The Best Allergy Treatments for Dogs
For any pet owner that has a pet with allergies, they will tell you how difficult it can be. Itchy paws, eyes, or ears can be very uncomfortable for your pet and difficult for you to watch.
Thankfully, there are a variety of different allergy regimes that you can offer your pup for some relief.
Apoquel
This is a pill that is supposed to help with your pup’s itchiness. Dogs deal with itching in many different ways: scratching, licking, chewing, biting, rubbing, or shaking. Dealing with itching can be annoying and uncomfortable for your dog, but it can also lead to greater health problems if they scratch their skin raw. This can lead to infections that can cause serious health problems for your pup. Apoquel is great for itching relief, however, it will not treat the cause of your pup’s itching.
Cytopoint
Cyotpoint is an injecti0n given to dogs to create antibodies to neutralize a protein that causes itching in dogs. The benefits of this are that you don’t have to give your dog a daily pill, however, your pup will need to get the shot about every four weeks. The price is based on the dose so for bigger dogs, it may not be worth the cost.
Diet
No diet will totally prevent allergies in your dog. However, dogs can have food allergies, and the only way to determine what exactly is causing your dog’s allergy is a food trial. Your vet will either prescribe a diet or recommend a home-cooked diet.
This could look like changing your dog’s protein source. Dogs get a lot of chicken from their food, treats, or toothpaste. Your vet might recommend rabbit or potato to see if your dog has an easier time on a different diet.
Topicals
Just like humans, dogs have the option of topical steroid creams or skin balms to help reduce itching. Once again, this is not going to treat the source of the itching but might offer your pup some much-needed relief.
If your dog is experiencing issues with allergies, the best first step to take is to call your vet and see what they recommend. Allergies are uncomfortable so the sooner you have your pooch treated, the better. For a list of common dog allergies, check out this list. Sit Means Sit wants your dog happy and healthy!