Other Ways to Provide Allergy Relief
A dog owner can find additional ways to make their dog feel better and mitigate skin allergy symptoms.
Dr. Ritchie has several suggestions for treatments that sound similar to anyone whos visited a day spa:
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is an ingredient found in most pet shampoos. Its used frequently because its what makes shampoo foamy. Its also a known irritant and allergen. Dr. Ritchie cautions owners to, “Use an organic shampoo bar, which is made from soothing vegetable and essential oils and contains nothing else.”
Another piece of advice from Dr. Ritchie is to have your dog wear a T-shirt, either made for dogs or a human one. This can protect the dogs skin and also cover up the skin treatments so they can work on your dog without being rubbed off or licked away.
If you prefer a natural solution to help your dog, Dr. Ritchie advises you to focus first on prevention.
There are other natural solutions you can do at home to provide your dog with relief. Discuss these with your veterinarian first before using them on your dog.
Dr. Ritchies skin care products, “Treat the allergic response to the allergen by boosting the cellular immunity, reducing inflammation, and eliminating or preventing any potential infection or infestation.”
Knowing the symptoms of an allergy is important in order to ensure your dog gets a proper diagnosis. “Often, what might appear to be an allergy is really an invisible infestation of mites or a bacterial or fungal infection deep in the skin. This type of condition is very often misdiagnosed as an allergy, and it will not respond well to the usual treatments of steroids and antibiotics.”
If youre concerned about your dogs skin, these are the signs of common skin conditions:
- A skin infection such as pyoderma or yeast dermatitis
- Parasites such as ringworm, fleas, or ticks
- Diseases of the endocrine system (i.e., Cushings disease, thyroid disease)
- Toxic plants
- Impetigo is a staph infection that is primarily found in puppies.
- Certain breeds of dogs, such as German Shepherds, Bulldogs, and Poodles, have a genetic predisposition to rashes.
Its common for dog owners to ignore skin irritations on their dogs because they dont realize its a problem or think theres nothing that can be done for allergies.
Says Dr. Ritchie, “For some reason, they seem to think a diagnosis of allergies means that nothing can be done, or theres not an infection or mites or yeast or anything that can be treated, because its just an allergy. This is completely false … an allergy is just the beginning, and that what they are seeing is the result of an allergic response to something, whether its an infection or fungus or mites, all of which can be gotten rid of with the proper treatments.”
What causes pink staining on white dogs?
The staining you are referring to is most likely caused by a substance called Porphyrin. Porphyrin is a naturally occurring substance in the tears and saliva and tends to show up as a pink/brown colour where your pet has licked, dribbled or produced lots of tears.
How do I know if my dog has a yeast infection?
Signs Your Dog May Have a Yeast Infection
Hormonal disorders (imbalances of thyroid, adrenal or sex hormones) can alter pigmentation as can bacterial and fungal infections and even cancers (neoplasias). Immune-mediated diseases also occur in dogs where the dog’s own antibodies attack different parts of the skin resulting in depigmentation.
3 Dog Yeast Infection Home Remedies and Treatments (2022)
Pink can be a stunning color on a human, but it’s unlikely you are thrilled with the color on your dog. Your dog’s fur turning pink can be a sign of a serious issue that needs to be addressed.