Allergy Relief For Dogs
Identifying Canine Allergies Often a dog will become so itchy that she will start to tear patches out of her coat and open cuts on her skin in efforts to scratch herself. Constant flea infestations can be another sign that your dog's immune system is being starved of enough nutrients or barraged by too many toxins. Fleas are parasites which tend to feed off of unhealthy animals. In contrast, healthy animals usually do not get major flea infestations. Does your dog smell bad or have itchy ears? This can indicate they have too much yeast in their system. In our attempts to help our dog become healthy, it is easy to forget that pet medications contain very powerful chemicals and mixtures. Antibiotics, steroids and tranquilizers can cause a toxic build up in your dog's body, just as they do in humans. This toxic buildup represents itself in allergic responses, breathing problems, skin irritations, low energy and finally, sickness. When your dog becomes sick, you take her to the vet for more harsh medications and this vicious circle becomes harder and harder to break. Vaccinations can also be very toxic to your pet. They can cause skin eruptions, epilepsy, excessive biting, incessant scratching, continual paw licking, or sudden aggressive behavior. After vaccination, cats often develop urinary tract infections. Symptoms may present themselves immediately or may not present themselves for several months. Flea and Heartworm medications also add to your dog's toxic overload. Consider beginning your dog on antioxidant supplements, and healthier, more nutritious dog food which contains very little or no corn, soy or wheat which are used as fiber bulking agents. Antioxidant supplements help to repair cells which have been damaged by free radicals. Antioxidants and high nutrition dog food work hand in hand to return your dog or pet to health more quickly than with food, alone.
Commercially prepared cereal-type dog foods made mainly with corn, other grains and fillers fall far short of what a dog would eat in the wild. Humans cannot eat a steady diet of processed cereal and remain healthy. Our pets can't, either. Humans are omnivores. We eat both plants and animals as our primary source of food. Dogs are primarily carnivores. Dogs need raw meat and real bones in their diet, along with a few vegetables. Somehow, over the last 40 or so years, the major dog food companies have convinced us that dogs don't need raw meat, or even that it's bad for them! We watch these commercials and become sold on the ease of feeding them these products. The problem is,...no one has convinced our dogs! OK, let's think about this, rationally. When was the last time when you went to visit the zoo, that you saw carnivores such as large cats, lions, tigers and wolves being fed bowls of dry, processed grain-based kibble cereal such as we typically feed our dogs? The reason the zoo feeds their animals raw meat and specially prepared meat and vegetable mixtures is because they know that carnivores must eat meat or they will become ill, develop mange, have gastrointestinal problems, suffer from allergies or possibly become so nutritionally deficient that they die. The zoo has a full time veterinarian on staff, as well as animal dieticians and nutritionists whose job is to pay close attention to these animal's diets.
If you're worried about your dog developing E-coli or other life-threatening bacterial diseases, you should be aware that dogs have much stronger hydrochloric acid in their stomachs than we do, as do most carnivores. This helps them to digest pieces of fresh meat, bone and gristle much more quickly than a human can. Like people, dogs need a balanced diet. Overcoming long-standing diet deficiencies will take some time but is well worth it for the health of your pet. Once your dog's immune system is nourished properly, his or her body will heal by itself. Although your dog would prefer a steady diet of raw meat, realistically, its price may be more than your budget will allow. So, choose dog food not for its well-known brand name, nor based solely on buying the biggest bag for the cheapest price. We all like to save money, but since your dog can't speak for herself, select your best friend's dog food in somewhat the same way as you would choose a multiple vitamin for yourself. Allergy Relief For Dogs Allergy relief for dogs begins with their food. Good dog foods contain scientifically researched amounts of meat and meat byproducts such as chicken, lamb and beef, kelp, fish oil or Omega 3, vitamin A, all the B vitamins such as thiamine, (B1), riboflavin, (B2), niacin, (B3), pyridoxine, (B6), biotin, (B7), Cobalamin, (B12), Vitamin C, (ascorbic acid), Vitamin E, Folic Acid, and trace amounts of minerals such as calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, zinc and more. The first few ingredients listed on a package mean that there is more of them, by weight. As more and more pet owners attempt to find allergy relief for dogs, raw dog food, such as the B.A.R.F. (Bones and Raw Food) also known as (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is becoming more popular. A few good organic, holistic dog foods include: Nutro, Eagle Pack, Solid Gold, Innova Evo, Nature's Variety Raw Instinct, Timberwolf Organics, Canidae, Wellness and Aunt Jeni's raw dog food. They can be found in your local pet food store or online.
If, however, you are searching for allergy relief for dogs because your dog is currently in distress with an acute allergy, one solution available is Clemastine, an antihistamine tablet specially designed for dogs. Clemastine is an over-the-counter, long-lasting medicine which comes in tablet form and can be crushed up and hidden in your dog's food. Keep in mind that this is a symptomatic treatment, so while it will relieve the immediate suffering of your pet, it will not deal with the original cause of the allergies. Be careful not to give your pet any medicine designed for humans, even if you have some leftover in your medicine cabinet, as it's impossible to tell what the side effects of some ingredients may be on a pet, plus it is difficult to determine the proper amount due to weight differences between humans and most dogs. Also, antihistamines for allergy relief for dogs can sometimes have the side effects of drowsiness and dry mouth, just like they do in humans. Always read the package to check a pet medication's side effects so you will know what to expect. Antihistamines are a relatively safe and quick way to relieve the immediate problems in your dog, especially when they are in distress from constant itching, before you consider taking on any more expensive pet medications or drug treatments for allergy relief for dogs through your vet. However, in the long term, changing your dog's diet back to what her system requires is the best way to provide allergy relief for dogs and save your dog a lot of misery, not to mention high vet bills. You can find Clemastine at 1800PetMeds.com. As with all pet issues, including find allergy relief for dogs, consider searching for an holistic, homeopathic veterinarian. The word holistic means treating the "whole body", rather than just individual symptoms. They are trained in methods which not only provide allergy relief for dogs, but will help you reestablish a healthy immune system for your dog through the use of homeopathic, less toxic methods along with more nutritionally dense foods. They understand that when your pet appears to be allergic to grass, dust or other environmental issues, develops skin problems or has a sudden change in behavior, the real problem which causes us to search for information about allergy relief for dogs is most probably a weak immune system due to a nutritional deficit.
For more information about learning what dogs should and should not eat, the book, Not Fit for a Dog!: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food should probably be required reading for all pet owners. The link above, takes you to Amazon.com. Written by 3 veterinarians, the book discusses pet nutrition, what really goes into the pet food your animal eats as well as pet meds. An eye opener, at best!
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