Introduction
Once allergies are diagnosed in a dog and the cause is determined, then treatment can begin. It’s important that owners rely on veterinarians to try to diagnose and cure the allergy rather than simply treating it, because symptoms will simply reappear once the initial treatment wears off.
Treating Allergies in Dogs
The good thing about treating an allergy is that owners can be proactive to try and help the dog. If the allergy is caused by something the dog is inhaling, then the owner can try to keep the dog from the offending substance. For instance, if dust is the problem, then the dog should be kept from a room that hasn’t been vacuumed in a while. Or if pollen is the issue, then the dog shouldn’t be taken on walks in fields. By avoiding the allergen, the allergy can’t take hold.
Topical treatments are available to use on any irritated areas on the dog. They include shampoos and rinses for bathing the dog and anti-itch medications for application on the affected areas. Immunotherapy, which requires injections to try and acclimate the body to the allergens if avoidance is impossible, may be required in severe cases. Antihistamines may also be used for seasonal problems.
In cases of food allergy, changing the dog’s diet is the obvious solution. Owners may use homemade food or take advantage of the wide variety of specialized dog foods on the market. Once the allergies have subsided, the owner may reintroduce other foods to the dog’s diet, being careful to make sure that none of the reintroduced foods cause a relapse.
Using these methods, dog-owners, using the counsel of a veterinarian, can keep their pets allergy-free.