Just like people, animals can suffer allergic reactions to a wide variety of environmental substances, or allergens. Seasonal allergens, such as grass, tree and weed pollens are common culprits. Other allergens causing year-round symptoms include foods, molds, dust mites, insects and other materials found in the home environment.

Skin disease and allergies are some of the most difficult and frustrating problems treated in veterinary medicine today. Veterinarians report that up to 1 in 4 dogs seen in their practice are treated for allergies. Solving these dermatology cases and

establishing effective treatment can be challenging.

An appropriate allergy diagnosis consists of a thorough physical examination, which includes a complete dermatological history. Common questions asked of the pet owner include, "Is this problem seasonal? Is the problem worse indoors or outdoors? Has the pet’s environment changed recently? What are you feeding your pet?"

The clinical signs of environmental allergies in dogs and cats are pruritic, such as biting, scratching, face rubbing, feet chewing and constant licking. These result in hair loss, chronic ear infections and skin disease. Secondary infections such as pyoderma, staff and malassezia are also common.

In addition, allergic dogs will often chew on their feet until they are irritated and red (the feet are the only place dogs have sweat glands and these become inflamed with allergies). They may rub their faces on the carpet or couch, or scratch their sides and belly. Because the wax-producing glands of the ear overproduce as a response to the allergy, they get ear infections.

The skin lesions seen in an allergic dog are usually the result of him mutilating his skin through chewing and scratching. Sometimes there is hair loss, which can be patchy or inconsistent over the body leaving a mottled appearance. The skin itself may be dry and crusty, reddened, or oily depending on the dog. It is very common to get secondary bacterial infections of the skin due to these self-inflicted lesions. Such infections may be treated with antibiotics.

ELISA serum testing offers a valuable alternative to skin testing to identify the specific allergens that are causing a pet to suffer. The pet does not have to be sedated or shaved to test, and this test does not require a veterinary dermatologist. Any veterinarian can simply draw the blood and submit the serum to the laboratory for testing.

It is common for a pet to have multiple allergies, including food, inhalant and contact allergens. While allergies can never be cured, they can be managed and treated with Immunotherapy.

Pet Allergies
Bmslab is a veterinary reference laboratory specializing in allergy testing and allergy treatment for dogs, cats and horses. We offer

By Luna Mohanty Published: 4/22/2008

Identifying & Controlling Your Dog’s Allergies | iDog Guide .com

Between 15% to 20% of all dogs in the United States suffer from allergies. As in humans, allergies may manifest in different ways producing varied symptoms in your pet. Knowing th…   Read more…

Watch Out For Dog Food Allergies

Whenever you encounter signs your dog is or might be suffering from dog food allergies, take them to see a veterinarian immediately. The sooner they can take blood tests and diagnosis th…   Read more…

Battling Dog Allergies — Isnare.com Ezine Articles

So, put a stop to the allergies by dealing with its cause. As a responsible dog owner, you have to be keen at spotting the signs of allergies in your dog. You need to regularly c…   Read more…

eFoodAlert.com: Chicken Jerky Dog Treats: An FDA Update

CVM has issued this new warning to alert pet owners who choose to give these treats to their dogs to watch for the development of any of the following symptoms, which may appear hours or days a…   Read more…

d95

The interesting thing about latex is that it is a huge part of our society, often without being noticed. For example, carpet backing, pencil erasers, baby pacifiers, wheelchair tires, toys, balloons, and even elastic in clothing is latex. However, most people relate latex to adhesive tape used in hospitals, which is yet another example. Because so many people have latex allergy and the number of things made from latex is growing, symptoms are on the rise.

Take the healthcare industry for example – this particular area is surrounded by latex in the form of tape, surgical gloves, disposable syringes, and blood pressure cuffs. Because doctor’s offices, clinics, and hospitals use so much latex, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have released results of a study that show a minimum of 12% of all healthcare workers eventually deal with some level of latex allergy. Even so, the biggest concern regarding latex allergy relates to children with disability since their small, sick bodies are highly sensitive and susceptible, putting them at greater risk.

Keep in mind that when it comes to latex allergy, there are many different forms of reaction, some minor and some major. For instance, a Type 1 latex allergy is considered as hypersensitive, which produces symptoms ranging from minor such as watery eyes and a runny nose to more severe problems that would include nausea and vomiting, hives, and shortness of breath. With Type 1, the problem is that latex particles become airborne and then inhaled.

For Type 4 latex allergy, the reaction is limited to any exposed area. This would include someone having surgery and the bandages being held on by latex tape. The result is a skin rash and irritation, swelling, and redness that typically lasts anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. Obviously, this type of latex allergy is not nearly as serious although it is quite frustrating.

Keep in mind that latex is actually a natural product that comes from a rubber tree’s sap. Because it is so flexible, strong, and costs very little to manufacture, it takes first place over many similar manmade products. If you suspect that you have a latex allergy, you can see your doctor for a thorough examination and blood work. This test involves looking at a certain antibody called IgE immunoassays, which is performed through skin testing.

This particular test is currently being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and while it is highly accurate for proving latex allergy, it is not designed to determine the severity of the allergy. Therefore, in addition to the testing, if you have reaction to latex, you should avoid using it, turning instead to vinyl or plastic.

About The Author

Grant Segall RPh is a pharmacist and webmaster of the allergy related website http://www.allergy-allergy.com.

grant@allergy-allergy.com

This article was posted on April 20, 2005

Latex Allergy Symptoms

latex allergy People suffering from a latex allergy usually are reacting to a protein in latex which cause their immune system to over react. Chemicals involved in making latex…   Read more…

symptoms of latex allergy

symptoms of latex allergy, the best collection of free articles.   Read more…

Don’t Ignore Severe Allergic Reactions

by Lorna Hillier Our goal is to provide you with essential information on severe allergic reactions and if you can make use of the information provided, you may just save a life, maybe your own. All…   Read more…

How long will tinnitus last? Depending on it’s cause it may last for anything from hours to years. You might be surprised to learn that tinnitus is actually a symptom of other conditions that you may have, and, that around 93% of sufferers never get relief from tinnitus.

The causes of your tinnitus are things like inner ear / auditory nerve damage, ear infections, ear wax, middle ear tumour (benign), otosclerosis, noise polution, meniere’s desease (inner ear disorder), blocked eustachian tube, etc. These are the things that could determine how long will tinnitus last.

Other potential causes are old age, hardening of the arteries, head trauma, whiplash, some medications, stress, allergies, hypertension, anemia, diet. Again, these may determine how long will tinnitus last.

There are a variety of treatments out there, but given that 93% of sufferers don’t get any relief they just don’t seem to be effective enough. And these folks are left wondering how long will tinnitus last?

Typical treatments are; medications (antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-anxiety tablets, etc.); hearing aid or tinnitus maskers; and complementary programs such as yoga, meditation and acupuncture.

Another option is invasive surgery, but this is rarely used, and, only as an absolutely last resort.

Because of the lack of success of mainstream treatments, and fed up with wondering just how long will tinnitus last? more and more folks are turning to natural, home-based treatments such as that devised by Geoff Barker, a tinnitus researcher and former sufferer.

He has developed a home-based program using 11 solid techniques that he discovered after years of research, testing and development. Users are able to build a treatment program that is matched to their individual needs by using some or all of his 11 proven techniques.

According to Geoff his home-based program has a success rate of 80% with even the other 20% reporting that their tinnitus is less frequent than before.

By: JCielo

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

If you are wondering just how long will tinnitus last? and are desperate to stop the ringing in your ears then please go to cure-for-tinnitus.blogspot.com where you can get the facts on this unique program and be on your way to a cure at last.

Sinus and Ear Problems | Tinnitus Blog

There is a tinnitus remedy for sinus and allergy induced tinnitus from t-gone.com to help you unclogged the ears. It is made from natural extracts therefore there is no need to worry of …   Read more…

Ringing in Ears Allergies

Ringing in ears allergies certainly can give rise to ringing in ears, but these allergies aren’t the only condition that can cause the ringing. The sounds of ‘tinn…   Read more…

Finding The Best Ringing Ears Treatment Options | Tinnitus Blog

An individual who suffers from the incessant discomfort brought by ringing ears may now choose from several treatment options available. People suffering.   Read more…