How to build immunity to dog allergies
Can You Build Up an Immunity to Dog Allergies? Vet-Approved Facts
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreRoughly one-third of people around the world suffer from allergies, and 1530% of that number are allergic to pets. Not being able to have a dog because your body reacts with a runny nose and itchy eyes can be heartbreaking. The desire to keep hold of our four-legged family members has led to a great deal of research about ways to treat allergies.
The good news is there are a couple of ways to build up immunity to dog allergies. Youll be glad to hear that you can mitigate the problem by carefully managing your symptoms and exposure to dog-related allergies, in addition to trying immunotherapy, which well discuss below.
What Are Allergies?
Allergies are caused by your immune system overreacting to outside substances called allergens. These can be anything from pollen, mold spores, drugs, and food items to animal-related substances like urine and saliva.
Where our pets are concerned, the allergens that they carry in their saliva or the oil in their skin get spread to their fur. This is what makes people assume that its dog fur that theyre allergic to. Instead, its their dried saliva, which clings to loose hair, and dander that you come into contact with both on your dog and wherever theyve shed their fur around your house.
Pet allergies can be mild or severe depending on whether the allergic reaction triggers a more serious response, like bronchitis or asthma.
Symptoms of allergies include:
- Cough
- Dry skin
- Hives
- Itchy nose and eyes
- Rashes
- Runny nose
- Shortness of breath
- Sneezing
- Tickle in the throat
- Tight chest
- Watery eyes
- Wheezing
Severe allergic reactions can also cause anaphylaxis, which in extreme cases, can be fatal.
Who Suffers From Allergies?
Allergies can develop in anyone at any age, even in people who have been around the particular allergen their entire lives. Some people are more likely to develop allergies than others. For example, if your parents have allergies, youre more likely to develop your own, even if youre not allergic to the same things that they are.
Can You Build Immunity to Dog Allergies?
Unfortunately for allergy-suffering pet owners, theres no real cure for allergies. The only thing that we can do is take measures to limit our exposure to allergens or treat the symptoms. There is a way to build up a tolerance, or immunity, to certain allergies, though.
Immunotherapy is a method of desensitizing the body to allergens through injections. The idea is to use increasing amounts of the allergen to teach your immune system to stop overreacting whenever it comes into contact with it.
While this isnt a quick fix by any means, the point is to lessen the symptoms of allergic reactions. Its not something that you should try at home, though. Immunotherapy should only be attempted under the supervision of a medical professional.
What Other Ways Can Allergies Be Managed?
Immunotherapy might help in the long run, but in the meantime, youll still have to handle your allergy symptoms. Luckily for pet owners, there are a few ways of managing dog allergies without resorting to sending your favorite pooch away.
Clean
Dog fur might not set off your immune system, but the saliva and oil particles on it can. It gets stuck everywhere too: in the air, on your couch, and even your carpet. Keeping your house clean is a sure-fire way of limiting how many doggy-related allergens that you breathe in.
This may mean daily vacuuming sessions and regularly washing blankets and couch covers that your dog sits on. Mopping wooden floors instead of sweeping or dusting will also trap more allergens and prevent them from swirling back into the air again.
All these chores can get a little tedious, but when faced with the prospect of losing your pooch, any amount of work is a welcome alternative.
Dog-Free Zone
As heartbreaking as it sounds, keeping your dog out of your bedroom is the easiest way to give yourself a reprieve from allergens. This also means not allowing your dog to sleep on the bed with you.
By making a dog-free zone in your house, youll be able to retreat whenever your symptoms get particularly bad.
HEPA Filters
Designed to remove airborne pollutants and allergens like pollen and pet dander, HEPA filters are ideal for reducing the number of allergens in your home. You can buy them for your heating and A/C units or get air purifiers that you can place in different rooms.
Medication
Antihistamines, eye drops, inhalers, and nasal sprays are all common ways that people treat their allergy symptoms. They should be used alongside other measures to control the allergens in your home, but they can help reduce the discomfort from your symptoms.
You should discuss options with a doctor or allergist to properly consider your allergy, its severity, and what treatment is the best for you.
Regular Grooming Sessions
If you live with someone who suffers from pet allergies, you can help by bathing or grooming your dog more often. This will help you wash away the dander so it doesnt end up airborne. Gentle shampoo is the best for regular bathing sessions, but remember not to bathe your dog too often, as they can suffer from dry skin.
Keeping a good brush handy and grooming them every day is just as good, provided that you brush them outdoors.
Replace Carpets
The flooring in your home can affect your allergies too. Carpets and rugs both cling to fallen hair and dander, and it can be tough to get all the allergens out. Doing a bit of home renovation and installing wooden floors instead can help you reduce the number of allergens trapped in your living room. It can also give your home a sleek, modern look.
Wash your Hands
When it comes to pet allergies, its not just airborne particles that can cause issues. Coming into contact with their saliva or the oil on their skin by giving your dog their favorite scratches can also set off allergic reactions. This doesnt mean you cant pet your dog you just have to remember to wash your hands afterward.
Unfortunately, this does mean its best to stay away from kisses.
Are There Hypoallergenic Dogs?
Despite common belief, since dog allergies are related to saliva and oil instead of fur, there arent hypoallergenic dogs. All breeds create these allergens. Some dogs may cause fewer allergic reactions, but theres no real way of knowing which dogs will or wont set off your allergies until you encounter them.
Final Thoughts
Allergies are never fun to deal with. Theyre even less fun when its our dogs that set them off. Fortunately for doggy fanatics, allergies dont mean were doomed to forever live a life without pets. Treating allergy symptoms with medication and controlling exposure to allergens can help alleviate some of the discomfort.
You can also try immunotherapy to slowly build up an immunity to doggy-caused allergies. Its a lengthy process, but any wait is more than acceptable when it comes to cuddles with your favorite pooch.
Featured Image Credit:Aleksey Boyko, Shutterstock
Natural Ways to Improve Your Dogs Immune System
By Paula Fitzsimmons
A malfunctioning immune system in dogs can open the door to a host of diseases, such as infection, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and cancer. Keeping your dogs immune system balanced can help reduce these risks, and contribute to overall health and well-being, according to veterinary experts.
The immune system acts like a nonstop housekeeper, describes Dr. Donna Raditic, an American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) diplomate who does consulting on nutrition and integrative veterinary medicine in Athens, Georgia. It identifies potentially harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, then works to eliminate them before they can do harm. And a dogs immune system monitors cells to ensure theyre working properly. When other cells are aging or functioning abnormallysuch as a cancer cell reproducing too rapidlythe immune system attempts to step in and maintain proper physiological function and balance, Raditic explains.
When this system is compromised, your dog may become increasingly vulnerable to illness. An immune system thats off-kilter for an extended period can lead to chronic inflammation, which, in turn, can forge a path for disease. Diabetes, osteoarthritis, some liver and heart conditions, asthma, and cancer are just some of the diseases connected to inflammation, says Dr. Ken Tudor, a holistic veterinarian and founder of The Well Dog Place in Claremont, California.
Fortunately, there are some simple, natural steps you can take to strengthen your dogs immune system.
Encourage Your Dogs Innate Love for Play
Keeping your dog fit is one of the best ways to boost immune health and promote overall well-being, Tudor says. Storing excess fat weakens the immune system, he explains. Fat is the bodys largest endocrine gland, responsible for secreting more than 40 different inflammation-promoting hormones, he continues. Even the smallest amount of excess fat can increase the amount of these hormones in the body. Exercise burns fat, which can help counter inflammation, and thus the occurrence of disease.
Dogs are naturally active, so adequate exercise and play are important to their health. But exercise doesnt have to be a chore. In fact, it should be fun, says Dr. Laurie Coger, a holistic veterinarian and owner of The Healthy Dog Workshop. Activities she suggests trying with your canine companion include retrieving, playing, doing scent work, and learning tricks.
Ideally, any exercise program should be approved by your vet and based on your dogs age, breed, and general health. Generally speaking, if your dog is not doing a 15-minute mile, hes not burning enough calories, Tudor says.
Feed Your Dog the Right Foods
Your dogs diet is a cornerstone of good immune health. The gut contains about 70 percent of your immune system explains Dr. Susan Wynn, an ACVN diplomate who practices at BluePearl Veterinary Partners hospital in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The gut also contains your microbiomethe collection of hundreds of species of bacteriaand the bacterial balance in the microbiome is heavily influenced by the diet.
Coger says dogs are designed to eat a moist, meat-based diet, yet commercial dry foods are comprised of at least 40 percent starch. The problem with starches, she explains, is that they promote inflammation. In Cogers experience, vegetable and legume starches, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and lentils, are not as acidifying and inflammatory as starchy grains. Coger recommends a grain-free, starch-free (if possible) diet that also includes some fresh meat and vegetables.
Wynn adds that a diet containing a reasonable amount of good fiber and live bacteria from fresh foods is important to maintaining a healthy microbiome. As an example, many raw diets that contain only meat and bone do not support the best microbiome for dogs, she says.
Nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The best way to ensure your dog is eating an optimal immune-strengthening diet is to ask your veterinarian, Raditic recommends. We have nutrition guidelines provided by research, but these apply to what we call the generic dog and cat, not the individual, she says. Your veterinarian will understand these guidelines, but then must evaluate the individual patient and determine if these guidelines should be modified.
Consider Certain Supplements For Your Dog
To increase the effectiveness of the immune system, you may consider supplementing your dogs diet with certain nutrients. But Coger advises against buying a supplement for every possible condition. Giving your dog many different products makes it easy to overdo some ingredients, and conflicting ingredients can interfere with absorption, she warns.
Supplements that Coger does recommend are probiotics, which are coveted because they introduce beneficial microorganisms into the digestive tract. As Tudor explains, Healthy gut flora promotes improved gut immunity, which has shown to promote improved internal immunity.
If youre considering supplementing your dogs diet with probiotics, keep in mind that the canine microbiome differs from ours. So giving them the same supplement that you take, or treating them to a serving of yogurt, is probably not going to benefit them. A better alternative is to consult with your vet about dosing and appropriate probiotic species and strains.
Another supplement to consider is fish oil, which contains inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids. Tudor says fatty acids are essential because they temper the inflammatory response. Getting adequate amounts via diet can be tricky, however, so he recommends giving your dog a fish oil supplement.
Tudor also recommends curcumin, the active ingredient present in turmeric. Aside from containing anti-cancer properties, curcumin is also an anti-inflammatory and a pain reliever, he says.
When considering any supplement, understand that not all brands are created equally, Raditic says. There have been studies where they looked at probiotics, for instance, and some did not contain what was on the label, some contained inactive bugs or wrong names, she says. Its buyer beware.
Coger advises buying from well-known companies that use high-quality ingredients and whose products are tested for purity. She says the presence of a National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) seal on a label is a good indicator that the product youre buying is genuine.
Harness the Healing Power of Dog Massage
Touch, massage, and similar methods can be beneficial for dogs because they promote relaxation and healing, which, in turn, affect overall health, Coger says. While there is limited veterinary research on the effects of massage on animals, human-based studies have shown that massage can reduce levels of stress hormones in the body. In addition, a research review published in 2014 stated that moderate pressure massage contributes to enhanced immune function (increased natural killer cells and natural killer cell activity) among many other positive effects. Although we cant be sure, it seems reasonable to think that dogs could experience similar benefits from massage.
