by Barbara J. Andrews

As more is learned about the canine immune system, proper management becomes even more important. Too often, we fail to associate allergy symptoms with something the dog has always been exposed to. We think "He's always played on the grass" or "I've always dipped my dogs." An allergy is a prime indicator that something new has been added. Your dog seldom reacts to the occasional exposure to any one thing in his environment. It is after prolonged exposure to a single substance or simultaneous contact with multiple allergens that his system can become overwhelmed and react in a very predicable way. 

A dog  may be allergic to something which bothers none of the litter mates.  Exposure allergies have nothing to do with the dog's genetic makeup. Do not be misled by those who would say that there is something “wrong” with your dog or that his allergy is a “genetic fault.” While immune system deficiencies can indeed be inherited, most problems are the results of toxic exposure.  Think for a moment how dramatic even a single exposure to something such as bee venom can be.  Many people develop allergies to bee stings but that doesn't mean they inherited an allergy to bees!  Now imagine repeated exposure to cleaning substances, air fresheners, and new carpeting. The trick is identifying and separating contact allergies from symptoms of a hereditary problem. 

If the dog develops an illness that defies diagnosis, and diseases such as Lyme and Erlichiosis (both transmitted by ticks but often relegated to the end of many diagnostic check lists) have been ruled out, then you need to become a detective. You are the only one who really knows what's going on in your particular environment. Put your thinking cap on and consider everything to which your dog may have been exposed.

Some medications (such as heartworm preventative) bring on "allergy" symptoms from chronic to severe, particularly when combined with other irritants such as lawn spray, fertilizer, carpet shampoo, remodeling with fiberboard insulation or particle board (which releases formaldehyde), and any number of other easily overlooked environmental conditions. When two or more such exposures are combined, the challenge can overwhelm even the healthiest dog's defense system. 

Please consider the facts. Pets are much closer to the ground than you and I. Children and small animals inhale more air per body weight than adults. Most pollutants are heavier than air, thus are even more concentrated at a puppy's height. Now you understand why your child or pet can be affected by chemicals in carpet cleaners. Vapors which you, at five or six feet tall, never inhale. You also don't fall asleep on the carpet, in the front yard, or by the a/c return vent.... 

There is one simple method of controlling inhalation of and direct contact with known toxins and allergens. Don't use them. Don't take your puppy for a walk in the park or across the golf course after the grounds have been treated. Particularly when the grass and shrubbery is wet! While a good rain will help to dissolve residue, a heavy dew will make most chemicals more readily absorbable through the foot pads and nose leather. 
  
 

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            SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE/OCTOBER 2000

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