naturalpet
Natural Antidotes to
SPRING ALLERGIES
by Dr. Shawn Messonnier
several natural therapies to lessen a pet’s allergy discomfort and help them heal.
A
Simply stated, an allergy is an overreaction of the im- mune system to a foreign protein (allergen). More pets suffer more from environmental allergies from sources as various as molds, house dust mites and pollen than from food al- lergies. Certain breeds of dogs tend to more susceptible to the problem, including retrievers, spaniels and terriers; West Highland white terriers are the number one breed for suscep- tibility to allergic skin disease. While some animals sneeze and have runny eyes and noses, the classic symptom seen in an allergic pet is itching. Excessive grooming, licking, rubbing and scratching are all signs that an animal is probably suffering from environ- mental allergies. Because other diseases can have similar symptoms, it’s always best if a trusted ho- listic veterinarian is called on to properly diagnose a condition before begin- ning a treatment plan.
Conventional
Therapies
Conventional doctors have traditionally used several medications to help allergic pets. The most common medi- cation by far is some type of corticosteroid, usually prednisone, a powerful drug that can
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s the weather warms, so does the chance of a family dog, cat or other pet suffering from springtime aller- gies. While we can’t always prevent them, we can use
quickly relieve itching. While it can be used safely as part of a natural therapy program, too often pets are treated with steroids for many months or even years, without benefit; possible side effects of any use of steroids include diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity and adrenal and liver disease.
Antihistamines are another conventional medication to treat allergies. Unlike corticosteroids, long-term use is usu- ally safe. The two big drawbacks to antihistamines are that they are not very effective in most pets and, when they are effective, they must be administered several times a day in order to reduce itching.
Natural Therapies
A better approach to helping pets heal from allergies involves the use of natural therapies, including nutritional supplements, herbs and homeopathic remedies. Each vet- erinarian has his or her favorite natural therapies and appli- cation of brand-name supplements. There are a few supple- ments that generally can be useful in countering pet allergies. Fatty acids (specifically the omega-3s found in fish oil) actually change the bio- logical nature of the body’s cells to allow long-term healing; they also have natural corticos- teroid-like benefits. Note that these
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