Allergies
Animals can get allergies just like everyone else it can range from something they eat to something in the air.
Atopic Dermatitis
This allergy is caused by the dog’s own immune system in that it is hypersensitive to common substances found around them, this can be things like dust mites or mold. Atopic Dermatitis is an allergic skin disease - this would usually appear within the first two years of a dog’s life.
Common signs
excessive groominglicking or chewing thier back legs, paws and abdomenred/pink ears which are hot to touch
Flea Allergy
A small amount of fleas on adult dogs or cats cause little harm, unless the dog or cat becomes allergic to substances in saliva. The disease that results is called flea allergy dermatitis. The allergy is not to the actual fleas but thier saliva.
Food Allergy
Your dog or cat may become allergic to food that they have eaten for many years which makes it difficult to spot which food is causing the problem.
A way to determine the couse of the allergy is to feed your dog or cat a diet comprising of protein and statch and then slowly start to introduce the foods that you have previously been feeding . Once the cause is found be sure to check the dog or cat food you buy to see if it contains the allergen.
Signs of a food allergy
scratching shaking of headlicking and biting the back of their legs
Inhalant Allergy
This is an allergy to something in the air. An inhalent allergy would include things like pollen and grass.
If your dog or cat is chewing his feet and constantly licking them, they may have inhalant allergy
Inhalant allergies are often associated with recurring ear infections in your dog or cat.
It can be difficult to distingish between the above allergies due to the similaritiy of the symptoms, we would recommend that you contact your vet for advice.
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