DOG ALLERGIES ON THE RISE – Soothe early and naturally inside and out
This article by: Donna Lorenz – Chief Dog Lover | Dog Nutritionist
In recent months I’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of dogs showing up in our online orders and my nutritional consults with severe allergies. So, I felt the need to revisit the latest research and science to see what was new and how I can help. It turns out there has been a significant increase in dogs presenting with allergies in recent years just about everywhere! Now some experts say that
50% of dogs will experience allergies in their lifetime! Up from 20%
Whether that increase is due to more dogs being presented to vets seeking help or, as some suggest, changes to the quality of food ingredients (albeit only around 10% of allergies are from food) or longer allergy seasons due to climate change, allergies are definitely not to be sneezed at (see what I did there?… sorry : ). Studies tell us that you don’t want to wait until allergic reactions arise to treat them if you can help it and have confirmed the benefits of good nutrition and natural medicines aimed at soothing inflammation and boosting immunity.
Allergies may not usually be considered as much of a problem as cancer, arthritis or other life-threatening illnesses that we deal with (a large part of my professional focus), but if you have a dog scratching until they bleed, chewing itself, circling, shaking its head, with burning hotspots, ear infections, raging skin rashes, gut issues and is clearly suffering, it is an awful problem to witness and deal with. It’s hard to think of anything else – for both the dog and the human! Especially when it is hard to determine its cause and even worse when you know the only offered solutions address only the symptoms anyway and have their own negative side effects with no end in sight.
I’ve talked with many frustrated dog lovers who hate using steroid creams, anti-inflammatories and/or injections to keep their dog comfortable – often still with some symptoms remaining – but feel they have no other options and are at the same time grateful and relieved to see their dog have relief, even when they are worried about bigger downstream consequences. The good news is that diet, nutrition and natural medicines (oral and topical) can help immensely. I’ve seen and helped numerous dogs be completely weaned off these pharma interventions over time, more on that later. But!
Prevention is better than cure
The best allergy treatment is prevention. Research says that it’s better to take actions that prevent or give your dog the best chance of not developing allergies rather than wait for them to appear. Once allergies take hold they can be very difficult to thwart and symptoms can often become worse over time. So, it’s best to take action early whether preventative or at first sight of irritation. The earlier the action the less invasive the treatment and the less severe the resulting issue.
But first…
What causes allergies?
The common theory is that allergies are either inhaled (like dust, mould or pollen), touched (known as ‘environmental’ or ‘contact’, like grass, fleas or chemicals) or eaten (various foods). It is the overreaction of the immune system to that allergen that is the problem, not necessarily the trigger itself. Soothing the immune response is our goal.
It’s rarely a food allergy but it could be poor digestion
Firstly, it’s important to know that only 5-10% of allergies are food related. Therefore, it’s best to investigate other potential sources before going down the route of elimination diets unless there is obvious causation.
The first place I go when a dog presents with allergies is their digestion.
Food allergies can sometimes be misdiagnosed poor digestion and no matter how much you fix the diet if the digestion remains dysfunctional the problem of the reaction will also remain.
If food is not digested properly it enters the gut in a form that the gut does not like or recognise and it rejects it with an overactive immune response. It can also lead to chronic gut inflammation that over time diminishes the gut wall, causing ‘leaky gut’ which makes the problem worse and harder to heal. Good gut microbiota is so important. Pre and probiotics in the diet are key, as well as good fiber (from veggies, ideallly fermented) and gut-healing nutrients (such as curcumin, nutritional yeast and MSM).
Fleas, airborne particles, chemicals and grasses
The most common allergy triggers in dogs are flea saliva and airborne particles (especially house dust mites, dander, plant pollens, and mould spores), but also contact with grasses, and yard or house chemicals.
Some allergens are seasonal, like pollen or perhaps fleas, while others can be ongoing (such as dust or mould if not addressed), and some are periodic such as garden or home maintenance related (think fertilizer or pest insecticides or carpet cleaning etc).
How can you help your dog reduce their risk of allergies?
The latest science tells us the best treatment for severe allergies (especially atopic dermatitis and other skin irritations) is multifaceted – including allergy avoidance, immune response modulation (or suppression) and strengthening the skin layer.
Obviously soothing the symptoms is important to help our dogs feel comfortable (when their discomfort is at its worst I too encourage dog humans to get pharma treatments from their vet while we introduce a natural healing approach) but it’s vital to also address the cause or causes of what is making the dog vulnerable.
That generally means:
– soothing inflammation (internal and external),
– strengthening and modulating the immune system and
– fortifying the skin and the intestinal wall.
I could write an entire article on each of these elements (and I will soon) but the short version is:
Soothing Inflammation and the Immune Response
This should be our goal for our dog’s health regardless of whether we are treating or protecting them from allergies. (If a dog has cancer I will also suggest these dietary changes immediately to help soothe inflammation.)
Dietary support to soothe and prevent allergies:
- An anti-inflammatory diet is a great start and many holistic vets advise starting with nutrition too.
- If kibble is in the diet that is the first thing to remove and observe any changes. I also suggest removing chicken (especially grain-fed) and starchy carbs.
- Include fermented vegetables regularly – preferably daily. A 2001 study found consumption of fermented foods helped alleviate dermatitis and reduced allergy development as they provide a healthy mix of gut bacteria. (Check out our fermented Veggie Mixes here). Kefir can also be beneficial.
- Add offal, especially beef liver and lamb heart (around 20% of overall meat)
- Include turmeric (especially curcumin, ideally 5%) in their diet, especially in the form of Golden Paste, which has the best effectiveness), it is a wonderful natural anti-inflammatory and immune boost. (Check out our Golden Buddha Paste here)
- Include moringa which has high levels of quercetin (known as nature’s Benadryl) and vitamin C, among many other amazing nutrients, both of which are very soothing to the immune response. (Check our Miracle Greens featuring moringa here).
- Increase sulphur levels with MSM (a natural source of sulphur) which has anti-inflammatory and allergy-relieving benefits (and more). (Check our Mobility Blend and PURE MSM here).
- Add good fats to the diet (if allergies are not food related) such as eggs, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, or flaxseed oil.
- Increase Omega 3 through fish such as mackerel or sardines (not in vegetable oil, brine or springwater or natural oil only), or algae.
- A range of medicinal herbs are known to support allergy-prone dogs such as alfalfa, burdock, dandelion root, licorice root (known as nature’s Prednisone – however check contraindications related to heart conditions), red clover and spirulina.
Topically:
Good skin condition (like good gut health) is fundamental to minimising the risk of severe allergies developing. Don’t wait for allergies or irritations to emerge before focusing on good skin condition through food and topical treatments.
By keeping skin nourished and protected with healthy oils, such as jojoba oil, or aloe vera gel, especially with colloidal silver with its soothing, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory benefits, can be key. Gels can provide a protective barrier as well as nourish the skin.
(Check our new Silver Soothe gel of colloidal silver and aloe vera here and our PURE Silver Colloidal Silver spray here).
Do not use soap, detergents or strong shampoos as these will likely strip the skin of its natural oils and protections.
Take any emergence of a skin irritation seriously and soothe it naturally as quickly as possible. Colloidal silver spray or gel with aloe vera is my go-to natural approach but if I need to use an antibiotic cream briefly if something has flared up and to stop it in its tracks I will.
Treatments for allergies tend to get progressively ‘worse’ (more invasive with known or potential side effects and no addressing the cause) as the condition worsens so it really is best to address it early whether as preventative or early intervention and pattern interrupt.
Focusing on healthy diet, skin and gut early can be the perfect formula.
Soothing the symptoms quickly is obviously important to give our dogs relief (when their discomfort is at its worst I too encourage dog humans to get pharma treatments from their vet while we introduce a natural healing approach) but it’s vital to also address the cause or causes of what is making the dog vulnerable and to minimise negative side effects from treatment.
That generally means:
– soothing inflammation naturally (internally and externally),
– strengthening and modulating the immune system,
– fortifying the skin and the intestinal wall, and
– minimising exposure to allergen/s, gently increasing over time to build resilience
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