Tips for Reducing Pet Allergies

One of the worst discoveries pet owners can make is that they are (or a family member is) allergic to a pet, especially after strong emotional bonds have formed. If someone in the household has developed allergies to a beloved pet, you must make the heart-wrenching decision about whether or not to keep the animal.

Before jumping to any decisions, though, first have the allergy confirmed by testing. If the test comes back positive, most allergists will recommend that the pet causing the allergies be removed from the home to avoid the possible progression of symptoms and to decrease the amount of medication the allergic person requires. Once you've received the results and heard the recommendation, you'll have to decide what to do.

Tips for Reducing Pet Allergies

While allergists are generally correct when they recommend removing a pet, doing so is like losing a family member. Some people, understandably so, are unwilling to give up their pet. Instead, they choose to live with the pet by modifying behaviors and keeping the house as dander-free as possible. If this is the route you decide to take, consider the following suggestions:

How to Relieve dog Allergies

Our love affair with the furry and feathered has produced a nation of pet owners, many of whom need tissues and pet allergy medicines to cope. Can pets be a part of an allergy sufferer's world? In this article, we will tell you the truth about pets and allergies and even give you helpful advice if you have to make the tough decision to get rid of your pet to save your health. Let's get started with some basic information about pet allergies.

Like all allergic reactions, pet allergies are the result of an immune system reaction to a harmless substance; in this case, the reaction is to the proteins in pets' dander (dead skin flakes) and possibly saliva and urine (it depends on the breed). Unlike other airborne allergens that come from unwanted creatures, pet allergens come from a cute and cuddly animal, a four-legged or feathered friend whom we adore and who adores us.

Pity pet allergy sufferers, for they endure endless bouts of misery because of their love of or the popularity of pets. After critter contact, many look like they've lost a boxing match: They have puffy faces; watery, swollen eyes; a runny nose; and red, irritated skin. Such reactions aren't always immediate, especially when sensitivity is minor or allergen levels are low. You might spend all day petting a sister's cat and only suffer a tiny itch.

How to Relieve dog Allergies

But come 2 A.M., the immune system wakes up and soon you're wide awake rubbing your eyes, blowing your nose, and cursing the cat. Highly sensitive people usually don't have to wait 'til 2 A.M. (or later) for reactions to start. It seems they just look at the cat and experience skin irritations, nasal congestion, and breathing difficulties. For people with asthma, contact with a cat can trigger a severe asthma attack.

Oral Drops for Dog Allergies Pass Another Hurdle

A study reported July 24 at the World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows that placing allergy drops under a dog's tongue can be as effective as allergy injections for controlling skin allergies.

In dogs, allergies to house dust, pollen, and mold cause atopic dermatitis, an itchy skin inflammation. Dogs, like people, can be desensitized through "immunotherapy" using shots or drops that deliver small doses of the allergen to "train" the immune system to tolerate foreign proteins.

Both technologies are now about a century old, but for humans and animals, allergy shots are more commonly used.

Chief author of the new study, Douglas DeBoer, a professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, sees several benefits emerging from the new study, which treated skin allergies in 217 dogs using allergy drops.

What's Behind Your Dog's Allergies

What's causing your dog to itch? It's probably dog allergies. But is it food, dust mites ... or you? There are hundreds of possibilities. 

Here's how to rule out some of them, and get down to the likeliest ones. Once you know what's causing the itch, you can take action to provide your dog with some much-needed relief. 

Let's get down to business. Does your dog itch all year-round, or just in certain seasons? If it's seasonal, skip to that section. 

There are only a few causes of year-round canine allergies: 

Food. This is the first thing many people think of as causing canine allergies. But it's actually one of the least likely. True food allergies are uncommon in dogs, with only about 15% of allergic dogs being allergic to food. 

Dog's Allergies

A dog may be sensitive to a protein source in his food, or to the protein part of grains such as wheat, soy or corn. Wheat gluten is another one which frequently causes some dog itching and scratching problems. If you have an itchy dog, avoid foods with soy. 

More Tips for Finding a Lost Dog

• Call all surrounding town police departments and alert them (calling up to six is not a bad idea). Give the breed, size, sex, color, name and where it was lost and last seen. Give your name and phone number in case they find it. If the police department does not ask you what your phone number is, then call BACK and make sure they have it and understand why. Continue to call each day or every other day to find out updates. They won't LOOK for your pet. They'll only pick it up if they see it.
• Call the local animal shelter and humane society to alert them.
• Call all nearby park workers to alert them in case your pet ran into a park
• If you have internet access, register your pet in WWW.Petfinder.com

Make flyers which include:

-LOST PET announcement -your pet's picture -your pet's name, size, sex

-date it became missing -where and when last seen

What to Do if You Lose Your Pet

Getting the word out early is the key to getting your dog or cat back safely and soundly. Don't assume your pet will return on his own in a few hours. Don't wait around to see if he'll find his way home. As soon as you are aware that your pet is missing, GET THE WORD OUT. Remember, have good, clear photos on hand just in case, and ALWAYS make sure your dogs and cats are wearing a collar with identification tags. Microchipping is an excellent form of identification, but always make sure your pet has a visible collar and tags.

• Make posters, and lots of them. Keep it simple: "LOST DOG (or cat)!" should be at the top in large, easy to read, (even from a moving vehicle) bold letters. Then include a brief description or breed type: "Beige, wire-haired terrier " or "Striped grey and black short-haired cat ". Don't assume that people will know your particular pure breed, so always include a description. Include the animal's name, it may make it easier for someone to call your pet over and capture him, and it also makes your pet into a valued member of your family, and not just another lost animal statistic. Offer a reward, don't state how much in the ad, and include your telephone number in large numbers at the bottom of the poster.
• Make dozens of index cards with the same information as above, and go to every home, in every direction from the site of where your pet disappeared, and give a card, or stick a card under doors or on windshields. Stop and speak with every person you encounter –the more people know about your lost pet, the more likely the one person who spots him will call you. Your pet may be frightened, ask people to please check their barns and sheds, especially at night.
• Place a "Lost " ad in your local newspaper the very first morning your pet is gone. These ads are usually free.
• GET THE WORD OUT! The more people know you have lost a pet, and that you are upset, worried and desperately trying to find your pet, the more people will call you if they see an animal in the woods or on the road, or in their backyard.
• Get out and call for your pet by name. Enlist family and friends to canvas the neighborhood, in all directions, on the roads and as the crow flies. Don't try to predict where your pet could or wouldn't have gone –YOU NEVER KNOW. The best time to call for your pet is at night, and at dawn. If you are calling from your car, drive slowly, roll down all the windows, stop and turn your vehicle off frequently to listen.
• Call all your neighbors personally.
• Call all veterinary clinics, including emergency veterinary hospitals outside your local area. Sometimes people pick up a stray and drive it to a distant clinic. Call all animal shelters and animal control and dog control officers, all local police and state troopers, all local kennels, the highway department, dog training clubs, grooming shops get the word out.
• Visit all local dog pounds and animal shelters, don't rely on their information, go through and look at all dogs and cats, DAILY.
• Don 't give up!
• Dogs and cats often wander far away, and do things you wouldn't predict they would do. Try everything, look everywhere, tell everyone. You'd be surprised how many people will be supportive, will get out and help you look, will offer words of encouragement and hope, will suggest places to look that other stray animals have gone.
• Even the friendliest and most social pet may quickly become terrified and wild. Your own friendly pet, when lost, may hide from people, run away if he sees a person, he may even run away from you. Don't chase after a lost pet –they are much faster than we are and you'll only scare them more. Instead, sit on the ground; talk in normal tones, repeating his name and familiar phrases over and over again. A frightened animal will usually stick around, and after a few minutes or hours,come closer and closer.
• In rare cases, you may need to rent or purchase a Humane Live trap, and set it to capture a terrified lost pet. Local animal shelters often rent or loan these, and will have an appropriate size for a dog or a cat.
• Again, DON'T GIVE UP! Be aggressive in your search, get lots of help, get the word out right away – don't wait a few hours "to see if he'll come home on his own "– you need those early hours to put up posters and give out cards.

How to Find Your Lost Dog

By the time you are reading this article, most likely you have been looking for your lost pet for 24 hours or more. You have walked, then driven your neighborhood. You have been to the local animal shelter and registered your pet as missing. You have lost a lot of sleep.

You are reading because you feel the odds are strong that you will recover your pet. In the vast majority of instances, your instincts will prove true.

Let's try to help you. Let's briefly go over three things:

• Why pets run away and where they often go
• The logical steps to take in assisting recovery
• Things you can tell your friends later if you are among the many who succeed in recovering your lost pet.

(1) Why and Where Do They Go?

(2) Steps to Recovering Your Pet

(3) How to Avoid Losing Your Pet

How to Find Your Lost Dog

1. Why Pets Run Away and Where They Often Go

Normally, pets run away from acute boredom or loneliness, to answer sexual urges if they have not been neutered, in response to sudden and unexpected events that frighten them, out of curiosity if doors, windows or gates are left open, or if they are new to a home and are looking for their former surroundings.

How to Find a Responsible Dog Breeder

If you've checked shelters and rescue groups and still haven't found "the one," here's what to do

The Humane Society of the United States

So, you've decided to get a dog. You're prepared to feed, exercise, train, clean up after, work through problems with, and love a dog every day for the next 10 to 20 years.

You've evaluated your lifestyle and know exactly what sort of dog you're looking for (e.g., a high energy dog to go running with, or a more sedate dog to lounge on the couch with), and you know that you need to seek out your desired characteristics in an individual dog, not a breed, because a breed is no guarantee of temperament or likes and dislikes.

Start at a shelter or rescue group

Parvovirus in Dogs

What is parvovirus in dogs?

Also known as "parvo", parvovirus is a serious & often deadly disease caused by the highly infectious parvovirus. It was first described in the 1970's.

Parvovirus attacks rapidly dividing cells within the body, commonly involving the gastrointestinal tract, lymph nodes & bone marrow. A less common form of parvovirus affects the heart muscle.

It is spread via infected feces where high numbers of the virus are shed. Infection occurs via direct or indirect contact with infected feces. The virus can survive for months in the environment (bedding, kennels etc).

Unvaccinated puppies are most at risk of infection although adult dogs can also become infected. For reasons unknown, Dobermans, Rottweilers & Pit bulls are more susceptible to the disease than other breeds of dog.

Parvo Symptoms and Treatment

Is This a Death Sentence for Your Dog?

Unfortunately, it can be. But the rate at which parvovirus kills has been seriously diminished in recent years due to scientific understanding on how to replace the vital elements in your dogs body that are lost in the throes of this decimating virus.

If your dog has tested positive for parvovirus, you may want to save this page so that you can refer back to it for information, treatment, and comfort while you nurse your pup back to health.

If you think your dog may have parvo, please continue reading to learn what you can, must, and should do to help them through this devastating illness.

How Can My Dog Be Exposed to Parvo?

You May Be Surprised

Dogs do not have to be taken into to unfamiliar surroundings to be exposed, although doing so regular does increase the risk of contracting Parvo. In fact, even if your dog or dogs stay in an enclosed area such as your backyard, they may still be at risk for exposure to the Parvovirus. Some of the most common manners in which your dog can be exposed to Parvo include:

• Vet/Clinic Visits
• Dog Parks
• If an Owner comes in contact with sick dogs (rescue, vet care, dog sitting etc.)
• Contaminated Dogs visiting your home, or just your yard.

Although these certainly are not the only means in which your dog can come in contact with this deadly virus, but it is certainly a good idea of how easy, and how wide-reaching it can be.

Even if there is only an outbreak near your area, something as simple as a bird landing on parvo'd fecal matter and then perching on your dogs outside food or water dish could make it possible to have this illness.