Wouldn’t it be helpful if our pets could speak to us and tell us how they are feeling? After a simple conversation, we would know if our fur babies were hungry, tired, sore, or sick! As humans are not fluent in barks, we rely on noticing signs and symptoms to determine whether our pets are unwell.
Some signs your pet may have an allergy include:
- Itchy and red skin
- Swelling of the face, feet or joints
- Coughing and sneezing
- Excessive scratching
- Excessive licking
- Rubbing the face
- Loss of fur
- Itchy and runny eyes
- Recurring skin or ear infections
- Unusual bowel movements.
If you notice any of the above signs, we recommend taking your pet to the vet straight away. Allergies are one of the most common reasons for visits to the vet. Flea, food and environmental are the major types of pet allergies.
Flea allergic dermatitis is one of the most common skin diseases in dogs and cats. The allergy is caused by the flea’s saliva and only takes a couple of bites to cause itchiness. It’s important to maintain flea control all year round, make sure you keep up to date records.
Food allergies can occur at any point in a dog’s life even if they have consumed a particular food before. The most common trigger is the main protein in the diet. Our Prime100 diets have been designed specifically to eliminate food sensitives. They are considered low allergen, and this is due to your pet only being exposed to a single protein.
Environmental allergies occur when your pet has an adverse reaction to a common and otherwise harmless substance such as pollen, plants, dust mites and mould spores. Diagnosis can be made through testing and there are vaccines to assist with environmental sensitives, just speak to your vet when you next visit.
Most pet allergies are easily prevented or treated. It’s our job to take care of our furry friends!
