Allergies don’t just affect people, dog allergies are more common than you might think and can severely impact on the health of your dog. Dogs may be allergic to food, fleas, airborne pollutants as well as their own fur. Rather than simply administering medication, such as steroids, it would be better to find what is causing the allergy and remove it. This may not be easy however, especially if your dog has multiple allergies.

Dog allergy symptoms include wheezing, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, a patchy coat, runny eyes or nose and tiredness or lethargy. How do we determine what is causing your particular dog’s allergy? And, more importantly, how do we det rid of it?

One of the main causes of allergies in dogs is fleas. Fortunately this is easy to control. There are several good products on the market to eliminate fleas on dogs. Make sure you buy one and use it according to the manufacturers recommendation.

Food allergies are another very common occurrence. Dogs may become allergic to chemicals in dog food or to the actual ingredients themselves. Some ingredients in dog food cause allergies more frequently than others. Among these are eggs, fish, beef, chicken, corn and wheat. Please note that corn is a serial offender and is often used in cheaper brands of dog food as a filler. Ask your vet what he recommends, or there are also hypoallergenic do foods available.

Your dog may even be allergic to his own fur. This is particularly common for long haired dogs. Dogs can ingest a lot of hair when they clean themselves and this makes the allergy worse. Washing your dog once or twice a month and brushing him daily will go a long way to combat a hair and dander allergy.

Your dog may even be allergic to the chemicals used to clean your home. Using chemical-free natural cleaners such as soda bicarbonate and lemon juice will improve the health of yourself and your dog and save money too. Mold can affect your home without you knowing it. Testing for and removing mold will improve the health of your entire family including your dog.

A natural way of providing fast relief from dog allergy symptoms such as itchy or flaky skin is to bathe your dog in water that has oatmeal dissolved in it. Natural shampoos containing eucalyptus, tea tree oil or aloe vera can also provide quick, temporary relief.

Give your dog some omega 3 and/or primrose oils. These are known to improve most skin conditions in both humans and dogs.

Anti histamines are a rapid answer to most allergies if nothing else works. They may make you dog lethargic during the day, but are a safer option than steroids.

Dog allergy symptoms are a wake up call that all is not well with your dog’s health or environment. Finding the cause of the allergy is the hard part, but taking care of an allergic dog is relatively easy once you have identified the problem. Always ask your vet for advice if you do not know where to start.