Taking Care of Labrador Allergies

Dog Skin Allergies

Labrador allergies related to food need some detective work on your part. If your Labrador starts to scratch constantly then you know it is suffering from an allergy. Labradors do shed a lot but if hair starts to fall out in clumps and you see red or exposed skin then you know it has an allergy. The only problem is that all allergies, whether food or contact, manifest in itchy skin. The same way a human might have a runny nose when they are allergic to pollen a dog will have itchy skin when it is allergic to something.

Dog Skin Allergies

If you vet thinks that it is a food allergy then you should to feed your dog proteins and carbohydrates it has never had and see if the condition improves. If it does then your dog has definitely been suffering from a food allergy. Your vet will then advise you about what foods to avoid and what diet to put your dog on. During the food elimination test you should not give your dog any treats that you usually give it.

Dog Skin Allergies

One of the common results of Labrador allergies is ear infection. Ear infections will make your poor Labrador miserable. This is because, just like humans, ear infections are very painful for dogs. What makes this worse is that dogs have a heightened sense of hearing and an untreated ear infection can cause hearing loss. It would be a shame to let an ear infection go untreated as they are easily remedied.

Dog Skin Allergies

A tell tale sign that your dog has an ear infection is constant head shaking and rubbing of the ear on the floor and furniture. Once the infection gets worse your pet will be whining and in constant pain. Before it gets to this stage you should see a vet immediately to determine the cause of the ear infection. Certain allergens that cause ear infections can be easily avoided and others may not be, in the latter case your pet may need regular injections to help fight ear infections and other allergies.

The best way to avoid Labrador allergies that result in ear infections is to dry your dog's ears after bathing and regularly clean it's ears. To clean a dog's ears ask your vet for a cleaning solution that you can use and consult your vet for the proper way to administer the cleaning solution. Labrador care of the ear means cleaning your pet's ears about once a week.

The only way to avoid ear infections that stem from Labrador allergies is to avoid the allergen. In some cases this is a seasonal thing, for example if your Labrador is allergic to pollen. In other cases it might mean a lifestyle change on your part, as some Labradors can be allergic to tobacco smoke. Other allergens such as molds, grass, trees and sometimes other animals, are not so easy to avoid. In this case your pet will need regular injections to boost its immune system to fight the allergies.

Taking Care of Labrador Allergies

Dog Skin Allergies