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Environmental Allergies
Barbara J. Andrews,
Publisher,
TheDogPlace
/ 2000
Aug. 2011 update /
Many vets today put the pet (or breeding animal!!!) on steroids to relieve the
"allergic" itching and scratching.
Steroids can enslave owners until the pets immune
system is destroyed! Allergies are simply a signal that the immune
system needs help until the cause of the allergic reaction can be determined.
 As we learn more about the canine immune
system, the assault of modern life on our animals becomes
painfully apparent. From dangerous dog foods, to
environmental allergens and a plethora of prescriptions, vaccines, and mutated bugs, our dogs are
challenged in ways nature never intended!
This was written in October 2000
for ShowSight Magazine. When I stumbled over it in Google today,
I realized how prophetic it was. There are more sick
dogs on debilitating steroids today than ever before in
veterinary medicine.
Don't Blame The Vet For Dog Allergies
I feel sorry for newly educated vets who
unknowingly damage the very animals that inspired them to choose veterinary medicine as a
career. Today they are more than ever 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.
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
indicates over-exposure to a common irritant or that something new has been
added to your dog's environment. A healthy dog seldom reacts to 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 becomes overwhelmed
and reacts in a very predicable way.
Genetic Allergies?
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
problem.” While immune system deficiencies can indeed be inherited, most
allergies are the result 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 air fresheners, new carpeting,
and household cleaning products. And today there are more "automatic"
scent devices, pesticides, and powerful cleaning agents than ever before.
We see TV commercials that convince us to have our homes treated for termites,
roaches, and other bugs that may not be there but surely "will infest" our home.
Your Allergy Checklist
If the 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. You are the
only one who really knows what's going on in your 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 immune system.
Carpet Allergy?
Pets
(and little children) are much closer to the ground than you and I. A Dachshund is more
susceptible to carpet fumes and toxins than a Great Dane. Not only that,
his belly is longer. Okay, now you're thinking.
But there's more - children and
small animals inhale more air per body weight than adults. Check it out.
Then realize that 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, mop water, 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...
There is one simple method of
controlling 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 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.
And lastly, have a face-to-face,
eye-to-eye chat with your vet about what medication your dog is currently on.
Before accepting a new
prescription, ask your vet about potential side effects.
Remember, there are
no prescription inserts (not yet) in veterinary
products. {ref #1}
If your dog develops allergy
symptoms, ask the vet to help you figure out what could be
causing the immune system problem {ref #2}
because it is trying to protect your dog from something.
You and the vet have to be the "allergy detectives" and
solve the mystery, not just treat the symptoms.
#1
VETERINARIANS IGNORE FDA's CIS (Prescription Insert) GUIDELINES
#1
FDA APPROVED DRUG DEATHS; ADVERSE REACTIONS & VETERINARY
#1
LAWSUITS AGAINST RIMADYL, PROHEART, DERAMAXX
#2
VACCINES, EPILEPSY & CANCER; TOP 10 CANINE HEALTH CONCERNS
#2
HOW VACCINES IMPACT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM by Dr. Patricia Jordan, DVM
#2
EPILEPTIC SEIZURES CAN BE ENVIRONMENTAL
http://www.thedogplace.org/HEALTH/allergies.asp
#2000.1112
reprinted from
October 2000
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