Daisy Sawtelle
Canine Reporter

As a dog, I don’t like going to the vet for obvious reasons. My owner, however, doesn’t seem to mind because he now has pet insurance. Robert first became aware that he was buying gasoline for my vet’s Mercedes with my allergy visits to his office and decided enough was enough.

I offer you some suggestions for owner’s and my fellow canines:

For pet lovers, cheap dog insurance is an option that covers most of the costs related to care and upkeep of dogs. Often, we are tempted to buy a cheap insurance cover for our pets, but that might prove costly in the end. As the costs of the veterinary treatment are getting beyond control, with an annual rise of about 10%, cheap dog insurance policy is the right package for you.

The care and concern for your pet thus comes forth in the form of the most effective cheap dog insurance policy you apply for. You should also go for quotes on line for the best insurance coverage since this helps to provide you with the cheapest dog insurance policy for your dog. Most of us want to buy it as cheap as possible.

Once you have taken out cheap pet insurance, coverage will start after 14 days but will not cover any pre-existing conditions your cat or dog had at the time you booked. By searching for the cheapest dog insurance, you will find some sort of service for you to get several rate quotes by typing in your dog’s information details, i.e. breed, size, age, etc.

At first, the cheapest may seem the right policy for you, but often we don’t take enough time to establish what we are really covered for. That extra bit of time can save you a fortune in the long run if you choose an insurance policy that does not cover you adequately. Cheap dog insurance covers the initial period of treatment of any injury and is helpful during the stay of dog at any animal hospital.

As with any insurance plan, the types of coverage offered and the prices for these premiums will vary from company to company. Dog insurance will keep you and your pet happy and healthy. It seems that most of us will do whatever our veterinarian recommends for treatment to get our dogs back to their happy, healthy, lives.

Pet Insurance is the most effective way for you to ensure that you get the best veterinary care available for your dog or cat during an unexpected accident or illness without having to worry about extraordinary bills.

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Daisy Sawtelle
Canine Reporter

As a dog, I know dander and dog allergies. We all have it but don’t always know what to do about it. Below is information and suggestions for mitigating it.

Dander allergens are really dead skin cells that are also present in dog’s saliva and the dog’s coat when they lick their fur.  However, cat allergy is far more common, which may be related to the higher potency of cat dander as an allergen, as well as the fact that cats are not generally bathed at the same frequency as dogs.

For some people, allergens present in dog saliva and skin cells (dander) can cause allergies.  Generally speaking, poodles shed less hair and dander, and therefore cause fewer allergy symptoms.  Cat and dog dander, or skin flakes, as well as their saliva and urine, can cause an allergic reaction, sneezing, wheezing, and running eyes and nose.  Since dander allergens are sticky, they can be brought to these places on the clothing of pet owners.

Also, while dander on a smooth surface (such as a wall) can be easily wiped off, in soft materials, such as carpets, mattresses, upholstered furniture, and clothing, it can persist for long periods of time.  That is why, unless special steps are taken, pet dander can remain in a home for up to six months after the pet has been removed.

Keep pets off furniture, especially upholstered furniture where animal dander can be transferred.  Always wash your face, hands and arms after grooming or playing with pets to remove animal dander.

Allergic reactions may be triggered by proteins in dog dander (small flakes of skin), as well as proteins in dog saliva, blood or urine.

It is not the cat or dog hair itself that causes the allergy, but the old skin cells (dander) that are constantly being shed.  A major problem for those genetically predisposed to allergies occurs when cat dander or dog dander becomes airborne.  Inhaling animal dander may cause allergic reactions, including sneezing, watery and itching eyes, hives, coughing and constricting of bronchial tubes, making breathing difficult.

Long-term exposure to animal dander causing frequent allergy flare-ups can hinder a child’s success in school and can lead to permanent lung damage.

Use a room air purifier brand such as:

• Taskmaster or Pleat-A-Static high-performance allergy-free electrostatic air filter in your central air conditioning and heating system to extract animal dander.
• Panasonic vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency HEPA filter and a Micro-lined Vacuum Bag to trap and hold animal dander.
• Delonghi Steam Mop that attract and keep animal dander from becoming airborne.
•  Lightning Air or
• Surround Air in the bedroom to remove airborne animal dander.

Some breeds, in general, appear to have less dander and these include Poodles, Terriers and Schnauzers.

Dog allergic people can fight the rashes, stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes of their immune system’s response to dog saliva and skin dander.  If you have non-carpeted floors everywhere, and your furniture is not covered in fabric, cleaning up dog dander will be a lot easier, and the carpets and furniture will not be big allergen reservoirs.

Puppies don’t throw off as much dander as full-grown dogs, and apparently males throw off more dander than females.  Wash dog bedding frequently to avoid build-up of dander, drool, dust, or hair.  Some people are so allergic to cats and dogs that they experience allergy symptoms in schools and other public places from pet dander brought in on other people’s clothing.

A good HEPA air filter may help keep airborne dander under control, but you will need to maintain a rigorous grooming schedule if you want to prevent dander at the source.  Bad news is, even if you find your dog a new home, you will still be living with his hair, dander, and saliva.

Get leather furniture instead of fabric I cover my leather family room sofas with sheets to help prevent dog dander deposits on them, these sheets are washed frequently and my dogs are allowed on the sofas. Always wash your face, hands and arms after grooming or playing with pets to remove animal dander.

Leather is the ideal sofa material for allergy sufferers. You can also use sofa slip covers (see allergy products) for a neater look.

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Miss Daisy
Canine Reporter

As a dog, I have had my share of allergies that were very uncomfortable with itching and scratching. I have chewed my skin raw with no hair left on my tail and became exceedingly irritable.

Other symptoms include anal itching, shaking of my head, ear inflammations, licking front paws, rubbing faces on carpeting and rarely vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, sneezing, asthma like symptoms, behavioral changes or seizures.

I can feel your pain.

Below is information that can help your owners give us relief.

The most common is itching of the skin, either localized (one area) or generalized (all over your dog).  A normal dog experiences only minor irritation in response to flea bites, often without any itching.  However, just one bite may cause such intense itching that the dog may severely scratch or chew himself, leading to the removal of large amounts of hair.  ”

Your dog’s reaction, however, usually produces severe, generalized itching.  This is a non-specific approach, which does not treat the allergy, only the complications of the allergic state (itching).  In addition to removing surface antigens, bathing alone will provide some temporary relief from itching.

For most dogs, a realistic goal is for the itching to be significantly reduced in severity; in some dogs, itching may completely resolve.  A therapeutic approach is recommended for the middle-aged or older dog that has year round itching caused by inhalant allergy.

The main symptoms of food allergies in dogs include facial itching, chronic hot spots, limb chewing, belly itching, recurrent ear infections and dry, itchy skin.  These problems may range in poor coat texture or length, to itching and chewing, to hot spots and self-mutilation.  The itching may be most severe on feet, flanks, groin and armpits.

Corticosteroids. These compounds reduce itching by reducing inflammation.  They tend to reduce inflammation that may lead to skin sores but are not as effective in reducing itching. If the signs of atopy occur for less than three months out of the year, oral medications (like cortisone) then may be used to control itching.

Many people don’t suspect food allergies as the cause of their dog’s itching because their pet has been fed the same food all its life and has just recently started having symptoms.  Inhaling animal dander may cause allergic reactions, including sneezing, watery and itching eyes, hives, coughing and constricting of bronchial tubes, making breathing difficult.

Proteins in dog saliva and skin dander are what cause the miserable itching, swelling, and sneezing.  They can be developed due to flea collars, plastic food bowls, pet sweaters, plants, grass or wool bedding and they manifest through swelling, redness, itching and hair loss.

Prednisone is often prescribed for these dogs to get the itching under control while the antibiotic deals with the bacterial infection.  When late fall comes, the itching usually stops and hair begins to grow back.  In fact, the most common cause of itching in the dog is atopy (inhalant allergy).

On the downside, Airedale’s coat should be trimmed by a profession al, as they require their hair to be “plucked” or it will cause unhealthy skin problems, severe irritation, itching and of course, dander.

The itching produced by a ragweed allergy is the same as that produced by oak pollen allergy.  In other words, an individual animal or person can be allergic to many different things with the end result (itching) being the same.

However, if fleas are crawling around on your dog, the itching will increase.  Although getting rid of all of your dog’s fleas will not stop the itching, it will make it much easier to control the itching successfully.  In addition, other food allergies, contact sensitivities, parasitic, and metabolic causes of itching will usually not subside completely until the underlying cause is identified and eliminated or modified.

If your dog is itching and scratching, has excessive shedding, a dull coat, chronic weight loss, bad breath, or joint pain, it is most likely rooted in dog allergies or poor nutrition.

If your dog has an allergy to grass or tree pollen, then the symptoms will show up seasonally, as they do in their human counterparts, and you will most likely see watery eyes, itching of the skin and licking at the paws.

Prevention is better than a cure for dog allergies, and will save time, money and relief for all.

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