Natural Solutions To Prevent Allergies In Your Pets

What's Causing My Pet's Allergies?

Updated on April 6, 2020

Trying to get to the bottom of pet allergies can seem like a nightmare as a pet parent … but there is hope!

At Beautify the Beast, and my rescue farm, Fire Flake Farm, we see our fair share of furry friends who suffer from pet allergies. Recently, we’ve seen many dogs with symptoms like:

Yeast infections
Swollen paw pads
Rashes
Runny noses and eyes
Itchy skin
Hot spots
Missing hair
Sneezing
Diarrhea
Inflamed anal glands

If your dog or cat suffers from any of these symptoms, we feel for you both. That’s why I’ve personally put time into researching and speaking with several veterinarians.

The good news is that CBD is really effective at supporting your pet’s whole health so they don’t fight with allergy symptoms. The bad news is that it can be tough to figure out what’s caused the allergy symptoms we see

Although there can be many factors to pet allergies, the most common trigger for allergy symptoms is diet. Even if you’re pet seems to be suffering from seasonal allergies, you need to look at what they’re eating first. After all, nutrition is the foundation of health for all of us,

Now I know that finding nutritious pet food can be overwhelming, but just know that it’s not impossible.

That’s why I want to share with you how diet triggers allergy symptoms and how you can find the right diet for your pet.

Many pet parents don’t realize that allergy symptoms are a sign of disease in the body. We often think of a disease as being something more specific like cancer or thyroid disease. But disease means, “dis- ease” or dysfunction within the body.

So when you see your pet is itching and scratching or losing their hair, you can see the body is not functioning well.

When your pet becomes itchy or has red and inflamed skin, these are the symptoms the body shows us. It’s how the body sends out a cry for help that it feels under attack.

If you’ feed a diet that’s not suitable for your pet, it causes an imbalance in their gut microbiome. And this is really important because their microbiome is the foundation of their immune health.

Now you may be thinking, “What’s gut health have to do with my pet’s skin?”

And the short answer is EVERYTHING.

In fact, 80% of your pet’s immune system comes from their gut health. So, when your pet’s gut becomes unwell it weakens natural defense systems.

This is often the time we’ll hear pet parents day, ” But he used to eat chicken without any issues”, and I’m sure that they did, but now the body is saying NO.

An unhealthy gut is also inflamed and can let nutrients, proteins, and other substances leak out of the digestive tract. This is a condition known as “Leaky Gut” and it leaves your pet vulnerable to things you may least expect like:

Different foods
Air pollutants
Pollens
Fabrics and carpets
Insects and parasites
Bacteria and viruses

This is why you need to be sure you’re feeding your pet the best diet for optimal gut health and immunity.

Table of Contents

Allergy Solutions

1. Raw and Freeze-Dried Food

What they eat is their medicine.

If you feed a diet that’s not suitable for your pet, it causes an imbalance in their gut microbiome. And this is really important because their microbiome is the foundation of their immune health.

Unfortunately, if you’re feeding a kibble diet, the ingredients may the root cause of your pet’s allergies.

The ingredients and starch used in kibble are the number one contributors to pets allergies, inflammation, and poor gut health. This is just a few of the allergens hiding in a kibble diet-

When you feed a fresh raw or freeze-dried diet, that’s free of common allergens, the body will start to heal itself. The healing begins when the allergens are removed. This allows the gut inflammation cycle to be broken and nutrients to be absorbed again.

There are wonderful companies out there who’ve made wholesome foods for our pets. Some of our favorite and trusted commercial fresh diet companies are:

2. Pet Shampoos & Scents

A lot of shampoos, conditioners, sprays, and different bath products we use every day for our pets, are made with harsh chemicals.

This can lead to itching, irritation, and further skin issues. Basically, allergy symptoms to your pet’s bathing products.

Try to stick with bathing products like below that use only natural products. (And smell great!)

3. Flea, Tick and Heartworm Protection

Every year, many vets recommend some products to protect our pets from fleas, ticks, and heart worm. Unfortunately, a lot of these products contain many ingredients which are pesticides and cause major inflammation and allergic reactions in pets. Here’s a few of the pesticides and

Fluralaner, (INN) is a systemic insecticide and acaricide that is administered orally. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it under the trade name Bravecto for flea treatment in dogs in May 2014.

Pyrethroids, are chemical simulations of pyrethrins, naturally occurring compounds in dried chrysanthemum flowers that incapacitate insect nervous systems. problems included burning and tingling skin, respiratory trouble, involuntary twitching, dizziness, nausea, fainting, convulsions and seizures. In Australia, a union representing transport workers is even mulling a class action lawsuit on behalf of air stewards who allege they suffer neurodegenerative diseases as a result of exposure to the insecticides.

Ivermectin is the macrocyclic lactones (MLs) are parasiticides able to kill a wide variety of arthropods and nematodes. They have a high margin of safety for labeled indications, and has become the best selling antiparasitic in the world. Dogs of certain breeds and mixtures of those breeds have a defect in the ABCB1 gene (formerly MDR1 gene) that results in a lack of functional P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which leads to accumulation of the MLs in the central nervous system (CNS) and a higher risk of adverse effects when exposed.

N-Octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide MGK-264 Docket. MGK-264 is a pesticide active ingredient that acts as a synergist. Synergists are chemicals which, while lacking pesticidal properties of their own, enhance the pesticidal properties of other active ingredients including pyrethrins and pyrethroids.

PIPERONYL BUTOXIDE a highly toxic substance that causes a range of short- and long-term effects, including cancer and adverse impacts on liver function and the nervous system, is one of the most commonly used synergists in pesticide products.

The good news is, there are natural solutions that will protect our dog from everything flea season throws at us without harming our pet’s immune system and gut!

TIP: Minced organic fresh garlic in meals once a week during the high season.

4. Yard Protection

Sometimes when we’re taking care of our yard, spraying the grass, and putting down the fertilizer, we don’t realize what ingredients we’re putting right in front of our pets. All of these effect our pets negatively one way or another. Imagine your pets paws picking up these chemicals and bringing them into your home and when they lick their paws they are ingesting these synthetic chemicals.

(Again, some more ingredients hard to pronounce).

Find products that use only natural ingredients and live the chemical-free life for yourself and your pet.

5. Pet Medicine Cabinet

It’s not breaking news that a lot of the medications prescribed to our pets are suppressing their immune system.

In fact, a lot of the vet prescribed medications are the source of our pet’s allergies!

Get this – the side effects of the medication that is prescribed specifically for allergies are allergy symptoms. What is this medication you ask? APOQUEL!

Apoqel is a very popular medication prescribed to our pets when they’re showing allergy symptoms. Even though the medication can help the itching for a short period of time, the side effects are hurting your pet’s immune system to cause further damage, and you guessed it – more allergies!

That’s why many companies like CBD Dog Health, Amber Naturalz, and more have created natural products to help heal your pet, without harming the immune system.

6. Around The House

Just like your yard, the laundry detergent, general cleaning products, carpet cleaners, candles, and air fresheners you use in your home could be causing your pet’s allergies. All of these products contribute to the poor air quality in your home by releasing synthetic chemicals and toxins into the air.

The good news is, there are many companies that use only natural ingredients in their products to protect your pet from the irritation and scratching! Here’s a list of a few of my favorite natural brands that I use with great success:

Dishwasher Soap

Dishwashing Detergent

Carpet Cleaner

Tile Cleaner

Aunt Fannies Cleaner Tile Cleaner

Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Toilet Bath/Shower

Candles

Air Fresheners

TIP: Just opening the window and vaporizing pure essential oils help!

Hand Sanitizers

Make hand sanitizer with Isopropyl alcohol, or

a mixture of cinnamon, clove, and eucalyptus essential oils.

Angela Ardolino

Angela Ardolino is passionate about animals and has dedicated her life to providing all-natural relief to pets of all ages and breeds. Ardolino has worked with animals for over 20 years and operates Fire Flake Farm, a rescue farm in Lutz, FL. A medical cannabis expert, Ardolino holds a degree in the therapeutic uses of cannabis from the University of Vermont School of Medicine and is the founder of CBD Dog Health. Combining her background in broadcast journalism and her passion for pets, Ardolino is the host of a pet-centric podcast, “It’s a Dog’s Life” on Cannabis Radio. Additionally, she is the owner of Beautify the Beast, a natural pet salon and spa. Ardolino has five dogs and up to 10 residing on her farm who she is fostering or boarding. Visit www.AngelaArdolino.com and www.CBDDogHealth.com to learn more.

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