Dog Allergies - An Introduction

Dog allergies are not always obvious. You look down at your dog and he scratches and licks and bites himself. Your first thought is to grab the flea powder thinking that it's a new flea infestation. But is it? Is your dog allergic to something you don't know about? Just like humans, dogs can suffer from all types of allergies. The truth is that allergies in dogs are common. It is thought that one in five dogs suffer from some form of allergy. Most dog owners are only casual observers of their pet. And a casual appraisal of their dog's itching usually leads to the flea power. However, a closer look might show something different.

I should be clear in stating that not all dogs are prone to allergies. In fact many dogs will live out their lives free of allergies. That said, the age of a dog is an important factor. Normally, a dog over one year old will be more prone to an allergy than a dog under one year old. Also, older dogs seem to be subject to allergies more often than younger dogs. So for example, a dog that is eight years old is more likely to be affected by an allergy than a dog three years old. Also, pure-line species dogs seem to be subject to allergies more often than mixed-species dogs. Nevertheless, all of these factors are quite variable as there is no hard and fast rule. The truth is that while all dogs are not prone to allergies, any dog can come down with Dog allergies