Dogs can sometimes be very sensitive to certain types of material. Although lovable your dog does require a certain level of caution and tending to. Does this mean can dogs be allergic to other dogs though? Your dog can easily experience an allergic reaction to other dogs.
You should also keep in mind that it is not a specific dog breed that your dog might be allergic to. It is the contaminants that they might be hosts to, that make your dog allergic to any other dog.
Dogs are generally very social creatures and like playing around with others of their kind and in most cases, you should let them. It keeps your dog active and healthy but there are a few symptoms you should keep an eye on though. There are a few things that make it evident that your dog may be suffering from an allergic reaction caused by other dogs.
Symptoms
If you take them out on a playdate with another dog and your dog comes back home coughing and wheezing and completely losing any sense of normalcy. It is quite possible that your dog might be suffering from an allergic reaction.
They could be itching and scratching themselves all over their body, they could be sneezing and coughing and having shortness of breath. This will be because of the allergens that may have crossed over to your dog. Your dog might have redness and puffy eyes. Which is very obvious when you look at a dog.
This can make it very evident that your dog is not well. Another way to know is by irritated or reddish skin in some spots. Which makes it clear that your dog needs quick medical care.
Although, usually after the removal of the dog from that situation the symptoms tend to go away. Which makes the dog feel comfortable again. But sometimes the symptoms do not go away and instead get a lot worse. Which makes the situation quite bad, altogether.
Causes
There are many causes of these allergens, the misconception that the allergic reaction is caused by fur. Where the actual reason, the allergens are usually caused by skin beneath the fur.
When the skin beneath the fur starts to dissipate and extracts itself from the skin, it sort of acts like dandruff. The name given to these extracts of dead skin is dander. This can enter the respiratory system of your dog and in turn causes breathing problems. This can be really bad for your dog’s health even in the long term.
Another common cause of allergies is saliva, the saliva of other dogs can contain an ample number of allergens. Which can be bad for different dogs. Just like saliva, urine is also an excreted liquid from their body. It contains the germs and waste of your dog’s body.
These germs can enter your dog’s immune system and cause it to get really sick. This is because the immune system overreacts while trying to protect your dog from the negative effects of these germs.
When it comes to food allergies though Dr. Jerry Klein, AKC Chief Veterinary Officer says.
True food allergies may not be as common as people think, according to AKC Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Jerry Klein. True food allergies result in an immune response, which can range in symptoms from skin conditions (hives, facial swelling, itchiness), gastrointestinal signs (vomiting and/or diarrhea) or a combination of both.
As dogs grow old, so do their immune systems and they become a lot more susceptible to diseases and allergies. Read the original article at – American Kennel Club
Treatment
When dogs have negative reactions because of other dogs, it becomes a lot more confusing to understand how to treat them. Better safe than sorry is a good example to live by. Whenever you take your dog out for a walk and it interacts with other dogs, after coming home check for anything that is out of the ordinary. If it seems like it is, give your dog a bath and clean it out thoroughly.
If you are sure that your dog has definitely caught something, and it is too late for precautionary activity. Try giving them a bath again. This time, it cannot be one of your regular baths. You have to make sure that you wash the skin and fur of your dog thoroughly.
Make sure that you get out any sort of dead skin that may have attached itself to your dog’s body. For information on grooming your dog please visit our article on best practices on how to groom a dog at home.
Another source that can cause your dog to catch allergens is air. Airborne allergens can be very dangerous, and dogs are very prone to these.
These allergens can easily find their way into the body of your dog and cause it to have a severe allergic reaction. What you can do to remedy this is to use air purifiers in your house. Air purifiers will help clear out the air of any sort of negative bacteria and make your house safe for your dog.
Avoiding it before it happens
The allergens find themselves in the air around you when there are other dogs nearby, air purifiers can be an excellent buy.
One difficult way to keep your dog safe from allergies can be to keep them away from other dogs. Dogs are very social animals and need the company of their own kind. Try to find people that maintain their dogs and keep them clean. Avoid people who let their dogs run around free and do not take proper care of them.
It is not entirely the dog’s fault, but it is better to take precautions than to cause your dog to have allergies and risk its life.
Allowing dogs to sit on beds or anything which is liable to producing lint is also a cause for allergies. Lint can cause an increase of dander in the scalp of your dog and in turn become a danger to your dog’s respiratory system. Avoid letting your dog sit on any furry surfaces to protect them from that.
Furry furniture can also attract another dog’s dander which can then transfer on to your dog’s scalp. which can be extremely unhealthy and risky. Do not allow other dogs to sit on your furniture, but if that does happen. Make sure your dog does not climb on to the furry spots.
Recovery
Once you realize that your dog is already having an allergic reaction, you need to opt for proper medication. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian and get your dog checked up.
You might feel like you already know how to deal with this because of past experiences. But it is better to consult an expert on the matter to make sure the condition is not different. This is the best approach as you could end up giving your dog the wrong medicine, which might cause your dog’s condition to worsen in many cases.
If you are experiencing this issue for the first time, try to make it easy on the dog and not panic. Take them to your veterinarian and they will help you out with whatever issues your dog might be having.
Take better care for next time after finding out what it was that caused the reaction in your dog. Refrain from exposing your dog to any similar circumstances in the future.
Fleas
Although fleas are not exactly an allergen the entrance of them in your dog’s body can have a reaction that is not too different from an allergic reaction. Fleas can find a way in your dog’s body through other dogs or through the environment around them, especially the outdoors.
You can’t stop your dog from going outdoors but what you can do is check for fleas on your dog regularly. Every time you give them a bath, try to comb out their fur and check for any sort of bugs and ticks, just in case.
If the dog is scratching and itching itself, then there is a big chance that your dog might have fleas. The best you can do in this situation is bathing your dog thoroughly and getting a good flea ridding shampoo to get your dog started.
If that does not work, take your dog to the vet, and get it checked up, the doctor will find out. They will be able to find out the type of flea that your dog has, and the infestation of its fur. While being able to provide you with the appropriate information on how to treat it.
The right medicine and the right shampoo will surely get rid of the fleas in your dog’s body soon enough. The right treatment at the right time is quite necessary with fleas. AS they will keep growing and at one point it will become next to impossible to get rid of them. This is because of how quickly they lay eggs. Which will make your dog seriously uncomfortable which is inhumane.
Puppies Having Fleas?
If it is a puppy that has fleas, you should consult your vet straight away. There is a certain age range when you should not be giving your puppy a full-blown bath. Bathing a very young puppy can cause some serious harm to them.
We have an article called when can you give your puppy a bath, this will be a good guide for you. It will help you see if your puppy is too young. There might be no avoiding it and the puppy will need to have a full blown bath with all the treatments. Only your vet can make this call.
If fleas are something that you are worried about there are treatments that you can do each month to help combat any fleas. There are a couple of different treatments. So please talk to your vet about which one will be best for your dog.
The reason we say this is because your vet will have a full history of your dog’s allergies. For example, a skin allergy which could cause a lot of problems for your dog.
Drastic effects of allergies in dogs
There are absolutely no dogs in existence that are completely allergy-resistant. Allergies can have some of the most drastic effects on the dog’s bodies. From making them lose all their fur, to vomiting and nausea, and in worst cases death. Dogs can go into anaphylactic shock because of the lack of quick treatment.
Get your dogs vaccinated regularly and keep them safe from any allergy-prone materials in the first place. Taking care of a dog is a huge responsibility and vaccinations are a very important part of it. They improve the life span of your dog’s immune system and makes them healthier regarding allergies, and everything else in general.
Brush out your dog’s fur on a regular basis to avoid any tick infestations and bathe your dog. Keep a close eye on your dog around other animals for maximum protection.
