Home Treatment for Dog Allergies

Dogs are affected by allergens just as humans are and they can feel just as miserable trying to deal with it. The most common sign of allergies in dogs is excessive scratching, licking and chewing at the paws and rubbing the eyes. Fortunately, there are home treatments you can give your dog to lessen the severity of allergies.

  1. Types

    • Several things can cause allergies in your dog. Food allergies, flea and other insect bites and certain medical conditions can aggravate allergies. Before deciding on a home treatment, consider taking your dog to a veterinarian to determine exactly what he is allergic to.

    Identification

    • If a trip to the vet is not feasible, do a bit of research on your own to determine the cause of allergies. Check your dog for fleas or fleabites. Look at your dog's ears to see if they are red and swollen as that is an allergy symptom. Change the type of dog shampoo you use to bathe your dog. Research the ingredients in the food your dog eats. Often, corn is the culprit and many dog foods are made with corn.

    Signs and Symptoms

    • A dog with allergies may constantly scratch the same area of his body to the point where there is significant hair loss. He may also incessantly chew on his paws until they are raw. Home treatment for a dog with allergies boils down to treating these symptoms to ease the irritation.

    Home Treatments

    • Epsom salt works great to relieve raw itchy paws. Soak your dog's paws in Epsom salt and warm water for relief. Give your dog an oatmeal bath to soothe dry itchy skin. Create an oatmeal paste of equal parts water and oatmeal, apply to the affected areas, and allow to sit for 10 minutes then rinse off. Put apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle and spray on your dog. If your dog's skin has sores on it from excessive scratching, dilute the apple cider vinegar with water before spraying your dog.

    Considerations

    • While home treatment for dog allergies is generally a good route to go, the best way to treat allergies is to get to the underlying cause. Once you know what is causing allergies in your dog you can then better treat your dog.