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Allergy Management
If your PON has experienced
itchiness, dirty ears, etc., you will need
to explore a range of approaches to the ever
increasing incidences of canine allergies,
while working together with your family
veterinarian. A sympathetic vet will spend
sufficient time with you and explain that
your PON's allergy symptoms may be caused by
diet, environment, vaccinations, shampoo and
other triggers. He should also suggest
doing blood work to rule out other health
conditions, which may be responsible
for your PON's symptoms. Coping with
allergies may seem mind boggling to many
owners who have had little experience with
this type of health issue, but it needs to
be dealt with in a scientific manner because
canine allergies may lead to life
threatening complications if not properly
controlled. There is usually no quick fix
and owners need to explore individual ways
to cope with their PON's symptoms.
We share your concerns and
will exchange advice and information with
you on this timely topic so that you can
make informed choices. There are certain
basic's which all PON owners need to be
aware of and these are:
* Every PON is an
individual and what works for one PON, may
not work well for another PON. For example,
there is no one correct approach to diet,
rearing practices and life styles. If
families travel often, they may not be able
to alter vaccination protocols,( although
their vets may suggest doing so) because
most boarding facilities demand "up to
date" shots. However, there are alternative
solutions, which include finding private
boarding for your PON among trusted family
members and friends. The same applies to
diet. If owners cannot pin down offending
allergy triggers when offering kibble, they
may need to switch to other alternative
diets.
* Owners need to do most
of their own research for informed choices.
This means consulting books (amazon.com has
an excellent database), reading online
veterinary articles (to be discussed later
on), joining various Yahoo groups(for a
valid exchange of advice, experiences,etc.),
newsgroups,etc. The list of research
options is endless and keeps changing on a
constant basis.
* The needs of your PON do
not remain the same through his/her life
span and what worked when your PON was
younger, may no longer apply to his/her
needs at a later age. This means (for
example), that owners may need to change
diets on an annual basis in some cases. Why
is this so ? Immune systems change and food,
pollen, shampoo,etc. which your PON
tolerated earlier, may not agree with
his/her system later on. In some cases,
commercial dog food companies may have
changed their products, and in other cases,
there may be higher levels of pollen (due to
increased global warming) in your area.
Conditions are constantly changing and
individual needs change as well.We live in
an age of increasing pollution and many
canine allergy issues are not genetic in
nature, and are caused by changes in
environment, methods of processing
foods,etc.and we have to be informed of our
environment and continuously seek new ways
of coping with raising a happy, healthy PON.
I am including some FAQ,
which dog owners on my canine allergies list
have asked through the years:
* Which diet allows owners
to pin down offending allergy triggers ?
Unfortunately, kibble contains so many
ingredients that pinning down possible
allergy triggers is difficult and owners may
need to switch to alternative options with
fewer ingredients
* Is there a
cross sensitization between diet and pollen
allergies ?
"
cross-sensitization to birch allergens and
food allergens. Foods most frequently
associated to birch pollen allery are
apples, hazelnuts, peaches,cherries,
almonds, pears, carrots, and celery.
However, most probably a birch sensitive
individual is sensitized to only some of
these food items. You should see an
allergist for evaluation of your suspected
food allergy."
Matthias Besler, PhD
(matthias besler ONLINE PUBLISHER, Hamburg,
Germany)
If your dog has inhalant allergies avoid:
apples, carrots, celery, etc
There are many fruits and vegetables
frequently involved in Oral Allergy
Syndrome: apple, peach, hazelnut, peanut,
apricot, almond, pear, tomato,cherry,
fennel, melon, orange, banana, carrot,
potato, watermelon, chestnut,pea, plum,
celery and grape (according to an Italian
Study). Foods frequently associated to apple
allergy include peach, pear, and cherry.
Moreover,cross-reactivity has been observed
to kiwi fruit and celery. Birch and mugwort
pollens are associated in most cases.
Golden Delicious and Granny Smith contained
higher amounts of allergens than
McIntosh and Red Delicious (Study USA).
According to another study in Europe the
allergen content of different apple
varieties decreased in the following order:
Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jona Gold,
Idared, Gala, Jamba, and Gloster.
In summary, few
owners have extensive knowledge of allergy
management, but this may be remedied through
research which will enable all owners to
make informed choices for their beloved
PONS. I have a family history of five
generations of allergies and admit that
consequently, I have a head start with
research on this topic. In addition, I took
courses in alternative health and nutrition
as part of my Anthropology major at
university in New York. Let us explore this
topic together for the well being of our
breed.
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