Pets suffer allergies in the same way that we, humans, do. Food is among the top causes of allergies coming in behind contaminants inhaled by the pet and flea bites. With food being a requirement in their daily lives, it can be difficult to keep them from getting allergies. When allergies occur, you can easily tell as your pet will develop skin rashes, lick themselves incessantly and even vomit on occasion. Here are some ways you can deal with it.
Hypoallergenic Pet Food
Although not entirely a solution, feeding your pet hypoallergenic food can help minimize or get rid of food allergies entirely. Hypoallergenic pet food has very limited ingredients which means there is lesser risk of allergies developing. Likewise, it becomes easier to pinpoint which allergen affects your pet due to the limited contents.
Additionally, novel ingredients are also contained in this type of pet food. This means that some of the ingredients are from sources that pets are not usually exposed to. Because of this, they are less-likely to be sensitive to the food.
Lastly, prescription ingredients are also included in hypoallergenic pet food. These means that there are components which are deemed safe by veterinarians.
Home Remedies
There are numerous home remedies you can concoct for your pet when they are afflicted with food allergies. One helpful remedy is a Calendula tincture. This tincture can be applied topically on the pet’s skin to alleviate their allergic reaction to the food. This will cause them to lessen the scratching and will help heal the wounded skin area. Hepar sulphur can also achieve the same effect.
Epsom salt can also be utilized for when the pet is enduring an allergy. Simply soak the affected area in an Epsom salt mixture twice a day and any swelling would go away quickly. Likewise, infections are not going to worsen and skin healing is promoted with continued use.
Visit a Vet
Although you can always consult well-meaning pet owners and get their advice on the subject, vets should be your primary resource when your pet suffers an allergy. You should always have with you the emergency number of the nearest veterinary clinic as well as the contact number of the nearest or most accessible vet. Be sure you are ready to provide your pet’s latest dietary information when you call. That will definitely help speed things up.
There are numerous ways to prevent food allergies in pets. Above all else, feeding pets the proper type of food should do the trick. If all else fails, be sure you know what home remedies are readily available to aid you and your pet. Dealing with an allergy caused by food is difficult and prevention is the only real long-term solution.