, your dog could see weight gain as a result of this medication. Your dog’s vet can discuss the best allergy medicine for your dog and how to manage the dosage.
Allergy Shots
Some dog owners choose to give their pet allergy shots at regular intervals to combat their dog’s allergies. These either take the form of medications to treat the symptoms of dog allergies or a battery of shots that are intended to eliminate the unwanted immune response a dog experiences. Injections to treat dog allergy symptoms come with many of the side effects of steroidal allergy medicines, including vomiting or diarrhea, as well as redness at the injection site or lethargy. Shots to eliminate allergic reactions are known as immunotherapy for dogs. In this scenario, you would bring your dog to the vet at regular intervals, where they would receive shots that include the substance they are allergic to. Over time, the amount of the allergen will increase, so that in the end, your dog no longer has any allergic symptoms when exposed to the substance. These injections can take a long time to work, so your dog will probably need other allergy medicines while you wait for the allergy shots to work.
Are there natural treatment options for an allergy that a dog has?
Another way to address the skin issues that are common symptoms of dog allergies is by taking proactive steps to improve the health of your dog’s immune system. The two main paths to doing so are changing lifestyle factors, such as the food that your dog eats, and finding supplements that reduce allergy symptoms in dogs. In general, a healthy diet is helpful for pet wellness, but if your dog has a food allergy, it might be necessary to adapt its diet. Omega-3 oils are present in foods like canola oil or fish. However, it can be difficult to get enough of these foods on your dog’s menu if you only shop for traditional dog food. Given these challenges, many dog owners opt to order omega-3 supplements.
Omega-3 Supplements
Omega-3 supplements for dogs tend to be designed around fish oils, but make sure to check the label on packages to be sure of what you are getting. You can give your dog omega-3 supplements in capsule or oil form, but capsules can require a bit of dog training to get your pet to take them safely. Omega-3 oils are superb sources of essential fatty acids, like EPA and DHA, that can give your dog immune support and reduce inflammation from allergic symptoms.
CBD
Dog owners can also turn to CBD supplements for allergy relief. CBD oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can make the symptoms of an allergy less severe. It can be particularly effective in addressing dog skin issues that result from an allergy. Like omega-3 oils, CBD can address a number of health issues in your pet, making it an excellent option to improve the quality of care your pet receives.
How do I find the best Omega-3 and CBD oils to address allergy symptoms in dogs?
When looking for any allergy medicine or supplement for your dog, it is important to understand how they are made and the quality standards to which they are produced. SeaPet Omega-3 oils are cold-processed and molecularly distilled. We hold ourselves to higher standards than the national governing bodies require. Vitamins A, D, and E, along with essential fatty acids, provide a variety of mental and physical benefits, particularly for a dog’s skin, coat, and immune system. You can simply add the oils to your dog’s food to get them the nutrients they need. Because of their numerous valuable properties, these oils can be an excellent treatment option for the symptoms of allergies in your dog, and they can improve your dog’s overall coat and skin health to make allergic reactions less severe if they occur.
Similarly, our CBD oils for dogs are made from all-organic hemp and are rigorously tested to ensure they contain the correct amount of fat, protein, and CBD. We individually inspect and hand-package each bottle to maintain high-quality standards. These oils are a great option for dogs with irritated skin. They can be added to your dog’s food for easy dosage. Like the Omega-3 oils, they are a great way to reduce the symptoms of allergies. Reducing swelling and itching can keep your dog from scratching or biting at affected areas, dramatically reducing the risk of infection.
Omega-3 oils from SeaPet can keep your dog’s coat and skin healthy when allergens are not present and mitigate the effects of irritants when they do. Likewise, CBD oils from SeaPet can provide similar benefits. Consult your dog’s vet before using any over-the-counter allergy medicines or supplements for dogs. While CBD supplements are a relative newcomer to the world of supplements for dogs, they have been found to have few side effects and interact well with other dog allergy medication options.
How can supplements from SeaPet help your dog with an allergy?
When dealing with allergens, there are a number of excellent allergy medications for dogs. CBD extracts and Omega-3 oils can act as excellent support to alleviate the symptoms of allergies in dogs caused by factors ranging from foods to pollen or fleas. As opposed to traditional over-the-counter allergy medicine for dogs, these supplements can be used both preventatively and in the event of an allergic reaction. These supplements have few side effects, and they are easy to incorporate with other treatment options for dog allergies. This makes giving them to your dog a win-win: they can either support other allergy treatment options or act as a bulwark against future allergy problems. When using any supplement or allergy medicine for dogs, make sure to consult with their vet to make sure that the substance matches their health needs. Finding allergy treatments for dogs, such as CBD or Omega-3 oils, can help your dog live a full life without experiencing unneeded swelling, itching, or hives. You can enjoy your dog’s company without fear of allergic reactions. View Seapet’s CBD oils and Omega-3 supplements to learn more.
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