CAT FANCIER ALSO A DOG AND ALLERGY EXPERT

A 27 word Andrew Bolt post on Obama’s new dog draws a 188 word response from cat lover Jeremy, who uses the President’s daughter’s allergy problem as justification for breaking a “campaign promise”:

Those Americans who voted for the Democrat candidate on the basis of his apparently firm and well-publicised (but oddly unquotable) “campaign promise” to adopt a dog directly from a shelter (notwithstanding his daughter’s allergies and Obama’s sensible desire to avoid the difficulties which could therefore arise were they to adopt a mongrel of uncertain heritage) should be entitled to take their votes BACK. A broken “campaign promise” is a broken “campaign promise” and Andy is right to hold the new President to account.

Just ignore that Bolt never mentioned Obama’s “campaign promise” to source the family dog from a “shelter”. Humans allergic to dogs aren’t allergic to dog hair, they’re allergic to skin oils and skin cells sloughed off by the dog. There is no guarantee a low-shedding dog of any breed is not going to cause allergy problems.

I know this from experience as a an owner of many different Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Ridgebacks are, like Portuguese water dogs, low shedding dogs but can, in my experience, cause huge allergy problems.

My wife is not known to be allergic to dogs. She is, however, unable to touch our Ridgeback without risking a reasonably severe reaction: touching the dog causing her to develop urticaria, that is, hives, and asthma. She has no problem being around the dog 24/7 but is at risk when she pets him. Other people petting my various Ridgebacks have experienced similar problems. This probably has something to do with Ridgebacks having rather oily coats.

Regardless, there’s no way Obama could turn down a dog from Edward Kennedy, allergies or no. Spending time with a dog, pedigreed or mongrel, is the only way to know if the mutt causes allergy problems. Another fail for Jeremy.

Living With Pets May Protect Infants From Allergies

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By Amanda Gardner

MONDAY, June 13, 2011 (Health.com) — Children who live with dogs and cats are less likely to develop allergies to those animals later in life, but only if the pet is under the same roof while the child is still an infant, a new study suggests.

Compared to babies born into cat-free homes, those who grew up with cats were roughly half as likely to be allergic to them as teenagers, the study found. Growing up around a dog reduced the risk of dog allergies by about the same amount for boys, but not for girls—a finding that mystified researchers.

Being exposed to pets anytime after the first year of life appeared to have no effect on allergy risk, however, which indicates that timing may be everything when it comes to preventing allergies.

Though they can’t say for sure, the researchers suspect that early exposure to pet allergens and pet-related bacteria strengthens the immune system, accustoms the body to allergens, and helps the child build up a natural immunity.

Related links:

• 15 Hypoallergenic Dogs and Cats


• How to Reduce Pet Allergens at Home


• What to Do If You’re Allergic to Your Pet

“Dirt is good,” says lead researcher Ganesa Wegienka, Ph.D., summing up the theory. “Your immune system, if it’s busy with exposures early on, stays away from the allergic immune profile.”

This isn’t the first study to find that having a household pet may protect kids from allergies, but it is the first to follow children until they were 18 years old.

Previous studies have had mixed results—some have even linked pet exposure during infancy to an increased risk of allergy—so it’s too early to recommend getting a dog or cat just to ward off allergies in your infant, says David Nash, M.D., clinical director of allergy and immunology at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

“In the end, we’ll probably find out that there are periods of opportunity when exposure to allergens, for some people, is going to have a protective effect,” says Dr. Nash, who was not involved with the new study. “But we’re a long way from figuring out who it’s protective for and when that optimal period is.”

By the same token, don’t give away your beloved family pet because you’re concerned the critter will provoke allergies. “I would not get rid of my dog if I was having a child,” says Wegienka, an epidemiologist in the department of public health sciences at Henry Ford Hospital, in Detroit. “There’s no evidence that you should get rid of a dog or a cat.”

Moreover, it’s possible that factors other than having a dog or cat in the house influenced the study participants’ risk of allergy. For instance, although the researchers took into account whether the children’s parents were allergic to animals, they didn’t ask about a broader family history of allergies or other health problems. So it could be that children who are genetically predisposed to animal allergies simply are less likely to grow up in homes with pets.

In the study, which appears in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy, Wegienka and her colleagues collected information from 566 children and their parents about the kids’ exposure to indoor pets and their history of allergies. In addition, when the kids turned 18, the researchers took blood samples and tested them for certain immune-system proteins (known as antibodies) that fight off cat and dog allergens.

The teenagers who lived with a cat during their first year of life had a 48 percent lower risk of cat allergy than their peers, and the teen boys who lived with a dog had a 50 percent lower risk of allergy. The authors suggest that infant girls may not develop the same immunity as boys because they may interact differently with dogs than infant boys, but that’s only a guess.

Hypoallergenic dog food may eliminate food allergies

Practically all dog lovers think of their pets as a part of their family. So seeing them endure the consequences of diseases, whether it is common or critical, is heart breaking. Every pet owner wants to ensure her pet is enjoying a healthy living. Overlooking dog food allergies can have a detrimental affect on your dog’s health and well-being. An excellent solution to the problem is feeding your dog hypoallergenic dog food. People and animals suffer from allergies because of their body’s inability to process and metabolize certain proteins. The undigested proteins generate reactions which are not compatible with an individual’s immune system. Reactions bring about severe itchiness and rashes which often can give rise to physical and emotional irritability.

One of the noticeable pet food allergy characteristics is skin discomfort. This could be the case if you notice your dog often scratch, lick and bite at rashes or spots on his body. Parts of the body that are most likely to be affected by the breakouts are the upper legs, the tail’s base, abdomen and ears. Unfortunately, dog allergies may also be attributable to allergens inhaled from the air, so you need to be vigilant. The difference between food and inhalant allergy is the latter comes in only a particular time of year while the former’s symptoms can appear quite often, especially if you feed your pet meals that may induce this allergic reaction.

An easy way to combat dog food allergies is by feeding your pet with hypoallergenic dog food. It’s carefully formulated to make certain there aren’t any ingredients that can trigger allergies in dogs. This includes dairy products, eggs, yeast, beef, poultry, wheat and soy. Hypoallergenic dog food primarily contains duck and potato which are both safe for canines.

Hydrolyzed protein hypoallergenic dog food is one more popular option. The basic elements of this pet food are roughly the same as in normal puppy foods but are chemically changed and altered. The proteins are broken down to smaller portions, which make them much easier to digest and metabolize so your pet will not likely be afflicted by any allergic reaction.

Hypoallergenic dog food should ensure that your pet will not have to deal with allergy symptoms for a long time. This type of food will ensure that your dog gets to live life in comfort.

If you opt to place your pet on a hypoallergenic diet plan, she must be observed closely and regularly examined by a veterinarian. The vet will determine whether or not the diet suits your dog and if any improvements should be made. The cause of the allergy must first be established. So a diet program should be developed by a medical professional with intimate knowledge of your dog’s health and any precautions that need to be adopted. A lot of top dog food manufacturers including Pinnacle, Orijen, and the like, produce and market hypoallergenic dog treats. Prices for this type of dog food come in a wide range.

Hypoallergenic dog food may also be ordered from online retailers. Aside from your vet’s recommendations, online resources should also help you evaluate which is the best one for your dog. All you need to do is search and compare to determine which is most appropriate to accommodate the needs of you and your prized dog.

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Dealing with Dog Allergies

Dog allergies are very similar to human allergies and also produce the same symptoms as human allergies. There are 5 types of dog allergies: food allergy, flea allergy, bacteria allergy, contact allergy and atopy. Here are some basic facts about each of these allergies.

Food Allergies

The most common symptom of food allergies is scratching, due to skin irritation. Dog foods contain a host of ingredients which can cause an allergic reaction to your dog. Some of these ingredients are:

Meats: Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Fish, Eggs

Diary products (Milk)

Grains (Wheat, Whey)
Corn

Most dog owners often scold their dog for scratching too much. Any obsessive behavior your dog demonstrates, such as constant scratching, chewing, licking, requires immediate attention. Never assume that this is just a new habit your dog picked up. Dog allergies can make your dog very uncomfortable.

Aside from scratching, some of the other symptoms dogs can experience are:

sneezing

coughing

eye and nose discharge

Itching around the anus

hair loss

loss of appetite

pawing at their ears or head shaking

vomiting

diarrhea

breathing problems

Isolating the allergen which causes the allergy is not easy because the dog is usually allergic to one specific ingredient in the food. Therefore, it is a matter of isolating that ingredient. You can try doing this with an elimination diet, which most people don’t have the time or energy for. The elimination diet requires preparing specially-cooked meals consisting of a more exotic meat, like rabbit or venison, mixed with rice or potato, which wouldn’t normally be found in dog food.

An easier and more modern approach to test for the presence of a food allergy is to try a dog food which contains hydrolyzed proteins, such as Purinas HA or Hills z/d. Hydrolyzed proteins are broken down into molecules so small, they can’t affect the immune system, which is what causes the allergy. If the allergy goes away while your dog is on this diet (which would take about 8 weeks), then he most likely is suffering from a food allergy. At this point, you would start to re-introduce the possible allergens one by one (individual meats, wheat, corn, milk, etc.) for a period of two weeks each. If the symptoms return, it is most likely due to the ingredient being introduced at that time. You should look out for that ingredient on dog food labels in future purchases.

Atopy (inhalant allergy)

Atopy is the most common of all dog allergies, which is caused by environmental factors, such as dust mites, molds, house dust, human dander, feathers or pollen.

Signs of atopy include excessive chewing, licking and scratching at the face, paws, abdomen, armpits and genital area. Evidence of this behavior can be found in examining your dog’s paws, armpits and genital area. Reddish-brown stains develop in these areas due to excessive licking. This may not be evident in dogs with dark coats.

Atopy is not easy to diagnose due to other dog allergies having the same symptoms. Once these other dog allergies (food, flea and contact) have been ruled out, your vet can proceed with testing for the root cause of the atopy. The most accurate method of testing for atopy is Intradermal Skin Testing.

There are many different treatment options for atopy. The best treatment would be avoiding the allergen altogether. If this is not feasible, other treatments include cool water baths with medicated shampoo, antihistamines, allergy shots, corticosteriods or a diet rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Flea Allergies

Dog allergies to fleas are not caused by the flea itself, but rather the flea’s saliva. A common symptom of flea allergies is scratching at the tail area which causes hair loss, scabs and sores. Your vet can easily diagnose a flea allergy by checking for the presence of fleas in the coat. Fleas can be seen by the naked eye. Intradermal Skin Testing can also be used to test for this type of allergy. The most effective products for eliminating fleas are:

Advantage – Flea control for your Dog & CatFrontLine – Flea & Tick

Medication for your Dog & Cat

Capstar- Flea infestation on Dog and Cat

K9 Advantix Flea and Tick Medication (based on dog’s weight)

Bacterial Allergies

A dog’s skin normally harbors Staph bacteria. Usually, this bacteria does not have any affect on your dog but some dogs develop a sensitivity to it causing an allergic reaction. Your dog may develop crusts on the skin and patches of hair loss due to scratching, similar to ring worm. If these patches become infected, your dog will need to be treated with antibiotics.

Contact Allergies

Contact allergies are the least common of all dog allergies. This type of allergy produces swelling, redness, itching and hair loss. Common contact allergens include flea collars, plastic food bowls, pet sweaters, plants, grass or wool bedding. The best way to diagnose this allergy is if the symptoms continue after ruling out all other allergies. If this is the case, then you must pinpoint the allergen and remove it from your dog’s environment.

This information is NOT intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian, dog trainer or pet care professional.

So You Think Your Dog Has Allergies, Part 1: Symptoms and Types

When Maisy was just a wee thing, she began chewing on her legs. A quick internet search suggested that it might be food allergies, so I switched her food. And again. And again. What started as just a bit of itchiness evolved into almost a year of frustration.

As it turns out, the subject of canine allergies is complex, and internet advice is often simplistic and lacking vital information. That’s why I decided to tackle a three-part series on the topic. Of course, I am not a vet, so this is not medical advice. Instead, it is a sharing of information from one owner of a dog with allergies to another. If you think your dog might have allergies, I highly recommend you schedule an appointment with your vet because there are a number of other skin problems that can look like allergies but are not.

Signs Your Dog Has Allergies
So, what do allergies look like in dogs? Well, unlike in humans, dogs typically don’t have nasal congestion. Runny noses, sneezing, wheezing, or eye discharge may be a symptom of allergies, but it probably isn’t. See your vet. Instead, dogs with allergies are itchy. What you will see is excessive scratching, licking, and chewing. This typically happens on the feet, face, and groin, but may show up anywhere.

Unfortunately, these behaviors can result in secondary problems, most often skin infections or ear infections. Before we got a handle on Maisy’s allergies, she chewed off most of the fur on her front legs, and had some scabs. It was pretty ugly, actually, and we did need to treat her with antibiotics to help clear it up.

Her left leg is bare and the skin is being damaged because she was chewing it so much.

Allergy Cause #1: Flea Bites
The most common of these causes is flea bites. According to research cited in the April 2011 Whole Dog Journal article Itching to be Well by Nancy Kerns, approximately 40% of dogs have an allergy to fleas. Of course, if a dog is bit by a flea, it’s going to itch either way. However, a dog who is truly allergic will have an overreaction. If you have found only a few fleas, but your dog has widespread redness- or worse, oozing sores- it’s likely he’s allergic. The bad news is that dogs who suffer from a flea allergy tend to get worse throughout their lives.

Allergy Cause #2: Environmental
Environmental allergies happen when a dog has an itchy reaction to something he has either inhaled or been transcutaneously exposed to. Things like mold, dust, and pollen are common, although poor Maisy is also allergic to- are you ready?- human dander. (Yes, that’s possible. Yes, I cried when I found out.)

According to the Whole Dog Journal article, approximately 10% to 15% of dogs have an environmental allergy. 80% of these dogs will also have a flea bite allergy (for once, Maisy has beaten the odds!). If your dog has an environmental allergy, it’s highly likely you’ll know it while he’s still young- 75% of dogs will show symptoms before three years of age, although the first year tends to be fairly mild.

Allergy Cause #3: Food
Food allergies are actually quite rare, although the exact prevalence is contested. A conservative estimate is that 1% to 5% of dogs have food allergies, possibly up to 10%, but the Whole Dog Journal reviewed research that suggests up to 43% of dogs are sensitive to some food item. 43% of these dogs will also have another type of allergy.

Food allergies are unique in that they typically affect more than just the skin. 10 to 15% of dogs will also have gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, excessive gas, and cramping, and a dog with food allergies might also be affected in the respiratory tract or central nervous system. This means that diagnosis can be tricky; you definitely want to visit your vet.

Although food allergies can begin at any time in life, generalized itchiness that begins before six months of age is very probably caused by food. This is absolutely true for Maisy- she was right around five or six months when we first noticed the excessive itching. Of course, this was complicated by the fact that her birthday was in the fall, meaning that Maisy hit her six month birthday at the height of allergy season- the spring.

So, how did I determine what her allergies were? Well, it was an incredibly frustrating process. I learned a lot during it, though, and in my next post, I’ll share some information that will helpfully make the process easier for you. Part three will discuss some of the treatment options available.

Until then, I’d love to hear from my readers. Do your dogs have allergies? Do you know what they’re allergic to? What symptoms did they have?

My Dog Allergies -

Understanding and Treating Dog Allergies

When your best friend is miserable so are you. A dog experiencing seasonal or long term allergies is just as uncomfortable as a human dealing with this health issue. The dog however, is completely dependent on you for help. Whether short term or a chronic issue, dog allergy symptoms can affect the animals overall health. Understanding the condition and how to treat allergies in dogs can provide help in relieving the symptoms, and give you the opportunity to make your pet more comfortable.

 

The Occurrence of Allergies in Dogs

Just as with humans, allergies are very common in dogs. All breeds, sizes, and types of dogs can have an allergic reaction or condition. Breeds believed to be more susceptible are the West Highland Terrier, the Golden Retriever, the Boxer, and the Poodle. Allergies are also frequently seen in flat-faced breeds such as the Boston Terrier and Pugs.  Susceptibility to an allergen is not considered a breed fault however, though it is known to be a genetic tendency just as is seen in human beings. If either the sire or dame of your puppy has allergies then there is greater chance your puppy will have them too. Unless the allergy is extreme or life threatening, it isn’t usually seen as a reason not to breed a dog..

Common Dog Allergy Symptoms

All dogs scratch themselves, but when allergies kick in this behavior seems to become an unhappy obsession for the animal. The skin will become red, moist, or scabbed. The dog’s eyes might become runny and reddened. Often the tail will be bitten along the base rapidly and repeatedly, sometimes until bloody. A dog might persistently scratch at the ears, and ear infections crop up again and again especially in breeds such as the Cocker Spaniel and others with droopy, furry ears that flap over instead of remaining naturally upright. The dog might lick the skin or fur more than usual or chew at the paws. Besides these signs of dog skin problems there’s often sneezing, vomiting or diarrhea. Snoring because of an inflamed throat is also reported as a dog allergy symptom.

A dog with allergies will also suffer other types of secondary bacterial or yeast infections predominately evident in the ear. Allergies can also cause bald patches in the fur, or scabs and crusts on the skin from excessive scratching.

The Causes of Dog Allergies

Allergies will usually show up between the ages of 1 to 5 years of age in your dog. Allergies can’t be completely cured, but they can be controlled. Allergies in dogs are caused by the dog’s own immune system reacting to something in the environment the system sees as a threat to the body. The body will release antibodies to target molecules of the allergen and then direct them to the white blood cells to be destroyed. As the allergen is destroyed, a chemical called histamine is released into the dog’s bloodstream. Large amounts of histamine inflames the body tissues, causes itchiness, dilated blood vessels, excess secreted fluids, and muscle tightening of airways.

Dogs can develop allergies to a number of things in their environment or from foods they eat. Common allergens that cause dog skin problems and dog allergy symptoms are from tree, grass, and weed pollens. Mold spores, dander, dust mites, cigarette smoke, feathers such as found in pillows can also be culprits. Occasionally dogs will have allergies to cleaning products, fabrics, or even rubber and plastic. An allergy in dogs caused by an inhaled substance is called canine atopy.

One of the more common allergies seen in dogs is due to fleas. Flea allergies are easily treatable with the removal of all fleas, as even one flea bite can cause a full blown skin allergy. The dog is not allergic to the flea itself, but to the saliva in the fleas bite.

Diagnosing Dog Allergies

Since allergies are a common problem most veterinarians have little trouble in diagnosing whether dog skin problems are caused by an allergen. When your best friend’s skin is red, itchy, and irritated, both of you want relief quickly, and a veterinarian will usually treat for allergies even while running skin and blood test to see if the allergen can be pinpointed.

The most common test for air born or environmental allergens is the intra-dermal skin test, very much like the test humans have for diagnosing allergies. For food allergies, the veterinarian will prescribe an elimination diet to find the food causing the problem.

After diagnosis through testing, a veterinarian might change the course of treatment or advise you to stay with the medications the pet is currently taking. Pinpointing the cause gives owners the best chance to eliminate the dogs contact with the allergen as much as possible.

 Treatment of Dog Allergies

The best treatment is to either remove the allergen or keep the pet away from exposure, but this often isn’t a possibility. If you can’t rid the home of those things you believe your pet is allergic to, then seeing a veterinarian is recommended. A veterinarian will often recommend natural treatments such as putting Omega 3 in the dog’s diet, or giving the dog a prescribed amount of Yucca to help the dog’s immune system function normally. Medicated shampoos and conditioners are also frequently recommended as are over-the-counter medications and antihistamines. If nothing seems to relieve the problem then steroids and immune-modulators can be prescribed for dog allergies.

Dog Allergies

Skin allergies are common among dogs, and some dog breeds are more prone than others. For example German Shepherds, Labradors, Boxers seem to be particularly susceptible to allergic reactions.

There are three main types of allergic diseases seen in dogs, and these are:

• 
  Food allergies or intolerance: this is a reaction to some thing in the dog’s diet

• 
  Atopic dermatitis, which is a reaction to environmental substances

• 
  Contact allergy, which is a reaction to dyes, cleaners or shampoos

It is possible for food allergy and atopic dermatitis to occur together and it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other. For contact allergy, its only the part of the skin that is in contact with the cause of the allergy that is affected or inflammed.

Before testing a dog for skin allergies, it is absolutely essential that the dog has been checked for other causes of dog skin problems, particularly parasites and other skin infections first, and any occurrence removed or controlled.

Food Allergies

Skin allergies caused by reactions to food are uncommon in dogs. It is wrongly believed that dogs only react to a change of diet. However, vets recognise that reactions are just as likely to occur after a dog has been fed on a particular diet for several months or even years. If a dog is suffering from intolerance to a particular food, then there’s likely to be vomiting or diarrhoea, but not always.

Do consult your vet for advice. Usually the only reliable way to diagnose food allergy is by feeding the dog a trial diet for at least six weeks. If the dog shows improvement from being fed the trial diet, then this new diet should become the dog’s normal diet.

The most commonly accepted causes of food allergies in dogs are beef, cereals and dairy products.

Atopic Dermatitis

This is a reaction by the dog, to environmental substances, commonly called allergens, that are harmless to other dogs. Common allergens include:

• house dust mites


• insects


• pollens or moulds


• danders

The specific allergen causing the problem for your dog can be identified using skin or blood tests. It is possible to treat this condition, but it will not go away, and must be controlled for the life time of the dog. The best treatment for this type of skin allergies is usually a combination of treatment options, that is preventing parasite infection and treating any secondary infection quickly.

Avoidance and Treatment of Allergens

Where possible, the allergens should be avoided. It’s not an easy task, particularly as these allergens occur naturally. There are however some basic guidelines that could be followed to keep the occurence of allergic reactions to a minimum and avoid discomfort for your pet and you.

There are a number of  treatments for allergic dogs available, but it is advisable to discuss the best option with the Vet.

Contact Allergies

This is a reaction to man made substances such as cleaners, dyes, soaps, caustic liquids, some shampoos, especially human products and other substances such as cement and concrete. The best way to treat this type of reaction is to remove the dog from the environment that has caused the reaction, for up to a week. If its not possible to remove the source of the allergen, then treatment could include the use of steroids or anti-inflammatory drugs.

As always, we recommend that you consult your veterinary surgeon for a clinical diagnosis of any of these dog skin problems.

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