Environmental Allergies

Barbara J. Andrews, Publisher, TheDogPlace

Feb 2013 - How to diagnose and prevent allergy risks while avoiding steroids commonly prescribed to relieve the itching, scratching, and resulting skin infections.

This was written in October 2000 for ShowSight Magazine.  When it came up in a Google search for flea and food allergies, I realized how prophetic it was.  There are more people and dogs (including breeding stock!)  on debilitating steroids today than ever before in the history of veterinary or human medicine. 

Don't let your pet or child's immune system be destroyed by immune-suppressing drugs.  Chronic allergies are a signal that the body is exposed to an irritant whereas allergic reactions most often occur as a result of medication! {2} 

As we learn more about the immune system, the effects of life in today's environment become painfully apparent. From dangerous dog foods to a plethora of prescriptions, vaccines, and mutated bugs, our people and animals are challenged in ways nature never intended!

Veterinary Induced Allergies

Newly educated vets unknowingly damage the very animals that inspired them to choose veterinary medicine as a career.  Today, more than ever, veterinarians are educated (read that as indoctrinated) by pharmaceutical company course materials, grants, and propaganda.

That said, owner education becomes even more important in protecting your pet's health and understanding environmental issues.  If your veterinarian prescribes systemic (whole-body) treatment for fleas, ticks, and heartworms, ask him if there is an old fashioned remedy for fleas and how heartworm prevention might affect your dog's immune system and overall health.

Too often, we fail to associate allergy symptoms (scratching and itching {1} ) with something the dog has been exposed to. We're most often told he's allergic to the dog food we use and frequently, that is true.  It is rarely a "flea allergy."  An allergy indicates over-exposure to a common irritant or something new which has been added to your dog's environment.

Allergic Inhalant Dermatitis!

Dogs don't sneeze from inhaled irritants like humans who suffer from hay fever, ragweed allergies, molds, etc.  A healthy dog seldom reacts to occasional exposure to potential allergens in his environment.  It is after prolonged exposure to a toxic substance (think bug spray, yard pesticides, cleaning products, chemically treated carpet or furniture)  that his immune system becomes overwhelmed and he begins to scratch and chew at himself.

In addition to the classic scratching due to inhaled allergens, allergy symptoms can manifest in licking of the feet or the dog chewing at his side and flanks.  Chewing the feet or obsessive licking is a fairly common reaction to heartworm prevention medications but can also occur due to footpad contact with de-icing and other toxic substances.

Genetic Allergies?

Exposure allergies have nothing to do with the dog's genetic makeup. Do not be misled by anyone, including the veterinarian, who says any type of allergy is inherited.  While immune system deficiencies can indeed be inherited, most allergies are the result of toxic exposure, and that can include many prescription medications.  You get the point.

Think 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 air fresheners, household cleaning products and the new "automatic" scent devices.  TV commercials convince us to have our homes treated for termites, roaches, and other bugs that may not be there but might "infest" our home.

If your dog develops an illness that defies diagnosis and rare diseases such as Lyme and Erlichiosis (both transmitted by ticks) have been ruled out, then you need to become a detective.  Make an allergy checklist.  You are the only one who really knows what's going on in your environment.  Your vet doesn't live at your house.  Put your thinking cap on and consider everything to which your dog may have been exposed.

Some medications (such as heartworm preventative) {1}  bring on "allergy" symptoms, from chronic to severe, particularly when combined with other environmental irritants. Remodeling with fiberboard insulation or particle board (which release formaldehyde), and then installing new carpet and furniture (again, both release noxious chemicals into a closed environment) create a triple whammy that can challenge your own immune system, not just your pets.

But there's more - children and small animals inhale more air per body weight than adults.  OK, and most pollutants are heavier than air, thus are even more concentrated at a puppy's height. Now you understand why your child or pet is more affected by chemicals in waxes, carpet and upholstery cleaners. Vapors which you, at five or six feet tall, never inhale. You also don't fall asleep on the carpet, or on the chemically-treated grass in the front yard, or by the a/c return vent...

Ways To Prevent Allergies

Here are a few simple methods to prevent inhalation of and direct contact with known toxins and allergens. Don't use them. NEVER take your puppy for a walk in the park or across the golf course after the grounds have been treated.  Keep him (and your children) inside when the grass is wet! While a good rain will help to dissolve residue, a heavy dew will make chemicals more absorbable through the foot pads and nose leather.

And lastly, have a  face-to-face chat with your vet about what medication your dog is currently on and ask him/her to go over the "prescription insert" (Client Information Sheet) {4} with you.  Also, before starting your dog on a new prescription, ask your vet about potential side effects or allergic reactions.

If your dog develops allergy symptoms, ask the vet to help you figure out what could be causing the immune system problem {3} because you and your veterinarian have to be the "allergy detectives" and solve the mystery, not just treat the symptoms.

#1 SCRATCHING & ITCHING SIGNIFY AN ALLERGY