Five Tips to Help Your Pet Find Relief During Allergy Season

You know the signs all too well.  They start to rub their faces on the furniture, paw at their ears or they start to lick or even chew areas on their body.  It becomes a cycle of itch, scratch, repeat. If your pet suffers from allergic skin, you are not alone. Skin allergies in dogs and cats are one of the top conditions veterinarians see the most.

For some pets, allergies will affect them seasonally.  For others, they may battle allergies all year long.  For many, the allergy symptoms will come and go – just as soon as you think you’ve got them under control, the symptoms re-flare.  For people, allergies usually affect the respiratory system.  In pets, the most common reaction is in the skin.  Sadly, pets with allergies will most likely suffer for life.  The following are some tips that are easy to incorporate and may provide relief without the need for antibiotics or oral steroids.

1. Visit your veterinarian: Your veterinarian can help you identify some potential causes of allergies such as food ingredients, flea allergy, and types of environmental allergens which could be affecting your pet.  Your veterinarian may recommend a food elimination trial or suggest a diagnostic allergy test panel.
2. Wash pet bedding: Pet bedding can house many allergens.  Resist the urge to use harsh detergents but rather opt for detergents like ones you’d use to wash a baby’s clothing in – fragrance-free and gentle. But be sure to wash on the hottest temperature recommended by the bedding manufacturer.
3. Vacuum: Regular vacuuming at least twice a week helps to reduce dust, dust mites and pollen in the home. Vacuuming benefits both pets and people.
4. Shampoo:  The #1 tip for helping pets with allergic skin issues is shampooing.  Bathing can provide many benefits in addition to washing away environmental irritants.  A well-chosen shampoo used twice weekly can provide soothing relief as well as help to keep the skin and coat healthy and hydrated.  Not all shampoos are created equal.   Look for a shampoo with gentle ingredients and steer clear of harsh chemicals, chlorine or detergents which can further irritate sensitive skin.  Enzymatic formulations, such as those found in ZYMOX Shampoo and Leave-On Conditioner, have been shown to reduce topical inflammation, protect, and manage bacterial and fungal microbes.
5. Protect the paws or belly: If your dog is one whose paws or belly becomes irritated at certain times of the year when he/she goes on the grass there are a few things you can do to help. ZYMOX Leave-On Conditioner can be applied full strength as a lotion before going outside as a protective barrier.  The Conditioner can also be applied full strength after your pet has returned inside and used in between baths to soothe and hydrate.

Pets with itchy allergy skin are very common and can be very stressful to both the pet and parent.  Healthy Animals Lead Happy Lives and these tips can help reduce their stress.  For more information visit: www.zymox.com.