The dogs can also develop different types of allergies. Allergies occur when the defensive system of the dog's body overreacts to an element that it considers a threat to it, so it defends itself by counterattacking. This reaction of the system causes dogs to have certain problems, such as hair loss, itching or swelling.
All the allergies in dogs they are similar to human allergies in how they work. But it is not the same things that cause allergies in dogs. There are allergies that are very common in them, so we must be vigilant to detect any possible reaction.
Common types of allergies
Next we will talk about the types of most common allergies in dogs. Which does not mean that there are no other types of allergies, only that these are the ones that we can most appreciate in many dogs and breeds. In any case, it is the function of the veterinarian to determine the type of allergy and the way in which we can combat it.
Food Allergy
It is common for there to be dogs that have allergies to certain substances in food. This manifests with itchy skin and hair loss many times. Food affects them in this way and that is why their diet will have to be changed, but for this it must be determined that the reddening of the skin, itching and hair loss are due to an allergy of this type.
Allergy to flea bites
La allergy to flea bites it is easy to determine, because the places where the dogs have been bitten are inflamed and they suffer a lot of itch, sometimes with shedding of the coat due to scratching. This type of allergies only appear when fleas are present and they bite our dogs, so it is easy to recognize them.
Allergy to environmental factors
Some dogs develop allergies to factors in the environment, such as pollen, something that also happens to us. The way of acting on the dog's defense system is the same as with other allergies. They suffer from itching, redness of the skin and hair loss.
Ways to perform allergy tests
Allergy testing in dogs they are not totally 100% reliable, but to a large extent they can help us determine the type of allergy they have and how we can combat it. It is important to rule out that these skin problems are not due to scabies or a bacterial skin infection.
Hypoallergenic foods
To know if the dog has a food allergy you have to provide hypoallergenic feed for a time. If the allergy subsides, it is a food allergy. Commercial feeds have many substances and it would be very difficult to determine exactly which ingredient causes that allergy, so what is done in these cases is to make a unique diet of hypoallergenic feed, which has substances divided into such small pieces that cannot produce allergic reactions.
Blood Tests
The blood test is not a totally reliable test, but it is can be complementary when determining if the dog has any allergies. These analyzes allow to know the class of antibodies that are generated before certain allergies.
Intradermal injections
This is also done in humans. It is about performing a test in which you have to do some intradermal injections with substances that can cause allergies to determine which of them is the one that gives the dog problems. The only problem that we see with this test is that the dog must be very still and normally it must be sedated. It is used in cases in which it has not been determined with the blood test what causes allergy. They are quite complete and allow to determine some types of allergy.