DietSome dogs have food allergies or sensitivities that can cause them to itch. If the dog is itchy, dander occurs. If you notice constant scratching, chewing, or licking of paws, take them to the vet to see if their diet is to blame. Dry, flaky skin, or red bumps could also be a cause for concern. You may be surprised how different your dog’s coat is after changing their food. Environmental allergies can have the same effect.
An unhealthy diet could also cause excessive dog dander. Overweight dogs and dogs without a well-balanced diet are more prone to skin problems. It might come as a surprise, but most common dog food brands are not as healthy as they claim to be. Dry dog food is the most common type of food for your dog, but it often has unhealthy filler ingredients. It also has more carbohydrates than protein. So, it’s important to check the ingredient list before choosing a food. Limited ingredient formulas are often the best for dogs with allergies.
BrushingBrushing your dog daily is the best way to loosen and reduce dander. Keep a consistent schedule to prevent dander from building up. Marshall’s tip is to brush your dog outside to avoid spreading dander all over your house. If your dog allows it, you can purchase a pet vacuum to suck the loose fur and dander off.Certain dog breeds need more brushing than others, depending on their coat type. Some dogs have hair, which continuously grows, while others have fur, which sheds. Dogs with long hair need to be brushed to avoid getting mats and tangles in their coat. Dogs with thick fur need to be brushed to get rid of loose fur. Yet, dogs with short hair or fur can get away with less brushing.
Giving your dog a bath regularly does more than make them smell good. It helps get rid of dog dander. Marshall says bathing weekly is fine, as long as you are using a high-quality moisturizing shampoo. Luckily, there are plenty of shampoos made specifically for dry skin and dander. It should also consist of hypoallergenic, natural ingredients. These types of ingredients will be less likely to cause allergic reactions. Oatmeal is one of the best ingredients to look out for. These products will make sure your dog’s skin and coat don’t dry out.
Some people will bathe their heavy-shedding dogs every couple of days to reduce hair and dander. Sometimes, bathing more than once a week can harm your dog’s skin though. Dogs need a certain amount of oils in their skin to maintain a healthy coat. Bathing too often can remove some of the healthy oils, causing their skin to dry out more.
Understanding the Sneeze Threshold
A common knee-jerk reaction from some health care professionals when addressing allergy issues may be to suggest getting rid of the pet. That is not going to happen for most pet lovers. The truth is, the allergens shed by pets tend to be sticky and stay in the environment long after a pet has left the premises, so giving the puppy away may not offer an immediate cure anyway.
And since some pet-allergic people also react to other things in the environment as well, it may be possible to reduce exposure to these other allergens and improve their symptoms without removing their beloved pet from their home.
For example, perhaps you react to puppy dander, grass pollen, and dust mites, and when all three are present, your symptoms are most severe. If you can have someone else dust the house and keep dust to a minimum, and use other techniques to reduce your exposure to pollen, that may drop your allergen exposure below your sneeze threshold and keep your symptoms to a more manageable level without eliminating the pet from your life.