The Trouble With Fall
Does your Chihuahua have fall allergies? No matter where you may live fall stirs up environmental allergens and irritants in both people or pets. These can affect the eyes, nose, skin, and other systems in the body.
Common signs of fall allergies in pets are:
- Nasal and eye discharge
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Scratching, licking or chewing paws and elsewhere
- Fur loss or tear stains for light colored fur
Most dogs have an immune system that will adapt to seasonal changes and may never suffer from fall allergies in pets. But, if your dog’s immune system doesn’t quite do the job, there are ways that we pet parents can help them without harmful medications. Here are ten ways we can step in and help:
- Pets are much closer to the ground than we are, that makes them closer to allergens found in carpet and bedding. You can help by vacuuming all carpet and upholstery and wash pet and human bedding at least every seven days.
- During allergy season, keep windows closed and use air conditioning. If possible, use an air filtration system year round.
- Be sure to change the filters on both heating and cooling systems
- Give your dog a bath every 7 to 30 days or as per your veterinarian’s instructions. You don’t want to bathe them too often because it can strip the necessary oils from their skin and coat. Bathing can remove allergens and can kill bacteria and yeast as well as removing fleas and their feces and saliva. Yeck! Use shampoos that are soothing to the skin.
- Use an eye irrigation solution to rinse your dog’s eyes when needed.
- See your veterinarian for recommendations regarding fall allergies in pets and exams at least once a year.
- Manage any illnesses or disease with the care of your veterinarian. Illness and disease can cause inflammation that negatively affects the immune system.
- Use a flea and tick treatments per your veterinarian’s instructions. But, keeping your environment thoroughly and regularly cleaned can lessen the need for these treatments. Some of the treatments available have some toxic ingredients, so I suggest the holistic and natural approach as much as possible.
- Make sure they are eating a diet that is grain-free. Avoid those with artificial colors and flavors, sugar, etc. The best diet is human-grade protein, vegetables, fruits, fat, and fiber. I feed my dogs NomNomNow. It is all natural human-grade and conveniently delivered to my door on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Maintain your dog’s slim, healthy body weight. Being overweight causes unnecessary stress on the body and contributes to inflammation that can cause serious health issues.
The conclusion to fighting fall allergies in pets
You also may find an air purifier helpful for fighting fall allergies in pets. We no longer have one, but when we did, I noticed less scratching from all three of my dogs. However, keeping windows and doors shut and following the above suggestions are probably all that is needed.
Winston, Cora, Remedy Jane, and I hope you have a safe and healthy fall season. I hope it’s filled with fall fun, lots of leaf-pile diving, pumpkin picking, and hayrides with fewer symptoms of fall allergies in all your pets!
