uFEATURED ARTICLE
Just like people, our pets can suffer from
allergies too. An allergy occurs when the
immune system overreacts to a substance
or allergen causing the body to react in
an adverse way.
For dogs and cats, allergens fall into two
categories: environmental allergens, which are
substances they encounter through contact,
ingestion, or inhalation; and food allergens,
which are ingredients in their diet.
Common environmental allergens include:
ü
Grass, weeds, plants, seeds, pollen
ü
Mould or mould spores
ü
Fungus or fungal spores
ü
Dust or dust mites
ü
Cockroach droppings
ü
Parasites such as fleas, ticks, mites
and mosquitoes
ü
Perfume
ü
Cigarette smoke
ü
Cleaning products
Common food allergens include:
ü
Beef, chicken, pork, lamb or fish
ü
Soy, Eggs, Dairy, Wheat
Any dog or cat can develop an allergy at any
point in their life, meaning that something
that never use to bother them can suddenly
become an allergic trigger to their body.
How every animal reacts to different allergens
can vary depending on the animal, the level
of exposure, age, other health factors and
what the allergen is.
Signs of an allergic reaction can include:
ü
Itchy, red, inflamed, scabby or weeping skin
ü
Increased or persistent scratching, biting,
licking or chewing (most commonly of paws,
tummy, base of tail)
ü
Itchy and/or runny eyes
Allergies
in
dogs
and
cats
8
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my pet magazine
