Allergies
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If you've ever been kept awake by a dog that can't stop scratching, biting and licking itself, then both of you have suffered from skin allergies. Skin allergies, or dermatitis, are one of the trickiest problems to diagnose in an animal, since they can have many different causes. In its misery, the affected animal also usually worsens the problem by continually scratching and licking at the affected places, undoing any healing that's occurred. [...]
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Flea bite dermatitis is caused by a hypersensitivity to the saliva of the common flea. Dogs that are allergic to the flea's saliva have incredibly severe reactions to the flea bites and can actually bite at their skin or scratch until they have open lesions and infections of the skin. Hair loss is also common when the dog becomes obsessed with licking and scratching at this incredibly itchy spots on their skin.Flea bite dermatitis is typically most noted in the spring and fall when flea activity is at its peak. During these months even dogs that are treated with monthly flea applications will still be bitten by adult fleas, leading to the reaction. Unlike some allergens the 15 different possible compounds in the fleas saliva that a dog can react to do not seem to decrease in effect with exposure. Dogs that are sensitive will remain just as sensitive or become worse, not better, as they age. [...]
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It's not just toddlers that can get into your drain cleaner or antifreeze. Curious pets also frequently come into contact with dangerous chemicals. In fact, Animal Control Poison Centers around the globe log in hundreds of thousands of calls each year from worried pet owners whose animals have been accidentally exposed to household poisons.Among the most frequent causes of poisoning in dogs are such items as human medications, insecticides and rodenticides. Obviously the latter two are direct poisons, designed to kill household pests, and in a dog they usually cause bleeding, seizures, kidney damage and death. Even flea and tick medicines designed specifically for dogs can occasionally cause problems if the animal proves to be allergic and/or the instructions are not followed exactly. [...]
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Skin rashes that occur throughout time and that are directly caused by contact with a particular type of irritant are often classed as chronic eczema in dogs. These conditions will occur throughout a dog's life but often become more obvious and chronic in nature as the dog matures or if it is ill or stressed. All breeds of dogs can have chronic eczema but breeds that are most known for the skin condition include the German Shepherd, Dalmatian and the hairless breeds of dogs such as the Chinese Crested and the Mexican Hairless. Some Basenji dogs that have very sensitive skin are also prone to eczema. [...]
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One of the most frustrating issues with treating dogs with skin allergies is trying to determine exactly what is the source of the irritation, known as the allergen. For many dogs it is fleas, well not exactly the fleas themselves but the saliva they secrete as they bite and feed off the dog. There are many different allergens in flea saliva and these are considered to be some of the most problematic conditions for dogs as they are so concentrated even a single bite can cause irritation across a large part of the dog's skin.Food allergies are also very problematic for many dogs. Often these allergies are to gluten or wheat products in the food but they can also be from corn, preservatives and even flavorings and colorings used in the food. Since most commercially produced dog foods have the same ingredients, owners may need to go to a BARF or bones and raw foods or other natural type diet to eliminate the problematic ingredients from the dog's food. [...]
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Welsh Terriers are relatively healthy dogs, though they may be prone to allergic reactions; actually dogs in general tend to be highly susceptible to a variety of allergic reactions. And while people often get runny noses and watery eyes when suffering from allergies, dogs will develop skin problems. A dog suffering from allergies may display an unhealthy looking coat, either in texture or in length, he may obsessively scratch and chew at his itchy skin, or he may develop things called hot spots. [...]
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Allergies
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