Pet Allergies
What are pet allergies?
A pet will experience an allergic reaction to food, or other substances in their environment, when their immune system is out of balance, thus over-reacting to these ordinarily harmless substances. The most effective way to balance their immune system is to look at diet.
Common allergy symptoms can include:
- Excessive scratching, licking, chewing of the body or paws
- Inflamed and flaky skin, hair loss, sores, secondary infections, hot spots
- Problems with ears (scratching, discharge, odor, infections) and feet (excessive licking, chewing, odor)
- Chronic gastrointestinal upset (diarrhea or vomiting)
Why does treating the symptoms not solve the problem?
- Medications, such as steroids and antibiotics, may be necessary in some cases to cause immediate and temporary relief, but overall they do not treat the underlying issue causing your pet's symptoms in the first place. Medications can also compromise the immune system and do more harm than good in the long run.
- Oftentimes with allergies, these symptoms can persist and regularly recur if we don't reintroduce balance into a pet's immune system. The immune system is fed by the condition of your pet's digestive tract, which is regulated by the quality of what they ingest and are fed.
How can I treat the underlying cause of allergies for long term results?
- Healthy Diet - The first thing we always recommend to balance a pet's immune system is to make sure your pet is eating a high quality, balanced, and biologically species appropriate diet. The best option for your dog or cat would be fresh, raw food such as Answers, Primal, K9 Kravings, Tucker's, Steve's, Northwest Naturals or Stella & Chewy's. After raw, we recommend a freeze-dried raw food such as Steve's, Primal, Stella & Chewy's or Open Farm, a gently cooked food like Open Farm or a dehydrated food like Honest Kitchen. Lastly, we would recommend a low carbohydrate canned or dry food because excessive carbs and starch, which are present in all dry foods, along with the lack of enzymes in these processed foods can be a root cause of allergy issues.
- Boost the Immune System – The introduction of probiotics, live enzymes and other nutrients from raw goat's and cow's milk, such as Primal Raw Goat's Milk, one of Steve's Goat's Milk Yogurts or Answer's Raw Fermented Goat's Milk or Cow's Kefir, are a delicious way to boost your pet's nutrition and immune system. Shelf stable probiotics such as Nature's Farmacy Digestive Enhancer or Probiotic Max, Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes or Ark Naturals Gentle Digest are all good options as well. CBD Oil can also be used to help decrease inflammation and balance the body's immune system. Two other great supplement options for boosting the immune system are Bixbi Immunity and Animal Essentials Super Immune.
What are some natural remedies for allergy symptoms?
If your pet is still experiencing some allergy symptoms, or immediate relief is needed, we also recommend:
- Herb Smith’s Clear AllerQi or Animal Essentials Fidoderm Herbal Spray are great options for calming and cooling inflamed skin. Animal Essentials Seasonal Allergy is great for use as a natural antihistamine.
