Allergic reactions in dogs are hard to control and are usually chronic in nature. This is why the right diagnosis and therapy has to be started early to minimize the allergic reaction. The most common symptom for allergic reaction in dogs is excessive itching, or pruritis. It is the high strung dogs that tend to itch more than placid dogs while chewing, licking and rubbing of the skin are all manifestations of pruritis.
On the other hand although the face, feet and armpit areas are the common areas for pruritis in dogs there is still a possibility that it may cover up the entire body when we will not provide early proper diagnosis and therapy. However, there are few dogs that scratch a lot but show no problems in their skin. For the reason that sometimes there are pets which are allergic to fleas and when bitten wherever parts of the body it starts to itch because the bite may form tiny blood spots. In addition to this, flea dirt constitutes more of blood that they appear as small blood spots on table tops and the floor.
According to veterinarians, there are 3 types of allergic reactions common in dogs and they could suffer from any of these reactions or a killer combination of the three. There are some, if not all, kinds of specific preservatives found in foods that are considered food allergens for dogs and examples of these foods are poultry products, lamb, beef, dairy products and wheat. But a dog owner also has to be aware of is that dog foods, even premium ones can contain these products and this is the first type of allergic reaction- food allergy.
Usually, dog owners visit a pet store with good reputation to look for there dogs in order to stop allergic reactions. At this point, store employees usually recommend some dog food to stop the itching thinking that this is the main cause for allergic reactions in dogs. Besides, food allergies are basically the least common of allergic problems found in diagnosed skin problems.
As with the case of flea allergy dermatitis, the second type, the usual culprits are the allergens found in the saliva of a biting flea in a dog’s body. What fleas usually do is to insert a coagulant through the saliva to prevent clotting to make the blood flow constant and smooth thus induces an allergic reaction.
This form of allergic reaction is a common cause of allergic reaction for some time. However new and effective treatments have now diminished its occurrence.
The third type of allergic reactions in dogs is atopy or allergic inhaled dermatitis. This is a predisposition in the dog to produce IgE antibodies on exposure to an allergen. It is then the re-exposure to the same allergen that induces an allergic reaction.
The common allergens here are pollen, house dust, feathers, grasses, animal dander, mold and mites which are either ingested by the dog or passed through the pads of its feet.
