Dog Allergies – is your pet suffering?

It’s not just humans that suffer from allergies, dogs get them too! Read on to find out how to tell if your pup is suffering, and how to make him feel better.

The number of people suffering from allergies is increasing all the time. More kids (and adults) are developing new allergies and experiencing an increase in severity/duration of existing ones. But did you know that dogs can suffer from allergies too?

They can fall prey to seasonal allergies involving pollen,Guest Posting plants, mold etc. just like we do. But there are also other, more common, causes of dog allergies such flea allergy, dog food allergy, contact allergy and occasionally an allergic reaction to vaccinations.

Although dog allergies are caused by a variety of different substances, they generally produce symptoms that affect the skin. If your dog seems to spend an inordinate amount of time scratching and licking himself (especially his belly and paws), has sore, irritated, red patches of skin, ‘hot spots’ or patchy hair loss, chances are he’s suffering from allergies. Other symptoms of canine allergies that you may see are sneezing, coughing, persistent head shaking or discharge from the eyes or nose.

Certain breeds seem to be more prone to developing allergies than others, they include :

Beagles
Boxers
Bulldogs
Dalmations
Collies
Golden Retrievers
Irish Setters
Labrador Retrievers
Lhasa Apsos
Min. Schnauzers
Pugs
Shar Peis
Terriers

Puppies generally don’t develop dog allergies until after they reach a year old or more. That’s because they tend to ‘grow into’ their allergies as their exposure to allergens in the atmosphere, food etc. sensitizes them to certain substances. It’s definitely easier to treat an allergy that has recently appeared, than one that’s been present (and untreated) for a long period of time. Canine allergies will not ‘get better’ by themselves, and the symptoms they produce can make your dog very miserable and uncomfortable.

You can help to lessen the chances of your puppy developing canine allergies in later life, by minimizing his exposure to as many of the ‘triggers’ as possible. You can do this by :

Feeding him a high-quality food (organic or hypoallergenic if possible), without dangerous chemicals and artificial additives to eliminate, or at least minimize, the development of dog food allergies.

In cases of flea allergy, being vigilant about flea prevention is vital. Use a good, effective flea medication (such as Frontline Plus) on your pup during flea season. This could be for 4 months or year round, depending on where you live.

Preventing inhalant allergies is more challenging, but you can help control the problem with regular bathing and grooming, using HEPA filters in your vacuum and heat/AC units and minimizing your dogs’ contact with long grasses etc.

Contact alllergies are fairly unusual, but they can occur when your dog comes in contact with something he’s sensitive to, such as a flea collar, a blanket washed in a new detergent or something similar. The best treatment is to remove the allergen from his coat and skin by bathing him with a hypoallergenic shampoo, and then applying a hydrocortisone product to relieve the itch.

Your veterinarian can perform allergy test on your dog, either skin tests or blood tests, to determine the exact cause of the problem.

There are also lots of products on the market that can help you treat the skin allergy symptoms that your dog may experience. There are different shampoos such as hypoallergenic or hydrocortisone forumlas. ‘Itch Stop’ sprays, lotions and salves that soothe and reduce inflammation. Hydrocortisone products that help speed healing.

Dietary supplements that improve skin condition and boost immunity, and some excellent dog foods that contain pure, natural ingredients to end food allergies and strengthen the digestive/immune system.

If your dog’s skin conditions are severe, or appear to be infected (they may look very red, swollen, hot or crusty/oozing), your veterinarian may prescribe corticosteroids, cortisone shots or allergy/antihistamine medications. An elimination diet can be followed to expose a food allergy and isolate the offending ingredient/s.

A food intolerance, as opposed to a true food allergy, may cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or lethargy. These symptoms can also indicate one of several serious canine illnesses, so if your dog experiences any of these, seek veterinary attention for a diagnosis.

Occasionally, dogs may have an allergic reaction to a vaccination. Again, c

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The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Allergies

The … Ayurveda Approach to … a healthy body, the allergic response serves to protect against invasion by harmful agents. … and … help our immune cells get into th

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Allergies

In a healthy body,Guest Posting the allergic response serves to protect against invasion by harmful agents. Secretions and inflammation help our immune cells get into the affected tissue, dilute the toxic agent and help wash it away. “Allergies” become a health problem when an excessive and unwanted allergic response occurs to particles that are part of our normal environment and are not actually dangerous to the body.

Some individuals are born with allergies, and have a genetic susceptibility to them. However, most allergies are acquired after birth. While inborn allergies can often be helped by the measures discussed in this article, acquired allergies are generally more responsive to such behavioral approaches, and are the main focus of this article.

The Main Cause of Allergies
Although pollen, dust, dander, trees and other allergens are the trigger for allergies in susceptible people, they are not the underlying cause. Many people are exposed to these substances every day without developing allergic reactions. Rather, it is the inner condition of the body that determines whether an allergic response results from exposure to an allergen.

According to Maharishi Ayurveda, allergies result when the body has accumulated excess wastes, toxins and impurities. How does this happen? According to Ayurvedic theory, improperly digested foods (called ama), and impurities, such as chemical additives, are absorbed into the body, travel through the circulation and lodge in the respiratory tissues, skin and other tissues prone to allergy. These accumulated wastes and toxins block the channels, trapping the toxins inside the tissues, and activating the immune system. When additional allergens such as pollen or dust arrive on the scene, the already irritated immune system goes into “high gear,” creating the symptoms of an allergy attack.

Symptoms will vary depending on the tissue that has accumulated the toxic waste (ama visha.). If the tissue involved is the digestive tract, diarrhea can result. If in the skin, a rash or hives may occur. And if the respiratory tract is involved, sneezing, inflammation and mucous drainage will occur.

Since the source of allergies lies with our diet and digestion, adopting a proper diet and improving digestion are “job one” in the fight against allergies. Next, it is valuable to use internal cleansing regimens to reduce the clogging and accumulated impurities.

Recommended Diet for Allergies

The main dietary and eating guidelines for allergies are as follows.

1. Eat the largest meal of the day at lunch, between 12:00 and 1:00 PM, when your digestion is strongest. The sun– the heat element in nature– enlivens agni, the fire of digestion and metabolism, making our digestion strongest at the height of the day. Ayurveda recommends eating the largest meal when you are most capable of digesting it.

2. Avoid eating heavy meals in the evening. The single biggest contribution to toxins and clogging in the body comes from eating heavy evening meals, particularly after 7 PM. Since digestion is much weaker in the evening, it is vital to eat lighter, more easily digested meals at that time. Eat a warm, freshly cooked vegetarian evening meal without fried foods, desserts, cheese, yogurt or other curdled products, since these are heavy for digestion and cause more blockage, congestion and mucous.

3. Eat warm food. Warm food is much easier to digest than cold food. Ayurveda recommends we eat fresh warm food, freshly prepared. Avoid micro-waving, which has been shown to destroy over 90% of the protective antioxidants in the food. Also, avoid cold drinks, ice cream, frozen yogurt and other cold foods.

4. Avoid leftovers. Once food has been heated and then gets put back in the refrigerator it becomes hard to digest and very clogging in nature.

5. Avoid excessively hot spices, sour and acidic foods. These foods are irritating to the body and promote inflammation, according to Ayurveda. Many people experience their allergies become worse when they eat foods with chilis, tomato sauces, hard or aged cheeses, refined sugar and sweets, and acidic foods. Bell pepper, eggplant and potato should also be avoided due to their channel-clogging effects.

6. Do include detoxifying spices in your daily diet. Turmeric in particular has anti-allergy, immune-balancing effects. Coriander helps to detoxify on a cellular level; fennel cools and balances; ginger helps the digestion and dissolves ama, and black pepper clears the channels and increases bioavailability of nutrients. Make a spice mixture of 6 parts fennel, cumin and coriander, 4 parts turmeric and 1 part each of ginger and black pepper. Freshly grind the spices, sauté them in a pan without oil until lightly browned, and put in a small airtight container. Carry them with you and sprinkle _ to 1 tsp. on your food at each meal, and cook with them when at home.

7. Do sip boiled warm or hot water about every half hour during the day around the change of seasons, to help your body purify and to support good digestion.

Behavioral Approaches to Reducing Allergies

Diet is not the only consideration in allergies. Ayurvedic theory also recommends the following behavioral changes to help tone down the allergic response.

1. Go to bed by 10:00 P.M. Between 10 PM and 2 AM, the body performs a natural cycle of internal cleansing. If we stay up after 10 PM, we interfere with this metabolic “house cleaning” and toxins and impurities begin to accumulate. Worse yet, the metabolic activity of cleansing tends to trigger hunger, and we may be tempted to indulge in the proverbial “midnight snack.” Unfortunately, eating after 10 PM further compromises the cleansing process and leads to even more waste accumulation, and more allergy tendency. On the other hand, going to bed by 10 PM improves the overall rejuvenative quality of sleep. You will find that your early bedtime habit helps not only your allergies, but your energy and complexion as well!

2. Cleanse the body before the allergy season. The traditional Ayurvedic answer to allergies includes purifying the body of ama and toxins before allergy season begins to prevent symptoms from arising at all. This internal cleansing may be done at home or, more thoroughly, through in-residence cleansing treatments called panchakarma or Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy.

3. Have a regular routine of life. Eating, sleeping, working and exercising at about the same time each day is very balancing and stabilizing to the immune system and to the body as a whole. Allergies tend to be aggravated when routine of life is hectic and scattered.

4. Practice Yoga asanas and meditation. Yogas asanas and meditation are very balancing to all aspects of mind and body and have been used by many people to reduce allergy symptoms. For meditation, I suggest the TM technique because of its ease of practice and scientific verification.

Summary
The best approach to allergies is to focus on good eating habits, practice stress reduction and do natural cleansing before the allergy season.

Note: This article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat disease. Please consult your physician regarding any symptoms you have or before you make changes in lifestyle and diet.
Statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of disease

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