Chihuahuas are one of the most beautiful creatures in the world. they are tender-loving animals and are regarded as the best and most adorable pets. They need and require a lot of care from their owners. This will include taking good care of their health conditions. Like humans, chihuahua allergies are bad and react abnormally to changes in the body or environment. These allergies might lead to sickness if not treated properly on time.
In this section we will cover:
- The causes of chihuahua allergies
- types of allergies
- symptoms of chihuahua allergies
- Diagnosing Allergies
- Treatment of allergies
- treatment of skin itching caused by allergies
Causes of Allergies in chihuahuas
There are different ways in which the chihuahua can have allergic reactions. All these, affect the dog in different ways. However, there are two main causes of Allergies in chihuahuas:
Internal Allergies
Internal allergies are the results of the kind of food the chihuahua takes or by some foreign object ingested. The chihuahua may be allergic to the kind of preservatives or chemicals present in the feeds and react to them negatively. This is the case when you feed your chihuahua with low-grade dog feeds.
The chihuahua might also be allergic to medications. This will make the dog behaves abnormally. You should also mind the kind of substance your dog ingests as they have a very delicate digestive system. This makes them react or get allergic symptoms when they take in anything that is unfavorable.
External Allergies
These are allergies that are due to external factors, such as reactions to things or substances in the environment. These factors may include chemicals. Such as shampoo, a chemical used in cleaning rugs, pollen grains, dust, and flea bites, insect bites. These external allergies usually affect the skin causing irritation that may lead to injuries.
Types of Allergies
There are two main types of allergies that affect a chihuahua. We are going to highlight those allergies in this article:
Food Allergies
Food allergies are allergies that are usually due to the kind of dog feed being given to a chihuahua. They are commonly caused by low-grade dog feeds that contain preservation, chemicals, or animal by-products. The dog might be allergic to these substances present in these sub-standard feeds and it starts to develop gastrointestinal problems, red and inflamed skin, experience hair loss, ears, and legs might turn red, and the legs might become flaky. Food allergies will most likely lead to diarrhea, ear infection, and vomiting, which will result in weight loss in the chihuahua.
Skin Allergies
This kind of allergy is caused mostly by an external reaction, cracks, injuries, swelling, and inflammation in the skin. Skin allergies can also be due to the food intake of the dog which may cause skin irritation.
The main causes of skin allergies are chemicals, shampoo wash, pollen dust, insect bite, and chemical due to the environment. These kinds of allergies are very difficult to control because they are external as the chihuahuas might react to a chemical used in cleaning the rugs or detergent. Also, a chemical that is in the environment such as gas fumes, exhaust gas, flares from industries, etc.
Symptoms of Allergies in chihuahua
When your chihuahua is allergic to substances, you will easily notice as the chihuahua starts behaving abnormally. The dog will start scratching excessively creating cracks in the skin. Also, the symptoms are sometimes ;
- vomiting
- diarrhea,
- biting
- watery eyes
- redness in the skin
- hair loss
- loss in weight
- biting
- restlessness
- Hot spots
- Coughing
Diagnosing Allergies
When you notice symptoms. It is advisable to take your chihuahua to the veterinarian for a proper diagnosis and check-up. In order to determine the cause of the allergies. A series of tests will be carried out by the veterinary doctor to trace the problem and determine the main cause of the allergies and the proper treatment administered.
They exist two types of tests that a veterinarian can perform:
Blood tests
the purpose behind these tests is to check for antigen-induced antibodies in a dog’s blood. The most know test is ELISA referred to (as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). This test is very effective with airborne triggers such as pollen, and dust mites. However, sometimes the results of this test are indecisive., which means that the vet may demand to do other tests.
Intradermal skin testing
With this, fur is shaved off on a small area and minute amounts of allergens are injected just under the skin; the area will be checked to see which allergen is causing reactions. This is diagnostic tool is reliable approximately 75% of the time since the extent of skin reaction is not always clear and different vets will have differing opinions as to what constitutes a true reaction.
Some owners may ask if they can test their chihuahua allergies at home. The answer is yes. You can notice factors that seem to be the cause of one of the allergies’ symptoms. Then as a second step remove the detected element and see if there is an improvement.
However, it is advisable to take your chihuahua to the veterinarian to rule out the cause of the allergy. The list of causes may include diseases such as hormonal deficiencies and Cushing’s disease.
Treatment of Allergies
internal allergies
The treatment of allergies after proper diagnosis will include administering medication. Especially in the case of internal allergies which involve the ingestion of food or harmful substances. There are some ingredients in food than can trigger allergies. These ingredients are three main categories
- Chemicals such as synthetic preservatives, flavoring, and coloring.
- Proteins there are some dogs in some rare cases that are sensitive to a certain protein. Like beef, chicken, turkey, etc.
- Filler ingredients like grains, soy, and corn
To rule out the cause you have to revise all your chihuahua‘s meals and snacks.
Skin allergies
In the case of skin allergies. The veterinary doctor might consider the use of cm that the owner can apply to the skin to heal places of cracks.
However, there are also things that you should take into consideration. For instance, plastic bowls are considered to be the main cause of contact allergies. When you are using them you may notice an overly dry nose and/or loss of nose pigmentation. The majority think that fading nose is a genetic issue. However, in some cases, it is the result of using cheap plastics.
There are also items that can be the cause of your chihuahua allergies such as carpeting, and bed linens.
So in order to limit or eradicate the causes, there are steps you should follow.
- Never use a plastic bowl, instead, you should use stainless steel or ceramic bowls. And because of the chihuahua’s small size, your should also look for properly sized bowels.
- Replace assess fabrics in your house with less irritating fabrics.
To treat Seasonal or inhaled allergies, here are some additional tips.
- Do not use a central air system
- Close your windows
- Ask your family members to remove their shoes as soon as they enter the house.
- remove dust mites
- remove dust mites
- Ask someone to take your chihuahua out when you want to use a chemical cleaning product.
- Use the appropriate grooming wipes.
- Brush and bathe your Chihuahua on time.
How do treat itching and other issues caused by Allergies?
Reducing and removing the causes of allergy is the first step and treating the consequences of allergy such as itching is the second step.
Both steps must be done. Because if you only eradicate triggers without treating the symptoms our dog will suffer for a long time period(weeks and even months). Because skin issues require a long time to be healed.
However, if you are focusing on treating the symptoms without removing the causes, your little chihuahua may find limited relief.
If your chihuahua shows signs of moderate to severe allergies then she may need prescribed antihistamines and/or anti-inflammatory medications. For this reason, the owner should visit the vet.
Last word
In treating allergies in the chihuahua, one has to be aware of the cause of the allergies. Then one should set preventive measures to avoid such circumstance that leads to allergic conditions in the first place.
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