How To Help Your Pets Fight Environmental Allergies?

We sneeze and pets scratch! In general, when humans come in contact with the allergens, they can’t stop sneezing, and in case of pets, they can’t resist scratching. A dog can develop allergies at any time during his life, but these reactions are commonly seen in terriers, setters, retrievers and flat faced breeds such as pugs, Boston terriers and bulldogs.

There are several allergies that your pet may develop and environmental allergies are one of them. Your canine may have symptoms like itchy belly, ear infections, hot spots, inflamed skin, tendency to chew his paw, etc. specifically when he is developing an environmental allergy. These symptoms may grow stronger with the passing time. The allergens in the environment that are responsible for the allergic reactions may be from the following:

• Tree, grass and weed pollens
• Mold spores
• Dust and house dust mites
• Dander
• Feathers
• Ragweed
• Cleaning chemicals
• Fabrics like cotton and wool
• Smoke

As humans are capable of protecting themselves from the environmental allergens, they don’t need any assistance. But, pets cannot differentiate between allergens and non-allergens. It is our duty to keep them safe from the substances that are responsible for their itchy belly or a runny nose.

So, let’s check a few ways to help your pet fight environmental allergies! 

Air around your pet must be free from allergens
Animals are blessed with strong senses, be it their vision or nose. Their nose is almost 6-7times stronger than ours is. So, the bottom line is, if they can help you in service areas or war fields with their smelling senses, they can also smell the chemicals and smoke around them. In fact it would more intense for them than it would be for us. So, try to reduce the allergens floating in the air around your pet. Avoid smoking inside the house. Investing in air purifier for an allergic pet could be a great decision for his immune system.

Wash your pet- More frequently than you do
It is a known fact that pets don’t need frequent baths like we do. But, it is necessary to bathe your allergic pets a bit more frequently to wash off the allergens from their bodies from time-to-time. This will remove the materials that may be irritating them and the probability of reacting to the allergens may decrease.

Foot soaks- Gentle cleaning to keep allergies at bay
Your pets can sweat only through their paws and nose. It may happen that their paws come in contact with allergens like pollens, dust, mites, mold, etc. If your pet is prone to allergic reactions, foot soaks could really help in fighting their allergies. After your walk your dog or the fetch session, make sure that you clean their paws. A little care from your side may keep your pet’s allergies at bay.

Vacuum your house- Regularly
Nobody can control the wind! With a tiny blow it may bring all the allergens inside your house in no time. If you are parenting an allergic pet, it becomes inevitable to clean your home regularly. Vacuum your couches, carpets, pet’s bedding and floors to remove the allergens. This cleaning session may protect your furry friends from the environmental allergies.