A lot of dog owners like dressing their dog up for Halloween and including their dog in the activities of the day. One word of caution if this includes you. First, be careful about any foods that your dog may have access to that he or she normally would not. Most people know that dogs should not eat chocolate but their are also many other foods that can harm your dog or cause an allergic reaction.
Some of the other foods and drinks that can cause an allergic reaction or worse in dogs are alcoholic beverages, caffeine drinks, grapes and raisins, macadamia nuts, sugar. There may be other foods that can cause a bad reaction in a dog depending on the breed so take extra care so you know what your dog is consuming.
Another possible problem can be caused by putting a costume on a dog. Some costumes are made of materials or have dyes in them that may occasionally cause a skin irritation or allergic reaction to some dogs. When exposing your dog to contact with a material they have never been in contact with before you need to be careful that it is not causing them a problem.
Involving your dog in your daily activities is a great idea and can help build your relationship and keep your dog active and involved. Just make sure you are not exposing him or her to anything that might prove harmful.
Technorati Tags: dog allergies, dog costumes, dog food precautions
Found an interesting by Megan Drake at examiner.com about her dog being put on steroids. Steroids are often used on dogs to alleviate allergies; however, according to some veterinarians the prolonged use of steroids can cause many unpleasant problems of their own. I would suggest doing some thorough research of your own if you are advised to put your dog on steroids.
Megan talks about the affects the steroids have had on her dog. Of course, when we think of steroids we may think of bulked up athletes who are abusing steroids to get more muscle mass, but there are medical uses for steroids that may make them worth the well publicized side affects that can cause a lot of harm to people or dogs.
She says “How does one recognize a dog on steroids? The ravenous appetite is a dead give away… so is constant thirst and frequent urination. (Kind of a pain when it comes to dogs)
Then she talks about the signs of a dog that has allergies and may need to use steroids. Again, I would do some very serious research before taking this route. The “Outward signs of need for canine steroids are constant scratching from allergies, patches of fur missing from disease (mine has Cushing’s disease) and the like.”
“My dog on steroids – Oscar Mayer – didn’t need an appetite booster to begin with; he can wolf down his meal in under sixty seconds flat and then start looking for his sibling’s bowls! Due to his severe allergies along with his Cushing’s disease he had lost about half his fur from his waist back. How do you balance the need for steroids and their side effects on your dog and your household?”
Then she talks about her efforts to take him off the steroids and some of the related problems. Either way it is a difficult problem and one that needs to have both options weighed in the balance.
Here is the link to the rest of the story about her dog on steroids:
http://www.examiner.com/x-1513-Philadelphia-Dog-Advocate-Examiner~y2008m10d24-My-Dog-on-Steroids
Technorati Tags: dog allergies, dog food allergies, dog steroids
