People with allergies should be careful in deciding what type of pet they can safely bring into their home.  More than 70 percent of the U.S. households have a dog or a cat.  Pets provide comfort, security, and companionship.  It is no wonder everyone wants a   What they don’t want is the allergy that may come with owning one.

Sneezing and wheezing are oftentimes the result of exposure to a pet.  Ten percent of the population may be allergic to its animals.  Higher rates 20 to 30 percent have asthma and also have pet allergies.

Human Allergies to Dogs

Thousands of people who suffer do so to allergies to dogs.  Some of the saddest cases are where the owner develops an allergy and is faced with giving the dog up or keeping the dog and living with the constant allergy symptoms.

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Food allergies are not exclusive to humans, but they can certainly be difficult to diagnose in pets, especially when dog food allergies appear to manifest so quickly.  The biggest problem of course, is the pet’s inability to communicate to his master the symptoms effectively, and they are so many times confused with other conditions.

Symptoms of dog food allergies may include the following:  excessive scratching, hair loss, skin infections, as well as ear infections.  Many times the antibiotics give for skin infections will clear up briefly, and they reappear when the antibiotics are completed.  An animal with itchy skin that doesn’t seem to improve with using antihistamines or steroids, may be suffering from dog food allergies.

There is also a difference between the dog food allergies and food intolerance.  Intolerance to certain foods may cause symptoms such as diarrhea or frequent bowel movements and vomiting.  Fortunately, whether the animal is suffering form food allergy or food intolerance once the proper diagnosis has been made, they both are treatable.

Since most dog food is made from beef, chicken, wheat, eggs, soy and dairy products, it should be no surprise that most allergies to dog food are caused by one of these ingredients.

More on Your Pet May Be Suffering From Dog Food Allergies

Statistics show that anywhere from 60-70% of all American households include at least one dog or cat.  The numbers therefore, indicate that up to 10% of the entire population suffers from an allergy of some type from an animal.  The most common culprit is the cat.

The next pet in line for allergies is the dog.  Because dog allergies are so common, there is much information available to help the sufferer.

This information may contain segments on how to treat and manage your allergic reactions to your pet.  If your reactions are not particularly severe, and you don’t have further complications such as asthma, you may successfully manage your allergic conditions and enjoy days free of symptoms.

Identifying a Dog Allergy

More on Managing Dog Allergies: Answers to a Common Problem