Winding Road Kennel Takes Allergic Reaction Precautions for Your Dog
This month, we’re blogging about things to which your dog could be allergic. May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. True, May blogs focus on things to which humans could be allergic, but your dog’s allergies matter to us. In the Winding Road Kennel blog for March, we discussed dogs’ seasonal allergies. In addition to being allergic in spring and fall, dogs can be allergic to:
- Food Ingredients
- Outdoor Elements
- Household Items
- Certain Shampoos
Outdoor Elements and Food Ingredients to Which Dogs Can Be Allergic
If your dog is allergic to anything outdoors, it’s likely something like pollen or insect bites. Outdoor allergic reactions are typically atopic dermatitis—an inflammation of the skin. Besides outdoor issues, dogs are sometimes allergic to food ingredients. Food allergies in dogs are generally rare. Food allergies in dogs tend to include proteins, more specifically from dairy, beef, lamb, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, or gluten. Dogs’ allergic reactions to food ingredients also manifest in dermatitis, but can include gastrointestinal problems.
Dogs Can Also Be Allergic to Household Items and Certain Shampoos
Household items and conditions to which dogs can be allergic vary. Dogs can be allergic to dust or mold buildup in the household. If you have any fleas anywhere in the household, flea bites also cause allergic reactions in dogs. Sometimes dogs are allergic to household cleaning products, like laundry detergent. Dogs can also be allergic to detergent or ingredients in shampoo.
How to Find the Right Dog Shampoo
To avoid causing your dog to have an allergic reaction to its shampoo, find one with naturally derived ingredients. Shampoos that are soap-free soothe and hydrate rather than dry out dogs’ skins and coats. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recommends always buying dog shampoo made in the USA “for quality of manufacturing and ingredients.”
Call Winding Road Kennel at (304) 428-3518 for information about our services in Parkersburg, WV. To receive updates, follow and like us on Facebook. We’d be pleased to discuss more things to which your dog could be allergic.