Ten Holistic Ways for Managing Your Dog’s Fall Allergies

Fall is allergy season. This is as true for your dog as it is for you. Allergies in dogs can manifest themselves in several ways: nasal and eye discharge, sneezing, coughing, itching and scratching, chewing body parts, and a change in the color of the fur around the eyes and nose. It is terrible to see your dog miserable from allergies. Here are ten holistic tips for managing your dog’s allergies.

1.) Keep the amount of allergens in your house low. Vacuum all carpet and upholstery at least every seven days. Wash human and pet bedding at least every seven days. Sweep and mop floors weekly. Keep everything as clean as possible.

2.) Keep your windows and doors closed. Run the air conditioner on hot days, run the heater on cold days, and run an air filtration system year round.

3.) Change the filters on heaters and air conditioners as often as the manufacturer recommends. This is usually once a month. Use hypoallergenic filters in the air conditioner.

4.) Bathe your pets every week. This keeps the allergens off the dog and can sooth chapped and irritated skin, especially if you use an oatmeal based soap. This can help keep the dog from scratching and chewing on his skin, making a bad allergy into a bad wound.

5.) If your dog’s eyes are irritated, use an over the counter eye irrigation solution to wash them out as needed and get the irritants out of the dog’s eye.

6.) See the veterinarian every twelve months for shots and a check-up to catch problems with allergies early. Your veterinarian may have additional suggestions for managing the allergies.

7.) Make sure you manage or treat health problems immediately as they make the immune system weaker and that can make allergens irritate things more easily. Besides, it is more humane to the dog to treat problems immediately.

8.) Use topical and oral flea and tick medicines to keep pests off of your pet. Keeping the house clean will also lessen the problems with fleas and ticks.

9.) Feed a good dog food. Cheaper is not better. Choose one with a source of protein listed first in the ingredients, no artificial food coloring or flavors, no gluten containing grains such as wheat, corn, or soy, and nothing in them that you cannot pronounce and understand. Cheap dog foods leave your dog in poorer health and his immune system primed to over react to allergens.

10.) Keep your dog the correct weight. Being obese or starving impacts the whole body and causes inflammation and other uncomfortable things. Obese dogs have more skin problems and tend to scratch and lick their skin more.

Fall is a wonderful season for you and your dog. It features cool days and less intense sunshine, so you can spend longer outside with your dog. If your dog has allergies, following these tips may help him not be so miserable.