I said I would write an article about what happens when your golden retriever gets allergies and here I am. I’ll tell you what signs to look for and what steps you can take. But please remember that I am not a vet and I only provide helpful information that can go so far. If your dog is in a serious pinch, please bring the dog to your vet.

It is a mostly known fact that golden retrievers shed. A lot. But if you notice your pup shedding excessive hair in an unusual pattern along with a persistent itching, that could be a sign of allergies. Golden Retriever allergies may be of four types: flea allergies, atopy, food allergies and contact allergies.

Flea

Flea allergies often occurs due to an allergic reaction to flea saliva. If this happens to your dog, the first thing you will notice on his body is a small red papule, which gradually changes into a crust. The commonly affected areas are lower back, back legs, hind legs, upper thighs and belly areas. Flea allergies is one of the most common forms of skin allergies for any dog.

One of the most common Golden Retriever allergies occurs as a result of reaction to flea’ saliva. When it occurs, the affected area turns out to be dark in color and thickened. It only happens when the dog is allergic to fleabites. Only one or two bites are enough to cause a reaction. If controlling the flea population is possible, the dog can be effectively treated.

Atopy

Atopy occurs as a result of allergic reaction to substances that the Golden Retriever either inhales or soaks up through its skin. When Golden Retriever allergies of this type occur, itching is still prevalent but in different areas including feet, groin, face and underarm. If left untreated, it may lead to redness, thickening of skin, rawness, infection, crusting and increased dark coloring. Apart from these common symptoms, infection of the ear is also common. Common culprits that result in Golden Retriever allergies are fungal spores, pollen, cat dander, weeds and grasses. Treatment includes antibiotics, antihistamines and cortisone either by shampooing or spraying.

Missing hair from itchingMissing hair from itching

Picture taken from: http://www.askthedogguy.com/

Food

The Golden Retriever is not immune from food allergies either. Symptoms of food allergies roughly resemble the symptoms of atopy, although there are a lot of differences in the root of the problem. Dairy, soy beef, wheat and some poultry products may contribute to a food allergy.

Only by changing your dog’s can you identify whether your dog is suffering from a food allergy or not. You will need to feed the dog continuously for eight weeks. This is the observation period when you need to make note of any possible allergic reactions in the dog.

Contact

Contact allergies are mostly prevalent among Golden Retrievers. In such cases, some of the areas become hairless, and the dog attracts a contact allergy. Paws, underarms and belly are the most affected areas. Chemicals used in carpet cleaning, polishes, grasses, waxes, and pollens may contribute to these contact allergies. Once you find out which is the culprit, it is best to try and eliminate it from your home. Or keep your retriever away from the source of its allergies.

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