Creature Teachers

Saving your Dog from Cancer

This sad story comes from one of our readers who wanted to share with the Creature Teachers community so that his heartbreak didn't have to happen to another loving dog owner.

Kerchoo!

As spring nears, I often hear pet owners complaining how often their animal scratches.
"But I just gave him flea medication!"
"That darn dog is driving us crazy at night."
"No matter what we say, Fluffy won't stop biting at her belly!"
Of course, they always say these things while fighting off a sneezing attack or while rubbing their red eyes. While humans tend to sneeze and tear, dogs show their allergies in their skin and coat. Some breeds tend to be prone to allergies, or to reactions in certain parts of their bodies, but any dog can be affected. If your dog licks his paws, rubs his face, bites at his skin, scratches, shakes his head, sheds excessively, or has foul-smelling ears, he could have allergies. To help those owners out there with itchy dogs, I've compiled this article to help your pet be itch-free.

FLEA ALLERGIES

What is a flea allergy? A flea allergy is reaction that occurs when a flea's saliva mixes with the dog's bloodstream during a bite. The allergy can range from mild, such as a small bump on the dog's skin, to severe, such as loss of hair. All varieties of the allergy can lead to skin infections, hair loss, and permanent scarring if the dog continues to scratch and bite itself. It only takes one flea bite to cause a severe reaction, so a lack of fleas on your dog does not mean the dog isn't having an allergic reaction to fleas! The first step to prevent and treat flea allergies is to apply a good-quality flea product like Advantage or Advantix about 24 hours after the dog is bathed, or once the skin is completely dry. Other flea products such as Frontline, Sentinel, and Revolution will not stop a flea allergy as they act on fleas either in the bloodstream or in the fat layer of the animal. Therefore, the flea would still have to bite in order to die, and the dog would still get flea allergies. Advantage and Advantix are the only products I have seen that repel fleas at the surface of the dog's skin by pooling in the hair follicles.

Additionally, make sure every animal in your home is treated with a flea product. Keep your cat indoors to prevent bringing the flea population of the neighborhood back to your yard, and don't encourage wild animals to frequent your yard due to hiding places or open trash containers.

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGENS

Dogs, like humans, can have seasonal allergies to pollens and grasses and constant allergies to dusts and molds. If the dog has allergies year-round, it may be something in your home. Vacuum frequently and use gentle cleaners that get rinsed well. If you notice the licking happens most often after a walk in the park or a roll in the grass, you may want to rinse plant materials off your dog's paws after outings and prevent him from rolling. Frequent bathing is often recommended for serious allergy outbreaks. Your vet may recommend purchasing an antiseptic/antimicrobial shampoo such as Chlorhexiderm. High quality foods (see below) and the addition of an Omega 3/Omega-6 supplement (such as Lipiderm, Missing Link, or fish oil) have also been shown to help combat allergic reactions. If the reactions are severe and the environment cannot be controlled, a vet may recommend an OTC allergy medication. (Please do not medicate your pet without knowing the proper dosage, however, as dogs react to medications differently from humans and overdosing can be fatal.)

Remember to discuss any skin problems with your groomer, as they can often provide a soothing treatment.. Dogs with ear allergies should have their ears cleaned frequently to avoid ear infections. Knowledge of your dog's allergies will also help the groomer use the right shampoos and other products to help avoid triggering your dog's allergies. Your groomer will be happy to use your dog's prescribed ear wash, special shampoo, or ear medication as a part of the grooming process.

FOOD ALLERGIES

Food allergies are the hardest to diagnose. Dietary changes that improve the dog's condition may signal an actual food allergy, or may just be the result of a new ingredient included. Food allergies can be the cause of digestive and skin problems. If you suspect that your dog has food allergies, or any kind of allergy, I would recommend the following:

• Don't feed your dog food that contains common allergens like wheat or corn. White and brown rice are often the best bets for carbohydrates for dogs.
• Stick to a single protein or a small group of similar proteins. Examples might be lamb and rice, or chicken, turkey and rice.
• Avoid foods that contain a lot of fillers or byproducts. A food with fillers often lists corn as the first ingredient, or requires more kibble to be fed than other foods. For example, a bag of Pedigree dog food recommends 5 to 6 cups of food per day for my shepherd, but he only eats 3 cups per day of his own food.
• Make sure proteins are listed first, not grains. Dog food companies are required to list ingredients for the food in the order from the ingredient found in greatest quantity to the ingredient found the least. A dog food that lists its first ingredients as "chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice" would be considered excellent quality, while one that has a list of "ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, meal and bone meal" should probably be passed up.
• Avoid foods with artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin), artificial colors, and/or sweeteners (corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, etc).

For food allergies in dogs, I've had the best luck with a dry food called Wellness Fish & Sweet Potato. The Fish & Sweet Potato has worked even when veterinary diets (like IVD) have not. For general overall health, good skin and coat, and prevention of all allergies, I'd recommend the entire line from Natural Balance, California Natural Lamb Meal & Rice Dry or California Natural Chicken Meal & Rice Dry, and Flint River Original Adult Kibble. My own dogs have been eating Canidae for a few years now with excellent results.

IN CONCLUSION

I hope this article will help your poor dog to have a healthier and happier life. Remember though - if your dog has scratched and bitten his way into an infection (or will soon do so), it's probably time for a trip to the vet for a steroid like Prednisone (which knocks down the immune response to allow the skin to heal), a e-collar (the dome-shaped thing that stops your dog from biting his body), and/or some antibiotics. Signs of current or impending infection include scabs, pus on or under the skin, scales, severe loss of hair, raw skin, skin that feels "hot", pocks or puckers, and goopy or smelly ears. Steroids and antibiotics are only short-term fixes through, and long-term management will be achieved through diet, grooming, environmental control, and/or allergy medications.