Dog allergies are not really on your mind when you bring your puppy home.
Allergies and your puppy- such a sweetie - he is about 9 months old is cute and playful and you think this little guy will grow up just fine without allergy problems.
Then one day he didn’t want to eat or play but he wanted to lay in my lap and be petted, so I worried and read books and took him to my vet who said he looked fine, the tests were negative and his dog health was good.
With my dog, I had chosen the perfect little doggy. Everyone wanted him because he was just so cute. Women were fighting over him when I got to the mall. It was a good (?) thing I had my name down and a deposit or I would have been disappointed and not gone home with him. When you bring your puppy home you never think that there will be health issues down the line. And then dog health problems arise and trips to the vet start to add up
We brought him home and 3 days later I could tell something was wrong with him. There started my long journey through dog allergy issues.
I hope this site will help you sift through all the different things that can go wrong and maybe you can find some answers to why your puppy, dog or pet might be having allergy problems.
All the subjects I write about on this site will show you what we went through to find out what was wrong with him. I also list other problems that cropped up along the way.
Canines are a wonder animals. They guarded our caves when we were making stone knives and today they may guard us, make us laugh and be a friend or play an important part of our lives as a service dog.
Why are dog allergies such a common problem?
Your dog could be allergic to many different substances in the very room you sit; and that doesn’t even include microscopic substances in the air.
If you have a sick dog, please have him checked by a Vet. But if your Vet tells you that your pet has dog allergies, then I encourage you to read on.
Potential dog allergies can be caused by pollen, dust mites, trees, weeds, mold spores, even dander! Tiny allergen creating creatures live in all of our homes, in carpets, beds and other soft furnishings. It is these tiny unseen particles that contain the troublesome allergies. Read more about dog allergies in your home
Dog Food allergies are so common that pet food manufacturers have invested millions of dollars in research, development, promotion and delivery of antigen specific diets to help in the cure of dogs with food allergies
More about dog food allergies
Skin Allergies Symptoms
Skin Allergies often shows itself in the first two years. Dog skin allergy symptoms include rashes, very itchy skin, scratching constantly, rubbing the face often, chewing on their legs and/or frequently chewing on their paws Others will have red, inflamed ears, and/or frequent ear, bacterial and yeast infections may occur.
What has happened to our meet food supply that most of the allergies come from meat that dogs have eaten for hundreds of years? 
There is a long list of causes of skin allergies in dogs. First we must look at the diet of your dog. According to veterinary allergists, animal protein can be an allergen. Since when? Some of our pets are allergic to beef, some to chicken, turkey. The animal protein most seem to do well on is duck, rabbit and salmon. If you wonder why they are not as allergic to these three meat sources can be easily explained. I was talking to my vet yesterday and we were discussing how very much better my dog was doing on a new kibble I had tried.
It had no beef, no chicken, no lamb no corn and no wheat. Why would those proteins cause allergic reactions? All beef, chicken and lamb go to the slaughter house. It is there that the different meats are sorted into groups and then processed. We’ve all heard about the hormones they inject all cattle with and the monstrous conditions in the slaughter houses. Meat is recalled on a regular basis when it is tested and found to have contaminants in them. Health inspectors go to the slaughter houses and randomly test. What about all the meat that does not see the hawk eye of the tester? 
Allergic to flea medication, grass and weeds.
Here are some Rottweiler puppies like the dogs Johnny Depp owns as guard dogs.
There are also contact allergies that can occur due to the flea collar your dog wears, the flea shampoo or dip used on your pet, or the sprays you are using in your garden? All of these and more can cause skin allergies in your pets
I have noticed that every time I give my dog Advantage flea medication, he becomes sick and will not eat. Even the smallest amount I put on his skin causes him to be ill from allergies.
Read more about dog allergies
Let me also say that if you have a sick dog the first thing you must do is visit the vet and find out what is wrong. It could be something so serious that a change in diet will not help. Be safe and sure.
The Older Dog
As a dog ages his body goes through the same kind of changes our bodies go through only his come about early. Your dog leaves puppy hood at 2 years old. This is when he becomes an adult dog and starts leaving his puppy traits behind. It's kind of sad to see the puppy leave and the adult take over but it's a lot easier on the furniture! My puppy was a little monster. He actually ate the chair legs on my best dinning room set. Darn! But I left them there. It reminds me of that little bundle of fluff that gave me so much laughter from such a little dog.
Anyway, at two your dog becomes an adult and for 6 more years your dog will remain a healthy happy youthful dog. Ready for walks and play and caring for you. Because that's his job. To care for you. Whether he is a big guard dog, a little watch dog or just a big old dog without a herd of sheep to herd and big wet sloppy kisses aimed right at you.
At eight years old your dog will change. He is growing older. His teeth will need more attention. His joints might start hurting and arthritis might set in, depending in the breed. Fatty deposits will develop under the skin which will cause frantic visits to the vet, only to find out that these are mostly normal (get them checked out anyway). My dog who is almost 9 has a big fatty tumor under and in back of his front leg. It was biopsied and is nothing more than fatty tissue. Groomers often find them first, especially in very thick coated dogs and will tell you about them. Usually there is no cause for alarm.
My dog who has had a very hard time of it these past three years has changed somehow. His illnesses seem to be less aggressive and he recovers sooner. He would get an upset stomach that would last sometimes up to 48 hours and now last only about 8 hours. I wish someone would explain to me what is going on.
Another thing to watch out for is Pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a disease of the pancreas that sometimes happens when a dog is getting too much fat in his diet and not enough exercise. The job of the pancreas is production of digestive enzymes. Pancreatitis can cause enzyme leakage, so pancreatitis can occur for a number or reasons. Often, it takes a combination of thing to cause pancreatitis to occur in a dog or cat. High fat diets, obesity and lack of exercise are the most common contributors.
An older dog who's metabolism has slowed down doesn't need as much fat and sometimes too much will cause a Pancreatic attack. You dog will begin to throw up his food many times a day, stop drinking water and not feel well. Take him to the vet and get a diagnosis. A low fat diet will probably be in order to give he pancreas a rest.
I'd also like to tell you about the importance of giving your dog not only good food, but fresh filtered water. With all the gunk in our water (chemicals, medications and petroleum) good fresh water is vital to you and your family as well as your dog. A dogs life, at best is about 14 years if he's very lucky. How about helping his chances for a longer life by giving him good food and fresh filtered water.
In closing, give your dog the very best chance for a long life by giving him good healthy food and filtered water. Watch the fats and give him plenty of play and exercise. You'll both benefit from the exercise and while you're at it start eating fish. Dogs love it and your heart will thank you for it!
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