Author Paul - BFD Staff

Does Your Pooch Need Relief From Incessant Allergy-Related Scratching?  Don’t Know Which Allergy Medicine for Dogs to Give Him? Here’s a guide to what’s safe, what’s effective, and what’s the most-recommended allergy medicine for dogs. Allergies strike your dog when his immune system goes into overdrive, “protecting” him from things which frankly aren’t really a danger.  When allergies make themselves known on your Best Friend, suddenly things like pollen, dust, or smoke turn your dog…

Dog Eczema, Allergies, & Mange..Oh My! One moment your dog is fine.  Then suddenly his skin is a large, bleeding mess…is it dog eczema, allergies, or what? If you’ve read any of our articles on dog allergies, you’ll know by now that dogs react to allergies, stress, and other health issues differently than humans. Namely, they scratch! Since you’re reading this, let’s assume you’re a caring, loving, attentive dog owner who wants to do right by…

Not sure antibiotics are the right way to treat dog skin allergies? Try a holistic approach. Before you resort to pharmaceuticals, try searching for the root cause of your dog’s skin allergies. Dogs who scratch and scratch away at themselves until they get hot spots, infections, and near-constant misery need help.  They need to see a vet. Beyond that, there is something more you can do for your dog’s skin allergies and that’s to work with…

Is there any way to easily diagnose skin allergies in dogs? Pet skin problems keep most vets busy, but skin allergies in dogs may just top the list for most common reason dog owners make visits to the vet. Allergies are slightly mysterious, even in people, where the allergy sufferer can communicate his or her discomfort and help pin down probable causes of allergic reactions. But imagine your dog one day breaks out in skin allergies- the…

Many dog owners wonder: “Is it Mange or Hot Spots from Allergy Symptoms in Dogs?” Here’s a Sure-Fire Way to Tell the Difference Between These 2 Conditions: One is Common and the Other is Serious It’s always a proud dog-owner moment when people notice how beautiful and shiny your dog’s coat is.  Indeed, a thick, healthy coat of fur is one way to know  dog is at least in general good health. So imagine the…

Dogs may get allergies just like humans do, but their symptoms are different. Here’s How to Spot Allergies in Dogs Scratching often and sometimes with vigor is a normal part of every dog’s life…or is it? What if scratching is a sign of something other than ordinary, healthy behavior? Dog Scratching 101 Dog owners know their dogs scratch for a multitude of mysterious reasons (scratching the floor before lying down, for one) but it’s important…

This is a follow-up article to “Are Purebred Dogs More Likely to Have Allergies?”, an article we ran last week. Purebred Dogs & Allergies, a Recap In our last article on dogs and allergies, it was mentioned that the logistics of breeding sometimes cause unwanted traits to be passed down through the genetic pool, sometimes resulting in allergies in purebred dogs. While that remains true, it’s also true that not all breeders are alike. Consequently,…

As a nation, we love our dogs…especially the purebred varieties. Who can resist the adorable face of an American Cocker Spaniel, the elegant grace of an Italian Greyhound, or the fancy looks of a Shar Pei? Of course as different looking as they are, all these dog breeds come from a common ancestor. It’s only through a very careful and selective process of breeding have these varieties of dogs come about. Keeping the lines pure…

Does Your Dog Have a Dog Food Allergy? Dogs are alike in many ways, but one thing we all know is that they love to scratch. But when your dog’s scratching becomes obsessive or noticeably harmful resulting in hot spots or bald patches of irritated skin, there’s something different going on. It’s more than a simple scratch here and there..it’s either dry skin or allergies. Either way, you can bet your dog’s diet plays a…

If you own a dog, there’s a fifty-fifty chance he has allergies. From fleas to dust to food, allergies are the second most common reason U.S. dogs visit the vet. With almost 70 million dogs in the country, that’s a lot of allergy-induced scratching! If you had a dog as a kid, then you may wonder why you can’t remember any allergies for dogs, visits to the vet, or excessive scratching. That’s because earlier generations…