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TREATMENT
OF ALLERGIES IN DOGS
The first
step to treating your dog's allergies is to first determine what
he's allergic to. It can be environmental or food or even both.
Tests done by your Vet will determine your dog's sensitivity to
a particular allergen. With that information you can then begin
to treat or manage your dog's allergies.
The best form
of treatment would be to keep the pet away from the particular
allergen, but in most cases, this is difficult, if not impossible.
There are several types of prescription drugs that do quite well
at controlling the symptoms, but most should not be used for long
periods of time.
Hyposensitization to the offending
allergen(s) is another means of treatment. Testing is done to
determine exactly what your pet is allergic to. Injections are
prepared containing specific amounts of offending allergen(s)
to be administered on a regular basis. This allows the animal
to build up an immunity, or tolerance, to the allergen(s) and
affords your pet the opportunity to live more comfortably in its
existing surroundings.
Pets with non-seasonal allergies
may be allergic to basic food ingredients. New and specialized
foods are now readily available to help both diagnose and treat
these kinds of problems. These include IVD Limited diets, z/d
by Hills, HA and LA by CNM and others.
REMEMBER: Your pet is unique, and
the type of medication, proper doses, and frequency of giving
the medication may change or vary over time. With a little practice
you may become quite expert at keeping your pet's suffering to
a minimum.
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