Allergies
What and why are allergies so prevalent? What is causing so many? Are they really allergies or is that just a catch all for “we don’t know let’s try this”?
Wouldn’t prevention be a better cure? Is it diet, stress, environmental or genetics that leads to an unbalance of the immune system to cause outbreaks and reactions.
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of itchy dogs. Dogs with open soars, bald from scratching, ones that keep their owners up at night with their scratching, dogs that have been treated over and over again with antibiotics and cortisone, dogs who smell no matter how many baths or have chronic ear infections, chewed off hair and skin. Let’s break this down.
Genetics - Making sure your pets parents has never had an allergic skin disease, this will increase the chances of their pups having the same problem. There is not much to help with this except to make sure the nutritional needs are met to keep the problem at bay. One problem I have found with some dogs from breeders and rescues is that the puppies are fed kibble food to early some start puppies on kibble at 2 or 3 weeks – that would be equivalent to feeding a 6 week old baby a steak and fries their digestive system is not up to get all the nutrients or even to digest it. One product that I have found that could help is a product called Arkus. Yes we sell it in the store but check it out online, we have had many great reviews from people that are using it.
Vaccines – Sometimes dogs within a week of vaccines will start with red hot itchy scabby breakouts on their legs or stomach, sometimes they can get infected. If you ever notice that your dog/cat has allergies that flare up after vaccination talk with your vet. Also it wouldn’t hurt to give liver support to help remove anything that is causing the flare up. Supporting the liver can be done with Milk Thistle, Dandelion, and liver just to name a few. Stop in and speak with a associate to find help in this area.
Poor Diet – All processed foods have a lot of carbohydrates in them – mostly from grains, some of the newer grain free foods have legume type “filler” or some other vegetable source, the newest being tapioca. Lots have changed in the “kibble end” of pet food but the fact remains that dogs are carnivores and cats are oblique carnivores. Carbohydrates can heat up your dog’s metabolism which can lead to hot, pink, damp, itchy skin. Dogs are designed to burn proteins and fats. An elimination diet can help pinpoint the problem – remember when doing a elimination diet ALL treats, snacks etc. must be taken into consideration along with finding a food that contains none of the other items they have ever eaten. Again you can stop in the store and talk with an associate to get some help in this area.
Food “Kibble” storage – Pouring your natural kibble into a plastic bin can be a problem due to rancid oils that are stored in the porous plastic. (think about plastic that has tomato and how you cannot get that out) Studies show that rancid oil forms dangerous free radicals that can contribute to cell damage. The compromised cells have been linked to many diseases like diabetes and diseases which manifest over time. Free radicals have also been shown to damage arteries, and to function as carcinogens. In addition to free radicals' chronic disease risks, rancid oils can trigger digestive system distress. These harmful substances can also drain vitamins B(immune & digestion) and E(helps skin & boost immune system) from your body, another effect of consuming rancid food.
Stress - Some less common triggers can be from stress and environmental influences. Things like moving, losing a family member, a companion dog or cat, emotional stress can be a trigger for allergies in some pets. Being left alone for long periods of time with nothing to do, not getting enough exercise.
Environmental – Chemicals of all sorts, lawn chemicals, yard sprays, artificial scents, candles, plug ins, air fresheners, dust mites, certain plants, or fleas.
This is just a small bit of where to start. If you have an itchy dog, remove as many triggers as you can. I have the belief that you need to get back to the basics and try to help the pet heal it’s body, if given the right tools and the irritant is removed this can be done, I’ve seen it many times over the past 20 + years.
The thing with allergies is that they don't just pop up overnight they are something that is lingering in your pets body for quite awhile and then the body has to deal with them and that's when we see the problems. Have any questions stop in and chat with one of our Pet Nutrition Counselors or Pet Nutrition Specialist.