Contact Dog Allergies

Contact dog allergies or allergic contact dermatitis should not be confused with irritant contact dermatitis. The difference between the two is that one is an actual dog allergy and the other is a natural reaction to a common irritant. Common irritants can be poisonous tree sap, poison ivy or poison oak. These irritants are harmful to the skin and the body should naturally attempt to destroy them. Contact dog allergies are caused by natural harmless substances such as wool, rubber, plastic or a number of different materials. The difference is that animals effected by contact dog allergies are effected by these harmless materials because their immune system overreacts and sees them as harmful.

Contact dog allergies differ from the other dog allergies, such as flea related dog allergies, dog food allergies, Atopy and bacterial allergies because it will only effect areas of the body that have come in contact with the disagreeable material. Like Atopy the best treatment for this type of dog allergy is to avoid certain materials that irritate your dog's skin. This can very easily be accomplished.

Contact dog allergies include but are no limited to hair loss, swelling, small blister-like bumps and in sever cases skin ulcers. This can be very similar to other dog allergies and even a more serious medical issue. In order to make sure that you get the proper diagnosis for your pet you should seek the advise of an animal medical professional.

Treating contact dog allergies can be as simple as a trial and error test. Keep your dog away from certain materials until you can figure out which of the material or materials are causing the dog allergies. Once the offending material has been identified be sure to keep your pet away from them. This is all that needs to be done to keep your dog happy and healthy. Remember it is important not to leave dog allergies untreated as they can lead to bigger problems. Untreated skin irritation can lead to skin lesions which can become infected. Make sure to take your pet to a veterinarian at the first sign of any health problems.

If your pet is unfortunate enough to be allergic to several different materials found in pet products, you may have to purchase special hypoallergenic pet supplies in order to ward the dog allergies. This is the only way to ensure that your dog will stay dog allergy free. If you are unsure which dog allergies your pet is suffering from, read this article... About Dog Allergies.