ASK THE VET: Dog Breed Choices that Minimize Allergies

© reader S.C. photo copyright on file, all rights reserved

Trevor and Flo: Lovable, but...

Not Your Best Allergy Choices

Hello Dr. Jacki:

My son has some allergies, but our family wants to adopt a dog. We have heard about some that are better than others for allergies, but would like to get some advice. Can you recommend a few breeds that are less likely to cause him problems? We could visit a breeder to see how he reacts to the animals there. Is that a good strategy?

Thanks, DG

_______________________________________

Dear DG,

There are some breeds that seem to cause less allergic reaction in people.  These breeds would be Poodles and some terriers, Maltese, Boxers, Pugs and Bichon Frise just to name a few…..

People are not allergic to the hair of the dog but instead to a protein from the dog’s saliva (that is usually on the coat from grooming themselves).  So bathing a dog once a week or every other week really cuts down on the allergy issue. 

With that being said, it is also important to keep any dog well groomed.  Dogs can carry pollens on their coats from outside and they can bring them inside. 

While it is possible to get a response from your son if you take him to the breeder, it doesn’t always work that way.  Your son may be allergic to tree pollen that is on the dog’s coat and that is why he is sneezing.  It is tough to say.  It  may help to talk to an allergist as well.  Good luck!

Dr. Jacki, D.V.M.

ASK THE VET on All Things Dog Blog
LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com


For more information on Dr. Jacki and her practice, you may find her at 4 Paws House Calls. A personal appointment will likely provide more specific information on your dog and your specific questions.
Dr. Jacki's opinion or advice does not replace an actual exam with a veterinarian.

Check out my latest guest post at Dog Care Journey, The Canine Good Citizen: More than Just a Certificate.

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Thanks to S.C. for sharing her beautiful Golden Retriever, Trevor, and her Sheltie, Flo, as today's 'cover dogs'. 

Top 5 Tips for Fighting Fleas and Ticks on Your Dog

by Carrie Boyko

(c) Brent Boyko, all rights reserved

Xena Fights Fleas the Natural Way

Fighting a cancer battle for two years now, Xena still is active, happy and flea free. Her natural flea treatment, which is much easier on her liver than chemical forms, includes lots of preventive measures, like Cedar oil spray before we visit the dog park, and keeping fleas under control on all our pets, home and yard. The idea is to stop the population explosion before it starts. Whichever treatment you choose, here are the 5 rules to follow, if you wish to be successful:

1. Start with proactive, preventive treatments on your dog; apply regularly
2. Keep your house pest-free with frequent vacuuming, bedding washing and indoor treatments.
3. Treat your yard throughout the pest season to prevent outbreaks.
4. Use a flea repellent on your dog before dog park visits.
5. If you get a breakout, repeat all treatments regularly to take care of hatching eggs.

Now you're probably asking yourself, "Where is her all-natural pitch?" Sure, I choose to go the all-natural route. It's better for my health as a cancer survivor and patient with M.S. It's also better for my dogs' health and my family's. It's a no-brainer to me, but I respect your choice.

If you're interested in learning how to deal with fleas (and perhaps ticks, also) the all-natural way, check out these previous articles for lots of information on products and strategies:

Related Reading:

Flea Season is Here: What's a Pup to Do?
No More Ticks for Tanner
Top Ten Tips for Tackling Ticks

If natural is not your choice, you might try online sources, where many have told me their top spot treatments are cheaper. Websites like 1-800-Pet Meds regularly offer discounts and free shipping, if you meet minimum purchase requirements. Whatever method you pick, stay on top of it. That's the key to preventing a full blown infestation. Good luck!

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No More Ticks for Tanner!

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(c) photo copyright Carrie Boyko 2009

Happy Tanner has No More Ticks!

Why is Tanner so happy? Because he is now tick-free. After a terrible infestation in October, Tanner and his housemates--Oliver and Xena--endured a tough month of de-ticking. Fortunately for us, we had the backing of our organic pest control company, Bug Brigade, to solve the problem without adding toxins to our environment.


Here's our story. After a 6 day camping trip with the dogs, we apparently brought home half the ticks in all the woods we hiked through. When I discovered the rascals, I started removing them, using the technique I had learned at my vet. The count went higher and higher.


Soon, I realized that de-bugging was not solving the problem. It was clear that we must have already dropped lots of the little guys around the yard and our home, as the dogs kept turning up with more, each time I checked them.


I called Scott and explained the problem. He was reassuring and confident that his peppermint oil treatment would do the trick, as long as I did my part. What was my part?

• Wash all the dog bedding and rugs in areas they like to lay
• Remove the ticks from the dogs each day during the treatment duration
• Spray them with a peppermint oil preparation he prescribed
• Contain the dogs to a designated area of the home, giving him full access to the rest for annihilation. And no, I didn't have to keep them in crates or even in a small room. They had full access to our kitchen, family room and a large screened porch. The weather was nice, so this worked out just fine.

Scott's treatment involved a couple of heavy duty power sprayings of the yard, porch and trees. It smelled great--no chemical odors when you're using peppermint oil. We smelled like candy canes at Christmas time.

In addition, they went over our entire indoors, treating all the floorboards and every area that the dogs had previously spent time in. After leaving me with a couple of recipes (1 for dog spray and one for house spray), I was given a bottle of peppermint oil to continue back-up treatments.

I thought this might be it, but was pleasantly surprised when they returned for repeat performances until the ticks had dwindled to only an occasional one here or there. I was thrilled not to have to bomb my home or spray pesticides all over my yard. A month later, we found ourselves with no more bugs and the lingering sweet smell of peppermint. How could I not love that?

If you're in the Central Florida area and are looking for natural pest control that won't be toxic to you, your pets or your kids, I can highly recommend Bug Brigade.

Would you like to share your experience? Write to me at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Happy tails!

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