Different Allergies Of Golden Retriever
From the time you got your Golden Retriever, you have loved the golden hair of your dog. But you don’t love it falling all over your car, furniture, foods or clothes, right? And having to ask the veterinarian about the persistent itching and biting problem is not a very uncommon problem for Golden Retriever owners. There may be a wide variety of reasons including infection, parasitical intervention and allergies. Primarily there are four major forms of Golden Retriever allergies. These are flea allergies, atopy, food allergies and contact allergies.
Flea allergies, also referred to as skin inflammation, occurs due to an allergic reaction to flea saliva. If this happens to your dog, the first thing you will notice on his body is a small red papule, which is gradually changed into a crust. The commonly affected areas are lower back, back legs, hind legs, upper thighs and belly areas. Flea allergies is one of the most common forms of skin allergies and when you find your dog is excessively scratching and itching, you can consider this as the primary symptom of Golden Retriever allergies.
When flea allergies occur, the affected areas become hairless. In addition, the areas change color and the skin becomes thickened. As few a couple of bites or less can make a dog react if the skin is sensitive to flea biting. If you can control the flea population, then you can possibly offer effective treatment measures to your dog. Additionally, you have to control flea population in the external environment. There are few advanced methodologies and products that are beneficial in controlling flea infection.
When a dog becomes sensitive to any particular substance in the environment, atopy occurs. The harmful substances are either inhaled or soaked up by the skin of the dog. This is one of the major forms of Golden Retriever allergies, which may affect different body parts including groin, feet, underarm and face. Atopy also affects areas close to ear. Cat dander, fungal spores, weeds, pollen and grasses are the most common factors of atopy. Common interventions may involve antihistamines, antibiotics, cortisone administered either by shampooing or spraying.
Food allergies are another common form of Golden Retriever allergies. The symptoms are quite similar to atopy however the root cause differs significantly. Food allergies occur due to adverse reactions to specific foods like beef, dairy, wheat, soy and few poultry products. Only by changing the entire diet pattern can you identify whether your dog is suffering from a food allergy or not. You need to feed the dog continuously for eight weeks. This is the observation period when you need to observe any possible allergic reactions in the dog.
Contact allergy is another form of Golden Retriever allergies, however, it is not as common. This occurs only when any other form of allergy like atopy affects the dog or a flea reaction causes the area to become hairless and the dog becomes vulnerable towards contact allergies. Paw, underarms and belly are the most affected regions. Chemicals used in carpet cleaning, polishes, grasses, waxes, and pollens may contribute to contact allergies in Golden Retrievers.
Owner must be aware of proper Golden Retriever care so that the dog can grow with optimum health. If you would like to know how to choose a vet for your Golden Retriever, this article can teach you the basic information about Golden Retriever allergies.