March 2024 - Port Kennedy Veterinary Hospital

Watch Out for Scratching

Naturally, scratching is the most typical approach to find out whether your pet has an allergy. Your pet may start gnawing on their feet, rubbing their face on the carpet, or even biting the tip of their tail because they are unable to reach their rear. The most irritating place is usually around the pelvis, but because most animals can’t easily reach this location, they might express their distress in ways other than by scratching the area that is sore.

Allergy Related Issues

While frequent self-scratching by your pet is common, it is important to diagnose an allergy when the scratching exceeds what you would typically anticipate. In addition to being frequent signs of an allergic response, irritated, red, or bumpy skin may also result from compulsive scratching, which can cause fur loss. Paw chewing, runny eyes, and sneezing are possible additional symptoms. Your pet may exhibit behavioural problems including barking, crying, or overall agitation if they are experiencing chronic itching. Examine your pet’s skin thoroughly, paying close attention to the ears, paws, tail, and lips, if you have any suspicions about anything being off. It’s likely that you’ll see indications of an allergic response.

When You Suspect an Allergy

Calling your veterinarian is the first step to take if you suspect your pet has an allergy. Your veterinarian will look at the problem once you describe the systems and show them any afflicted regions. Your veterinarian will want to determine if this is due to an airborne allergen like pollen, a food allergy, a medication allergy, or a contact allergy (from anything your pet is physically dealing with).

Finding the Cause

Finding the exact reason of your pet’s ailment may sometimes take some time, both for you and your veterinarian. Some common allergies may be tested for with a blood test, but until the reason is identified, it’s usually necessary to remove specific items from your pet’s surroundings. This might include giving your pet a temporary diet adjustment, switching up their food bowls, or giving them a new shampoo.

Treating Animal Allergies

The kind of allergy your pet has will determine the best course of action. Your veterinarian could recommend a brief course of antihistamines in the spring and summer to treat seasonal allergies like pollen. You can treat or inject your pet for flea or mite allergies to make them more comfortable, but for most other forms of reactions, all you can do is lessen or stop your pet from coming into contact with the allergen.

Get in touch with the Port Kennedy Veterinary Hospital staff 08 6555 5149 right now to discuss a possible allergy with one of our veterinarians or visit our contact page for more ways to get in touch.

Unhealthy Foods for Pets: We love to feed our dogs the same food that makes us happy since our pets are like family to us. The problem is that dogs aren’t people and have a completely different metabolic rate than ours.

Be mindful of the things that are absolutely off-limits to your pet since even meals that are perfectly OK for us may be very harmful or even fatal to them. Because they vary from one product to another, ingredients are another crucial consideration. So, it’s possible to find pet foods that are perfectly safe for your pet and others that have harmful ingredients like artificial sweeteners.

Take a look at our seven-item list of items that are bad for your pet’s health and safety.

8 Unhealthy Foods for Pets

Chocolate

Theobromine, found in cocoa, is poisonous to cats and dogs due to its ability to induce convulsions, internal hemorrhage, and perhaps heart failure in high doses. Keep the chocolate out of the reach of many animals, especially dogs and cats, since they adore sweet stuff.

Grapes

Some fruits are better for you than others. Dried grape products, including sultanas, currants, raisins, and grapes, are very poisonous to dogs. In little dogs, even a small amount of grapes may lead to renal failure and perhaps death.

Avocado

Keep the creamy, delicious avocados for your human family members alone. Avocados contain the poisonous compound persin, which may make dogs sick with vomiting and diarrhoea.

Cooked Bones

Despite the fact that cooked bones are lethal for dogs and cats, many people do not think twice before feeding them. Chicken and other poultry bones, being small when cooked, may shatter more readily and penetrate the animal’s digestive system. Dogs may eat larger, raw bones without fear of injury if they are free of sharp fragments.

Xylitol

A sugar substitute, xylitol is included in sugar-free gum, candies, peanut butter, and baked goods, among other things. Because xylitol is poisonous to dogs and may induce vomiting and seizures, it is crucial to read the label before feeding your pet any processed food.

Milk

Due to their lactose intolerance, many cats and dogs experience gastrointestinal issues such bloating, stomach discomfort, and diarrhoea when given dairy products. Most people can usually eat little quantities of cheese without any problems. Start with a little dose and see how your pet reacts if you’re not sure.

Onions and Garlic

When dogs eat onions or garlic, it may harm their red blood cells and lead to anaemia. Onions, whether raw or cooked, are toxic to pets. However, pets usually avoid onions on their own, so it’s important to watch out for them in stews and soups.

Alcohol

Dogs and cats shouldn’t drink alcohol under any circumstances.

Vet Clinic Port Kennedy

At Port Kennedy Vets, we value your pet’s well-being and comfort above all else. If your pet ingests anything they shouldn’t, please don’t hesitate to bring them in for treatment. Call 08 9524 6644 or contact us online for any enquiries or health concerns regarding your pet. The wellness programmes we provide simplify pet care and allow you to invest in your pet’s health and happiness with reasonable monthly fees.

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