Wednesday, February 17, 2010

What to do about Dog Allergies

By David John Jordan

Dogs are easy to love, especially for people who like animals. Dogs seem to have unlimited reserves of energy and spend that energy unconditionally loving their owners. Who doesn't like that? Some people can't get as close to their dog, however, due to severe dog allergies. Certain dog allergies can rear their ugly heads and cause real problems. This forces some to find a quick fix, and they end up sending their dog to a new home. While technically this works, it's obviously not the ideal solution to the problem.

Allergens from Dogs find their origins proteins from three sources; Dander (shed skin cells,) saliva, and urine. Allergic reactions in people to these causes usually happen if they have over active immune systems. Notice that hair is not in the list. A well-known myth is that hairless dogs will not cause reactions. While they do produce far less allergens, in the case of shedding skin cells, you can't really stop a dog from slobbering and going to the bathroom. Typically symptoms are normal allergy symptoms that everyone is used to, such as itchy eyes, a runny nose, shortness of breath, red itchy skin or a rash. While these can be annoying, there are many ways to mitigate them to make them less problematic.

A clean home is the best defense against dog allergies and allergens. Making a point to vacuum regularly helps, as does using furniture that is upholstered in leather. Changing your air filter to your AC unit will help reduce dander floating around in your house. And since fur can retain allergens, regular bathing is a good idea. Be sure to remember to wash your dog's bedding or cushions, or else anything you gained from giving the dog a bath will be lost quickly.

A much simpler way is to purchase allergen reduction products. Allerpet D for Dogs is an example of a shampoo that reduces the amount of dander in a dog without causing dryness of the skin. Decreasing dog allergies is as easy as adopting good management strategies!

An allergy specialist can give you additional advice as well. They can provide you with certain prescriptions and over the counter, that can mitigate the runny noses and itchy eyes. For reactions that are really bad, they can recommend and perform allergy shots, which are a good idea if you have bad allergies in general. Getting rid of your dog and sending it to another home should not be your first option.

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