Symptoms of Cedar Bedding Allergies in Dogs
Cedar has an attractive smell that is linked by many to a sense of freshness and cleanliness. The oil from cedar is used in cleaning products, pet shampoos, and sprays to name just a few items. Cedar chips as bedding or used as a filler in a fabric pet bed can bring on allergy symptoms. Either direct contact with cedar or inhalation of the aromas from cedar can make your dog ill if he is sensitive to it.
Types
Cedar chips and shavings are used by many owners as bedding in crates and in dog houses. Dogs can also be exposed to the aroma from the shavings through the use of a dog bed filled with cedar chips. The cedar contains phenols, oils, and plicatic acid. All of these compounds can lead to allergic reactions in small animals, canines, and humans who work in environments where cedar is plentiful (lumber mill, wood shops). The smaller the size of the shaving the more irritating it has proven to be.
Once the offending allergen has been identified, the first step of treatment will be to eliminate the substance from your home environment or block your dog’s access to it. Treatment may include bathing your dog with a hypoallergenic shampoo to remove the substance from the skin and administering symptomatic medications to reduce itching and inflammation and treat open lesions on the skin. Identifying the allergen is essential to provide successful long-term treatment of allergic contact dermatitis. If your dog is allergic to the cedar filling of his bed, ask your veterinarian about other alternatives to provide your furry friend with a peaceful and cozy slumber.
Certain breeds have a higher incidence of allergic contact dermatitis, including poodles, West Highland terriers, German shepherds, wire-haired fox terriers and golden retrievers. In addition to cedar, other plant materials, grasses, herbicides used on lawns, pyrethrins used on flea collars, pesticides used in topical flea preventatives, wool and fibers used in carpets and bedding, small chemical compounds used in some topical medications and household cleaning products can all illicit allergic skin reactions.
Contact dermatitis presents as red, irritated and sometimes swollen skin in the form of a rash, small bumps or weeping pustules and severe itchy. The affected skin is typically on areas of the body that are sparsely covered with hair, including the abdomen and groin, the skin in between the toes and the inner side of the outer ear. If your dog is allergic to his bed, any skin that is exposed to the bed while he sleeps can be irritated. Your dog may scratch incessantly, lick excessively at his paws or rub his face on the carpet. If you notice these symptoms in your dog, have him evaluated by a veterinarian so that his itchiness can be relieved before his scratching leads to hair loss, open lesions and secondary bacterial infections.
Your veterinarian will evaluate your dog’s skin and pose some questions regarding his home environment and household substances. He may pursue cultures and skin scrapings to rule out other potential causes of your dog’s discomfort, such as ringworm and mange mites. If the cedar filling of the bed is suspected as the cause of your dog’s misery, you will be able to confirm this by tossing out the bed and watching to see if his symptoms disappear in a few weeks. If the symptoms persist, other possibilities will have to be considered. If you routinely freshened up the bed with the same cleaning product that you use on the carpet, then the cleaner could be another possible culprit. Identifying allergens by process of elimination can pose a frustrating challenge; many allergens cannot be easily removed from the environment. Your veterinarian may recommend allergy testing with a board-certified veterinary dermatologist to determine which substances your furry friend is allergic to.
If your canine companion is persistently itchy and has red, irritated skin, he may be having an allergic reaction to something that has come into contact with his skin. The offending culprit may be lurking inside the bed. Many dog beds are filled with cedar chips to keep beds aromatic and to repel fleas. Cedar chips happen to be among the many potential irritants that can cause contact allergies in some dogs. The cedar chips illicit allergic contact dermatitis while these dog innocently snooze in their beds. If your furry friend slumbers on a cedar-filled bed, ending his allergic contact dermatitis could be a simple matter of consulting with your veterinarian and removing the bed.
Are cedar chips safe for dogs?
Cedar chips are safe for most dogs as they don’t contain any added harmful chemicals. Moreover, it’s natural and biodegradable. But, some dogs have an allergic reaction to cedar chips. Large-sized chips are also a risk when chewed. Such can cause mouth abrasions and GI issues.
Learn about Dermatitis & Environmental Allergies in Dogs (Atopy)
There are several types of bedding out there for use in dog kennels. Using red cedar ribbons as bedding can offer additional benefits over using straw or hay. In this article, we will break down each of those benefits and also cover some things to consider before choosing red cedar bedding for your kennel.
Red Cedar trees have natural insecticidal properties that help repel fleas, ticks, and other insects. The concentration of the insecticidal compounds varies by species of Red Cedar tree, with the Western Red Cedar tree having the highest concentration of these insecticidal compounds. This natural insecticidal property carries over to your kennel when using red cedar as bedding, whereas using hay or straw for dog bedding can actually harbor fleas and ticks. This may lead to possible infestations and the increased risk of needing potentially harmful chemicals to remove those insects.
Straw and hay work great for a few days, but they will quickly begin to break down into smaller pieces and dust. This dust can lead to eye and nose irritation for the dog. Also, straw and hay does not stay in place and will quickly be trafficked out of the kennel, which once outside the kennel will quickly break down and become unusable. With Red Cedar ribbons, the ribbons will stay intact longer and will not break down into dust. They also hold in the kennel better and if pulled outside of the kennel, it can still be placed back into the kennel without it breaking down.
Red Cedar ribbons will act as an insulator, keeping your dog’s body heat inside the kennel and in their bedding. When your dog is wet, Red Cedar will pull moisture of your dog’s fur, keeping them drier.
Red Cedar Bedding provides soft, comfortable bedding for your dog to lie down on. Cut into ribbons, the Red Cedar Bedding provides a natural compressing cushion unlike straw or hay.
Dogs can become problematic with their odor, especially if left wet. Other types of dog bedding will quickly develop unpleasant odors. Straw and hay will get waterlogged, begin to break down, and will lead to a pungent mess. Red Cedar ribbons have natural cedar oils, which produces a refreshing and aromatic scent that will help mask and even reduce dog odors.
Anyone that has used straw or hay in a kennel knows that it’s a pain to clean. It gets everywhere, it breaks down into little pieces, and there are also dust and bits left over. With the Red Cedar being cut into ribbons, cleaning is quick and easy. The ribbons will not break down into tiny little pieces, often staying whole or at least staying in large enough pieces. As an added benefit, you also have to clean it out less often because it lasts longer.
Before adding Red Cedar Bedding to your dog’s kennel, make sure to check if your dog is allergic to Red Cedar. In some cases, your dog may have an allergy to Red Cedar oils and a chemical called plicatic acid, which can unfortunately cause red swollen eyes, runny nose, squeezing, irritated skin that may look red and scaly, hair loss, nausea, fever, and lethargy. In rare cases, an allergic reaction can lead to respiratory issues. If your dog does have an allergic reaction, please consult a veterinarian.
Do not use Red Cedar bedding with pregnant dogs or newborn puppies. Red Cedar may harbor a bacterium called Klebsiella, which can lead to mastitis in nursing canines and blood infections in newborn puppies.
Staff Tip: Before introducing a dog to Red Cedar bedding, get a handful of Red Cedar ribbons in your hand and allow your dog to sniff the ribbons. Wait a few hours to observe if there is any reaction. If there is not a reaction, add the ribbons to the kennel. For the first few days, keep an eye out from any redness in the skin or eyes, or if the dog is acting different.
When sourcing your Red Cedar bedding, research into what type of Red Cedar tree the company is using to make their ribbons. The Western Red Cedar tree contains high concentrations of insecticidal compounds, whereas the Eastern Red Cedar tree has a lower concentration of these compounds. Red Cedar Ribbons sold at Lion Country Supply are sourced from Eastern Red Cedar trees harvested in Connecticut.
If your dog is a chewer and likes to chew on sticks and wood a lot, be mindful of this when deciding to choose Red Cedar ribbons. A dog that is a chewer may be attracted to chew on the cedar ribbons, which could cause intestinal issues if consumed.
Using Red Cedar Bedding comes with several natural benefits over other types of bedding. Though more expensive, you are going to have to replace it less often and when in use, it is going to be a better bedding material throughout the life of the product. As long as you check to make sure your dog does not have any allergies to the cedar oils, Red Cedar bedding is in our opinion the best bedding for use in kennels.
Lion Country Supply stocks two different size options for Red Cedar ribbons. We have a 12x12x14” box and a 18x18x14″ box.