■Choice of Pet: It would seem that no breed of dog or cat is completely ‘non-allergic’ despite some claims that certain crosses can create a hypo-allergenic dog. Every dog sheds dander from its skin and it is this dander that is the cause of most allergies. However, there are certain breeds of dog that are less allergic making to some people than others and if considering buying a new pet it may be worth while spending time with certain animals to see if one breed causes you to have a greater reaction than another.
■If necessary keep your bedroom as a ‘safe zone’; and do not allow your pet in the room. Keep the carpets and curtains clean, use anti-allergy bedding. Keep any clothing that may have come into contact with your pet out of the room.
■If possible, limit the number of rooms that your pet can be in and ideally these rooms should have non-carpeted floors that can be mopped and cleaned easily. In rooms with carpets make sure they are cleaned and vacuumed regularly with a high efficiency vacuum cleaner.
■Use a high efficiency Hepa air purifiers to trap pet dander and other allergens around the house. To learn more click here.
■Wash your pet (or ideally ask someone else to) regularly. There are specialised shampoos and wipes that cleanse away allergens. If your dog has hair that moults ask someone to brush its coat regularly outside to remove excess hair and prevent it moulting in the house.
■Wash your hands regularly after playing with your pet and make other family members do the same.
■If a long time has been spent playing with your pet it may be a good idea to change and wash your clothes as pet dander settles on clothes and can cause allergic reactions.
Visit: www.allergycosmos.co.uk
Archive for the ‘Grooming’ Category
CAN YOU HAVE ALLERGIES AND HAVE A DOG?
Monday, June 7th, 2010TEAR STAINS
Thursday, May 27th, 2010Tear stains are a common issue among many light colored and toy dogs. The first step towards ridding your dog of tear stains is to pinpoint the cause. Once you know why your dog is getting tear stains, you can get rid of the problem, clean the stains, and move on.
The main cause of tear stains is excess tearing. The moisture as a result of excess tearing collects around the eye making it a prime location for the growth of bacteria and yeast. Most of the reddish-brown stains one sees on dog’s faces is due to ptyrosporin, or red yeast.
The causes of excessive tearing can be genetic. The shape of the dog’s head and eyes can contribute to blockage of the tear ducts and an overflow of tears onto the hair around the eye. This problem can be passed from parents to their offspring. In this case one must be diligent and keep up with staining by using tear stain cleaners.
Hair in the dog’s eye can easily contribute to irritation and excess tearing. Trim the hair around the eyes and you’ll probably see an improvement. Too much hair around the eyes will also wick moisture from the eyes and make the problem worse.
If there is a high mineral content in the water your dog drinks, you might find staining on much of your dog’s face. Switch to filtered or bottled water to reduce staining from mineral-heavy water. Also, feeding your dog out of stainless steel bowls, rather than ceramic or plastic will help with facial staining. Stainless steel is easier to clean and less likely to develop scratches and cracks that harbor bacteria. Whatever bowl with which you choose to feed, make sure you wash it regularly.
Use great care when shampooing your dog. Shampoo and other chemicals that find their way into your dog’s eyes can contribute to excess tearing.
Some believe that feeding a natural, dry kibble with no food coloring, preservatives or additives will help tear and face staining. You can also try adding white vinegar to your dog’s water, this is believed to reduce tear staining by changing the pH of your dog’s tears.
Fleas also contribute to tear stains. Fleas need moisture to survive. When your dog is experiencing excessive tearing, there is plenty of moisture around the eyes. This attracts fleas which then leave behind waste, staining the area.
Extreme ear and eye infections can also cause excessive tearing. If your dog has not experienced tear stains in the past, and is presently tear stained, see your vet. Your vet will be able to help you ascertain the cause of staining and possibly recommend a prescription antibiotic to stop the problem at the source.
The following products are widely used to either prevent or remove tear stains:
-Colloidal Silver
-Angels’ Eyes Tear Stain Eliminator
-Around Eye Pet Swabs
-Four Paws Crystal Eye
-Pretty Eyes Tear Stain Remover
-I-Stain
-Spa Fresh Facial Scrub and Tear Stain Remover
-Tear Stain Prevention Supplement
-Tear Stain Removing Eye Pads
-Tear Stain Pet Guard Swabs
First steps in grooming
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010Grooming is one of the important activities to be known well by the dog owner. If the dog owner is not aware of the grooming, then the dog may encounter many types of diseases. First steps of grooming consists of activities like maintenance of coat, nails and ears. The maintenance of the coat mainly consists of enrichment measures like proper bathing, combing, drying of skin by dryers, and more. The animal need not be bathed daily and this helps to protect the skin’s characteristics like insulation feature.
Use conditioners and shampoos that are meant for dogs. Combing needs to be carried out with a soft brush meant for use in case of dogs. There are varieties of brushes available and depending on the type of breeds, one can use the concerned brush. This grooming of the coat by a comb needs to be carried out daily and the fallen hair if any needs to be placed in dust bin always.
Otherwise, when the dog owners switch on the fan, the hair will fly and may enter the nostrils of persons. Always don’t clip too much because this may lead to injuries of nail always. Similarly, you need to carry all the materials required for the clipping with you before the start of the procedure.
Use a sharp clipper designed for use in case of dogs. It is better to have the dog on the raised place and hence, the control of the animal is easier. Ear canals are to be checked up frequently and sterile cotton may be used for cleaning purposes. Grooming associated guidelines need to be followed strictly by the dog owners.
Nail-maintenance is one of the first steps of grooming activities. Live nail areas can be easily clipped away and are always light colored than the reddish area of the nail in the higher position. During the holding of your dog’s feet by you, always have a firm grip. If not, the dog will take an upper hand during the clipping and some injury may occur.
