Dog Allergies

Allergies among dogs have become very common of late but unfortunately the causes and consequently the remedies for these allergies are hard to pin down. With the growing number of chemicals used in everything from pesticides to plant food, it has become increasingly difficult to determine exactly what causes certain allergies and what treatments to use. Some dogs develop rashes and itching skin, constantly scratching and biting at the annoying areas. This can be caused by contact with grass or soil that has been fertilized. Chemicals can also be transferred from street surfaces. Oil, coolant and grease can all be irritants to your pet. One good treatment for this is a moderate antihistamine which seems to temporarily calm the dog to the point where many times they just sleep until the effects wear off. Another good preventative measure are dog booties available at your favorite pet shop. If your dog just can't stand the booties, try an alternative like Musher's Secret All Natural Paw Wax 200 gbut these are just temporary treatments and not a cure. In order to help your pet, you must find the cause.
One opinion is that many dogs are actually allergic to their food. Many low quality dog foods contain corn as the first ingredient followed up with byproducts of many kinds. What are byproducts? Basically they are the left over parts. For example, chicken byproducts might consist of ground beaks and feet. Beef byproducts might consist of ground hooves, horns and tails. Other grains and soy are also used as fillers. The point is that this type of food is not healthy for your dog and may be the cause of his allergies.
Switching to a quality food which contains real meat as it’s first ingredient may be the cure that you are looking for. Slowly wean your dog off of his old food over the course of about 15 days. Start with a mixture of 30% new food to 70% old food for about 5 days. Then mix 50% new food with 50% old food for about 5 days. Finally mix 75% new food with 25% old food for the last 5 days. Now you can feed your dog 100% of his new healthy diet. Monitor his condition. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that this cures his allergies. Don’t forget that your dog will enjoy a variety just like we do. After all, you wouldn’t want the same food for dinner every night.Once in a while, give him a snack. It’s just like when we have desert.