allergies - search results

Quick: What’s the number one canine disease complaint heard by veterinarians? That’s right, it’s itching and scratching. “My dog is ripping himself to shreds!” “She’s almost bald from chewing herself!” “He’s rubbing himself on the carpet, the furniture, and even the walls!” Many people seem to think that all dogs scratch themselves. Of course, pretty much every dog will scratch for a moment if they get a little itch, but that’s not what we’re discussing. The scratching we’re discussing – the scratching that is of real concern – is not occasional or casual.

It's amazing to me that even people who have fairly serious allergies themselves often fail to see the similarities between their own condition and their dog's allergies. Many people are quite experienced at avoiding the substances to which they are allergic – but don't realize that it would help their dog considerably if they would invest some time in trying to identify the substances to which their dog is allergic and limiting the dog's exposure to that allergen.

In past years, I've discussed my system of keeping a yearly calendar for my dogs that is loaded with notes about their health and behavior. It helped me identify the earliest signs of Otto's springtime allergies, and take proactive management steps to minimize his suffering.

So much of what’s on dog food labels has to do with marketing, rather than nutrition. The phrase “limited ingredient” falls somewhere in between. There...

Many of us have identified certain ingredients that we don’t want to see in our dogs’ food. Sometimes we have good evidence for this, such...

Most holistic veterinary practitioners recommend switching any itchy dog to a complete and balanced home-prepared diet containing “real foods.” This will decrease the dog’s exposure to unnecessary or complex chemicals and give his body the opportunity to utilize the higher-quality nutrients present in fresh foods. Whether the diet is cooked or raw, the increased nutrient quality and availability of fresh whole foods will improve the health of any dog who currently receives even the best dry or canned foods.

Did you know that there are unflavored monthly heartworm preventative chews?

Deborah Allen, of Boise, Idaho, feeds a dog food diet that combines a commercial pre-mix with raw ground turkey to her two Labrador Retrievers: Hartford, a highly active, 6-year-old working guide dog who weighs 76 pounds; and Lily, a moderately active, 14-year-old retired guide dog who weighs 53 pounds. Their veterinarian says both dogs are healthy, but they have begun losing weight and developing skin problems in the last few months. Hartford is about 4 pounds and Lily about two pounds under their ideal weights.

If your dog keeps licking their back near the tail it indicates discomfort due to allergies, fleas, hot spots or other issue to investigate.

A dog who is itching a lot is uncomfortable. The constant scratching is annoying – for both of you! Tracking down the cause is the only way to halt the itch.

A weeping, oozing, gummy, or crusty discharge from one or both of your dog’s eyes might be nothing – a result of the eye’s natural...

The the number of chicken-free dog foods is small relative to the number of dog foods overall as its wide use in dog food manufacturing can lead to cross contamination of dog foods whose recipes are chicken free.