About Me
- ShopforPaws
- ShopForPaws.com is the place for all your pet supplies. Our goal is to create a shop that has quality products needed for pet lovers and their four legged family members. We offer a wide selection of pet supplies including cat and dog toys, pet wellness, pet beds, pet collars, and a pet grooming section with all the necessities. ShopForPaws.com is inspired to help pets in need. We are committed to donating a portion of every sale to non-profit organizations that help animals in need. I am grateful to have found a business that will allow me to be charitable to our animal community. As an online pet supply shop we are quite unique, as our mission is to provide animals lovers a place to shop for their pet products while also giving back to animals in need. We consider it our responsibility to make a positive impact in the animal community.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Allergy Season is Upon Us
So, what does that
mean? When did the season start? Most
importantly, when does it end?
For over 40 million
Americans that suffer from allergies, allergy season can be miserable. Scientists have said that the 2015 allergy
season promises to me more severe than usual.
But wait, what about our pets.
Pets visit the vets often for many reasons, but allergies are one of the
most common reasons. Pet parents often go to the
vet’s office stating, “His itching is driving him crazy”. Of course, your vet is the one to determine if
your dog needs medication for your dog’s allergies or itchy skin, but
Shopforpaws.com has just started to carry a great new product. Canine Skin Solution was designed by two
veterinarian that have the same concerns as all pet owners for their own
dogs. This shampoo and spray promises to
be a great match for many skin allergies, itching, redness and more.
Just like people, dogs can
have allergy symptoms when their immune systems recognize everyday substances
or seasonal triggers.
What Are the General Allergy
Symptoms in Dogs?
Itchy, red skin
Increased scratching
Sneezing
Vomiting
Itchy, runny eyes
Itchy, swollen ears and
ear infections
Paw chewing/swollen paws
Constant licking and
chewing at skin and coat
Is your dog scratching and
biting at their skin or coat? There are
three main reasons for dog’s skin to become itchy – the medical term for this
is pruritus. Is your dog’s skin infected? Is it too oily?
Is it too dry? The most common is the dry skin.
Is it dry skin? Dry skin in dogs can develop this time of
year as the seasons change and dogs are able to spend more time outside. Many dogs are kept indoors during the winter
months and the change in weather can bring on dry skin. Dry skin can be recognized fairly easy, by
looking under your dog’s coat and to the skin.
You may see flakes or dandruff under the coat. Even a gentle touch on your dog will provoke
scratching. Dry skin can be caused by
both environmental and diet. If you live
in the low humidity regions, it is most likely that your dog’s skin is dry. Dry
dog food has many dehydrating effects on skin and hair, which can cause the dry
and itchy skin. Eliminating as many
ingredients in their dry food can bring a stop to the dry skin. Specialty dog supply stores can direct you to
the proper food. It may take a few
attempts to narrow down what food is best for your dog.
Just a few suggestions to help with dry skin:
- Indoor humidifier will help by putting moisture in the air for dry skin relief.
- Adding pumpkin to dog’s dry dog food adds moisture, fiber and vitamin E and nutrients
- Adding coconut oil to your dog’s dry dog food is a great food supplement. You can also apply directly to dry patches on your dog’s skin.(Just like everything, introduce new foods slowly into your dog’s diet)
I have personal experience
with allergies with my Labrador, Jette.
She has had allergies for the past 5 years and they have continued to
worsen every year. She is constantly
biting at her rear end, chewing at her paws and scratching at her ears. Her ears will become completely swollen
shut. This has been the best year for
her allergy relief, as we found a specialty pet food store in our community
with an incredibly knowledgeable owner. I now have her on Signature Dog Food
that has no additives, no gluten, and no corn. It seems the corn was the trigger for my
Jette. The only way we came to that
determination was by trial and error. We
had her on gluten free dog food and it made some improvement, but until we
eliminated the corn she still had reactions.
Good Luck and keep in mind
finding out what your dog is allergic to can be time consuming and can have
many trial and errors, but the end result will be amazing. Your dog will be happy and healthy – and no
more scratching.
Cece Garza, Owner
Every time you shop at ShopForPaws.com
you help support animals in need.
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