1) Insect bites;
mainly fleas and ticks and mosquitoes. The saliva from the insect is
responsible for up to 80% of the reactions seen in pets. Most allergic pets
are sensitized by insect saliva.
2) Pollens and
particles from plants and trees. These items are small enough to be inhaled
through the nose or the mouth. These allergens build up slowly in the system
and are generally seasonal. However, there are different allergens in over
the seasons of the year.
3) Intestinal
parasites. Yes , they are foreign protein also and do have a slight
contributory effect to the allergic reactions of your pet. Your pet can have
parasites with a negative test.
4) Food. Direct food
allergies are rare . Most animals are not directly allergic to foods. If they
were truly allergic to certain foods , they would probably have bloody
diarrhea within thirty minutes to an hour of ingesting the food to which they
are truly allergic. For the most part, some foods are contributory to the
other symptoms in your friend . Some foods simply trigger itching or make it
harder to clear up allergy symptoms. The quality of your pets food can be one
of the reasons that you are having difficulty in clearing the symptoms. There
are no hypoallergenic commercial foods. They simply contain less allergens
than other commercial foods. The filler added to commercial foods is generally
responsible for the triggering effect.
HISTAMINE:
The
cause of the itching response in your pet is a product produced naturally in
the body called histamine. The release of this element into the circulation
prepares your pet for an itching , coughing, sneezing, spell. Histamine can
last as long as 2-3 weeks in the circulation. An allergic pet is producing
histamine constantly. When your pet’s immune system is challenged with a
foreign element, generally protein particulate matter (PPM), the immune system
will release histamine into the circulation.
REDUCING HISTAMINE:
DIET: No foods with wheat
gluten. Change fat source about every ninety days (i.e., chicken/rice to
lamb/rice); No commercial diets are allergen free!
ANTIHISTAMINE/PREDNISONE : These medications will reduce
circulating histamine on a long term basis.
BUG CONTROL: Frontline monthly on your Friend.
HYPOALLERGENIC SHAMPOOS/CRÈME RINSE: Weekly , approved by Dr.
Bob.
EXERCISE: Makes the food and medication work better!!
Do It Yourself Biting Insect Control, Inside and Out /or "How to live in
Arkansas as if you were in Chicago!"
If you have lived in Arkansas for one full set of seasons, you have probably
realized that you are; 1) living in a semi-tropical Gulf climate with ten
months or more of warm weather 2) coexisting with insects who also find
this weather very pleasant for reproduction 3) understanding that your friends
(dogs and cats), and you under certain conditions, are very attractive as
snacks for many varieties of insects here. So with that in mind I am
going to give you my personal home routine for coexisting with the various
biting hordes of insects in Arkansas. I have lived for the past fifteen years
in both North East and South Central Arkansas, in both Delta and Mountain
locations. This information works in both areas. I put Frontline on both my
dog and cat friends every month of the year. My dog goes in and out and can
bring ticks in, so I don’t use Advantage, because it only gets fleas. The
months of November through the end of January are not tick months here
although you may see an occasional one. So I consider those three months by
the label on the Frontline as a time to save a little money or I use Advantage
.
During the
warm months I spread (broadcast) flea and tick granules in the areas most used
by my outside pets every two weeks. I use only dichlorvos as Diazanon doesn’t
seem to be as effective in my experience in my locations . These granules come
from the same manufacturer under many labels so the cheapest is as good as the
most expensive. I do not cover the entire yard. I “band” the yard for three
feet in from the fence around the entire yard and along the foundation of the
house . I always treat all the way around the foundation of my house for
about three feet out from the foundation to keep the ants and other critters
from entering the house. I also spread some of the granules in front of the
doorways to the house to discourage the fleas from jumping into the house when
the doors are opened. I treat the inside of the house with a residual spray
containing Permethrin or Tetramethrin around the baseboards in each room and
the kitchen once a month . Catches the mother fleas before they produce any
baby fleas. The permethrin type of sprays are the best we have at this
point, in my opinion.
Remember that these treatments kill all insects that come in contact with
them. If your house becomes infested and you want to do it yourself, the
packs of household foggers work well if you do the following: 1) open
all of the doors in your house to every closet, room and cabinet. 2) Tilt the
couch pillows down and pull back or strip your bedspreads. 3) Set the foggers
on chairs in open areas, such as a hallway, so that the fog will reach into
all of the rooms. 4) Remember that fleas don’t obey your house rules about
which rooms they will enter. So treat them all. 5) turn up your thermostat or
turn off your air conditioner so that it will not come on during the fogging
period and pull all of the fog out of your house. 6) Change vacuum bags
monthly to prevent flea larva that you vacuum from hatching. This is not as
frequent as their hatching period but will do if you fog , treat your house,
and use Frontline on your friends. Some friendly hints: flea dips only last
three days at full strength in Arkansas on the dog or cat no matter who says
what about that. Flea sprays only last three days maximum, in my experience .
Flea collars are for a high rise apartment in Chicago! Yeast is for baking
bread!
Remember
that we spend all of our lives seeking friends, spouses, family for
unconditional love, when they have been sitting on our laps or at our feet all
the time! Give your pets a hug for me!
DR. BOB
