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Best Sellers TEP Canker Powder
FULL refund given on 20gm if disatisfied and returned with 10 days.
TEP ear powder for canker/ear-mite and its associated symptoms. Based on Mr Watchman's formula it has much improved antiseptic and astringent properties. It uses only Pharmaceutical grade ingredients. It's anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-irritant properties clears mites and soothes inflamed ears.
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Quistel Ear Cleaner £6.95
10% off
Quistel Ear Cleaner is excellent in its treatment of ear-mite and its complications. It is a soothing anti-fungal, anti-bacterial that clears mites and inflamed ears. It is especially effective on tiny ear canals.
Can be used in conjunction with TEP or as a stand alone treatment for ear-mite & its complications.
was £6.95 now £6.26
Discount only shown at final check out
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Thornit Ear Powder
This is the original Miss Bett's Thornit ear powder used for the treatment of Ear-mite and its complications in dogs, cats and small animals. This is based on Mr Watchman's formula which has been proved effective for many years.
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Quistel Spray Lotion
10% off
This Bio-restoring lotion spray helps to maintain freedom from skin & coat problems. It helps to stimulate the regrowth of hair on bald spots and thining patches. It should be left on the coat. It was developed to treat those persistant problems by direct application.
Great as a dry shampoo.
Great for hot spots.
Great for stud tail
Discount only shown at final check out
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TEP Canker Powder - Sample £1.50
TEP ear powder for canker/ear-mite and its associated symptoms. Based on Mr Watchman's formula it has much improved antiseptic and astringent properties. It uses only Pharmaceutical grade ingredients. It's anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-irritant properties clears mites and soothes inflamed ears.
find out more
PetalCleanse D for the dog £8.85
PetalCleanse D for the dog is one of the best kept secrets in the dog world!
It is a fantastic grooming and showing aid keeping the dogs coat and skin in tip top condition, tangle free and not flyaway.
It is wonderful for a dog's health and wellbeing, an absolute MUST for those dog's that are prone to scratching and chewing themselves.
Click image for further information about how it benefits the dog.
Was £9.50 NOW £8.85
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| | | Pet Allergy Fact Sheet | | What is an Allergy? | Food | Parasite | Contact | Inhalent | Infections | Allergies & Fatty Acids |
Introduction
Allergies are just as common in dogs and cats as they are in humans unfortunately most people don’t think of an allergy when there is a problem with their pet probably because pets don’t always exhibit the typical symptoms of people. Allergies in dogs and cats are typified by itchy skin and ear problems. Contrary to popular belief allergies are the root of the majority of troublesome ear problems seen in dogs not ear-mite.
This information sheet attempts to overview the symptoms and causes of common allergies in our canine/feline companions. |
| What is an Allergy?
An allergy is the immune system's inappropriate over-reaction to an otherwise harmless, everyday substance (called allergens or antigens). These substances cause allergic reactions when ingested, inhaled or on contact.
People and animals have certain cells in their lungs and throughout their bodies that release inflammatory and irritant substances such as histamines. When the person is exposed to an allergen or antigen the immune system kicks in and the irritant chemicals produced cause the typical allergic reactions of wheeziness, asthma, hives etc. | |  |
Allergens include certain: foodstuffs, parasites, dust and dust-mites, chemicals, plants, feathers, other animals, bacteria and probably a lot more than I can think of. What’s fine for one dog can be an allergen for another. An animal or human that develops an allergy to one substance quickly finds that they often become allergic to multiple items. |
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Causes & Symptoms
Dogs and humans are very similar when it comes to allergies with causes often being the same for both; it’s just the symptoms that tend to differ. In people allergic reactions often present themselves as wheeziness, runny, itchy eyes and nose and often itchy skin with hives and dermatitis. In dogs wheeziness and asthma are rare but what is common are ear problems and intense irritation of parts of the body, particularly (but not always) the belly, groin, armpits, face and between the pads. This leads to sore spots through scratching and biting which are then prone to bacterial and fungal infections. An allergic reaction can show itself all over the body or affect only one area. The most common allergies in dogs are: inhalant, parasite (usually flea), food, contact and bacterial. The most common allergens being dust mite, pollen, molds, fungal spores (including yeast), and parasites (fleas, mites and other insects). As with humans dogs can be fine for years and then for no apparent reason they can suddenly become allergic to something.
An affected dog can become allergic to multiple allergens. The condition generally worsens if allowed to go untreated and as the dog ages so identifying the cause and controlling it early is to be recommended.
The following overviews the various common allergies in dogs. |
| | What is an Allergy? | Food | Parasite | Contact | Inhalent | Infections | Allergies & Fatty Acids |
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| | | Food Allergy
Food allergies can seem to occur out of the blue, a dog can be eating the same food or protein source for years and then develop an allergy to it. Some authorities argue that constantly changing the protein sources can help avoid food allergies as the exposure is never long enough to allow them to develop.
The most common causes of food allergies are beef, chicken, dairy products, egg, gluten (particularly wheat). The most common symptoms are itchy, flakey skin and digestive disorders (recurrent ear problems can sometimes be the only symptom). In rare cases respiratory disorders occur. |  |
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True food allergies are rare in dogs with only about 15% of allergic dogs being allergic to one of the protein sources (meat or grain) or preservatives found in dog foods. What is more common is an intolerance, for instance in my experience 90% of West Highland White Terriers can't take wheat gluten and with them it shows up as itchy, flakey skin, change to a rice based food and the problem usually goes away. In other dogs a wheat, gluten intolerance shows up as colitis and runny stools. Some dogs react to certain meat proteins and preservatives by being hyperactive and "climbing the walls!” Dogs can present only one of the previous symptoms or all of them. Identifying the culprit source and eliminating it from the diet will cure the problem.
Determining a Food Allergy
If you think you have a dog with a food intolerance/allergy the best way to sort it is to go back to basics. Take your dog off complete foods and give him a raw/cooked meat and cooked rice/potato for 3 weeks (absolutely nothing else should be given other than water and keep to the same single meat protein and single carbohydrate for that time period) see if there is any noticeable difference. The meat proteins least likely to cause problems are duck and rabbit (possibly venison), then fish and lamb. If you can stabilize the dog and free him from symptoms you can then start to reintroduce other food items until you find the causes. Even if you find one source still introduce one item back at a time and wait to see the effect as there may be more than one source! | | What is an Allergy? | Food | Parasite | Contact | Inhalent | Infections | Allergies & Fatty Acids |
| Parasite Allergy
This is a very common allergy in dogs. Flea allergy is probably the most common and is characterized by severe biting and itching of the hindquarters and the base of the tail. The dog is actually allergic to the protein in the saliva of the flea so just ONE flea can cause a reaction leading to frantic biting and scratching. If allowed to continue the dog will chew until the skin is raw this is then prone to infection. It should be easy to diagnose as after parasite treatment within a few days a noticeable difference should be seen. | |  |
If you think it may be parasite allergy remember to treat the house, including furnishings and carpets that the dog comes into contact with as these are the places the fleas lay their eggs. Also use a good antifungal, antibacterial and hypoallergenic shampoo to get rid of skin infections and allergens on the dog. Parasites usually cause a seasonal allergy. [It should be remembered that parasites does not just mean those normally associated with the dog but also field mites, cockroaches etc.] |
| | What is an Allergy? | Food | Parasite | Contact | Inhalent | Infections | Allergies & Fatty Acids |
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| | | | | Inhalent Allergies
These have to be the most common causes of allergies seen in dogs far outstripping other causes. As with people these allergies can't be cured only controlled but there is a lot you can do. It is believed that up to 15% of dogs have inhalant allergies which usually begin when the dog is one to three years old. The earliest sign is an intense itching, when the hair is parted and the skin examined there appears to be nothing wrong. Also face rubbing and head shaking. Rashes etc. normally appear later due to scratching, biting, exposure to too much saliva, and skin infections. | |  |
Pollen is a seasonal allergy so you can get a good indication by watching to see if the dog is worse at certain times of the year (tree pollens occur throughout the spring and grass pollens throughout the summer, flower pollens aren't often a problem). Don't forget some parasites can be seasonal so that can sometimes confuse the issue. If you think grass pollens are the problem see if keeping him out of the grass for a few days helps. The allergens associated with pollen can be picked up on the coat so if he’s been in grass wipe him down with an anti-allergen wipe or bath him in a hypoallergenic shampoo. |
Controlling an Inhalent Allergy
The only way to control pollen allergies is the same as for people keep windows and doors in the house shut and treat the house with an air cleaning spray. You can then see if the dog has relief when he stays in the house. You also need to wipe down his coat with an allergen wipe as the pollen allergens will adhere to hair etc. Dogs can be treated with certain of the human antihistamines but only about 20% of dogs are helped by these and you can sometimes get side effects such as sleepiness and depression, but it might be worth trying as your canine could be one of the 20%. Not all human antihistamines are suitable for dogs so you need to consult a vet.
Fungal spore allergies are treated as per pollen allergies.
Moulds and mildew allergies can be avoided by eliminating dampness and making sure the dog sleeps in a dry area. |
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Dust mite is the biggie. It is arguably the most common cause of allergy in the dog. If the pet is scratching and distressed the whole year round then he is likely to be allergic to house dust mite. Again treatment is the same as for humans, keep the place well vacuumed and free from dust build up, wash the pets bedding with an anti-allergen liquid, use an anti-allergen to spray the furnishings and coverings in the dogs living area and wipe him down with an anti-allergen wipe. This can be amazingly successful.
Frequent cool (the warmer the water the more the skin will itch), bathing initially weekly then monthly, with a hypo-allergenic shampoo can help relieve the symptoms and remove the allergens from the skin.
Don’t forget if he has a recurring problem with his ears it could be an inhalant allergy. |  |
| | What is an Allergy? | Food | Parasite | Contact | Inhalent | Infections | Allergies & Fatty Acids |
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Bacterial Allergy
There are several types of bacteria that normally live on the dogs skin and cause no problem. But a very few dogs develop an allergy to certain bacteria. The allergic reaction is often characterized by round spots of hair loss usually up to 5cms (2inches) in diameter. Shampooing and antibiotics is the usual treatment. This is a typical recurring allergy so frequent bathing with an appropriate shampoo helps to reduce the frequency of recurrence. |
Bacterial Infections
Bacterial infections can increase the irritation and may even worsen the effects of an allergy by causing further damage to the skin. It is characterized by a rash and/or pustular spots. As the infection can worsen the situation it needs treatment quickly usually by a combination of shampoos and antibiotics. |
Yeast Infections
This is often seen associated with ear problems but can also be associated with the skin. It doesn’t cause spots but is recognized by redness, “greasiness” and the characteristic “mousey” odour. Yeast infections can be treated with a good antifungal shampoo or wash. If it's in the ear then keeping the ear dry and at a slightly acidic PH should keep the ear clear of fungal infections. | | What is an Allergy? | Food | Parasite | Contact | Inhalent | Infections | Allergies & Fatty Acids |
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| | | | Summary
Allergies in animals are just as complex and frustrating as in people. Diagnosis and treatment can be a very costly business especially if a skin specialist has to be consulted. As I hope this article has made clear there is a lot that the owner can do. It does need commitment and tenacity as the time taken in trial and error to determine the cause of an allergy can be very long winded. As the usual veterinary treatment involves steriods which are certainly not to be recommended for long term use the more the owner can do to alleviate the situation the better.
Fortunately a lot of the more common allergies seen in the dog can either be eliminated by careful management of the living enviroment and use of anti-allergen products or at least reduced in their intensity to the extent that minimal veterinary treatment will be needed. It just takes a lot of time, commitment and careful observation. Unfortunately there will always be some allergies that will require a lot of long term veterinary input, but those are in the minority. |
[Products featured on this site that are especially useful for ear problems are: TEP ear powder and Quistel Ear Cleaner, for inhalent allergies: Biolife AirCleanse and Biolife HomeCleanse, for pollutants and allergens on the coat and skin:Quistel Shampoo and Biolife PetalCleanse.] |
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