A Holistic View of Pet Allergies
by Terri Symonds Grow
Does your pet chew or lick incessantly?
Scratch until there are oozing sores? Have chronic ear infections,
diarrhea, or vomiting? If only you could find relief for
your pet and, let’s face it, for your guilt and frustration.
Too often these illnesses aren’t the problem—they
are symptoms indicating that your pet has become hypersensitive
or allergic to something in its environment.
Allergies are the body’s immune system
or natural defense mechanism working overtime against usually
harmless substances. These substances, or allergens, can
be natural or artificial, organic or inorganic. They occur
in food, in the home, and in the environment. They can be
ingested, inhaled, transmitted by contact, or absorbed.
Allergic reactions manifest in many different forms—as
itchy skin and eruptions, often near the base of the tail;
excessive licking or chewing of the paws; runny eyes and
nose or sinusitis; inflamed or infected ears; behavioral
changes; hyperactivity; and digestive upsets such as vomiting,
gas, or diarrhea. More life-threatening reactions include
urinary tract inflammations, kidney and liver disease, and
cancer. And, yet the symptoms are often treated as the cause,
and the allergy often goes undetected.
In her book The Natural Dog, veterinarian
Mary L. Brennan acknowledges that "Allergies have become
more common in the recent years and are one of the most
challenging aspects of veterinary medicine." Although
allergies cannot be cured, there are ways to control them.
Conventional veterinary treatments include a hypoallergenic
diet, fatty acid supplements, hypoallergenic shampoos, antihistamines,
steroids, and immunotherapy (allergy shots). Holistic veterinary
care focuses on increasing the health of your pet so fewer
conventional drugs, if any, may be needed.
Diet
If you suspect your pet’s food
may be contributing to allergic sensitivity, gradually switch
to a quality natural diet. Has your pet been on the same
food for years? Animals often become sensitive to the foods
they most often eat. Ask your veterinarian about a homemade
recipe or a hypoallergenic commercial diet, such as lamb
and rice—without chemical preservatives. Try to keep
the diet as high quality as possible to avoid stress on
organs and to help support the immune system. Remember this
includes doggie biscuits and kitty treats.
In addition to a premium diet, nutritional
supplements may prove helpful in building a healthier system.
A full spectrum vitamin-mineral supplement is a must. Make
sure it includes zinc, silica, and sulfur—three minerals
found to help skin problems. Fatty acid supplements rich
in Omega 3s and 6s are necessary for healthy coat and skin,
and can be found in evening primrose, sunflower, safflower,
flax, and borage oils, as well as fish oil. Vitamin C helps
provide immunity to disease and in high doses may have an
antihistamine effect. Antioxidants vitamin A, B, E, and
selenium can also be helpful. Supplementing needed digestive
enzymes may help improve allergies by replacing naturally
occurring enzymes that are destroyed in cooking. Other supplements
may include alfalfa for its enzymes and vitamin content,
seaweed for its trace minerals, and Co-Q 10 for allergy
relief at the cellular level.
Immune System Deficiencies
Genetics play an ever-increasing
role in pet allergies. Overbreeding is creating animals
that are prone to immune system deficiencies, from auto-immune
disease, where the body attacks itself, to hypersensitivity.
Shar Peis, Golden and Labrador Retrievers,
terriers, Scotties, and Akitas are some of the breeds that
suffer from immune deficiencies, which manifest themselves
as skin problems. When tested, these breeds show hypothyroidism
(low thyroid). Often, though, these dogs do not respond
to thyroid therapy because their low thyroid is often a
symptom of poor adrenal gland function. Conventional veterinary
care often turns to cortisone, an anti-inflammatory agent
and synthetic version of the corticosteroids naturally released
by adrenal glands, to suppress autoimmune functions and
manage reactions to allergens.
Holistic veterinarians may consider the
herb, licorice, as an alternative to cortisone. Licorice
contains glycyrrhizin, a compound similar to these corticosteroids.
Glycyrrhizin effectively stimulates the adrenal glands and
introduces its own anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, immune-supporting
corticosteroid-like actions on the body. As a result, licorice
offers relief from the itching and inflammation without
completely bypassing the body’s own anti-inflammatory
functions and without seriously compromising the autoimmune
system.
Over-vaccination
Recent controversies about vaccines
and over-vaccination also bring to light immune system complications.
In trying to protect our pets from deadly diseases, vaccines
also have the potential to induce chronic to life-threatening
health problems. Veterinarian Dee Blanco, a holistic practitioner
in Santa Fe, New Mexico, describes it as an indirect link
by which weakened, compromised systems—overloaded by
multiple vaccines—give way and become symptomatic.
In the preliminary results of a recent Canine Health Census
survey of Dog World magazine readers and CHC members, 55
percent of the respondents said their pets showed signs
of illness within three months after receiving vaccines.
In no way should you construe that vaccines
should be forsaken. Some vaccines are required by law and
others are appropriate to given geographical regions. However,
you should be an informed pet owner. Read up on the subject,
know the laws, discuss the issues with your veterinarian—even
talk with other veterinarians. Remember to discuss your
pet’s individual health and needs.
Environmental stresses
Grasses, mold, dust, and pollens
are well-known allergens. But what about the wool or synthetic
carpet your pet lies on every day; water impurities they
drink or are bathed in; lawn fertilizers and pesticides
they walk through and then ingest through licking; detergents
you use on their bedding; or the flea repellents, from the
cedar chips in bedding to the chemical shampoos you use
to free them of these parasites?
Elimination usually is the best tool in
managing allergies. Air filters help remove inhalant allergens,
such as pollen or dust. Removal of carpeting or its regular
cleaning (be aware of what the cleaning agents are) helps
eliminate or minimize bacteria and mold, as will the use
of hypoallergenic bedding. Rinsing your pet’s paws
or wiping him down after walks reduces exposure to pesticides.
And natural herbal repellents offer alternatives to toxic
chemicals.
Conventional veterinary specialists often
prescribe antihistamines to control the effects of the allergens
and immunotherapy, or allergy shots, to desensitize the
pet to the allergen. Holistic practitioners may turn to
homeopathy and nosodes, herbal treatments, or several other
available options. Homeopathy is used to treat the underlying
tendency to have allergies, while nosodes, readily available
or specially developed for your pet’s allergens, desensitize
the body’s immune system. Herbal therapies—Western,
such as dandelion and milk thistle, and Chinese—help
to cleanse, nurture, and strengthen the system. Select topical
herbal treatments, such as calendula, also may be helpful
to relieve skin eruptions. Other methods may include acupuncture
to boost the adrenal glands and help restore the body’s
energy flow and glandular therapy to help strengthen the
affected organ.
Prevention
Allergic reactions are often the
result of a build up of years of insults triggered by an
isolated incident. Managing allergies takes more than curing
the symptom of itching skin. It requires your observation,
diligence, and communication with your veterinarian to help
prevent your pet’s discomfort. You must recognize the
warning signs, such as paw licking or ear rubbing, that
if heeded may help prevent more serious problems.
Remember, health care is an ongoing process
and a healthy body is the best guard against environmental
stresses. Work with your veterinarian to develop a preventive
protocol with the appropriate dosages and therapies. Keep
in mind that alternative therapies can often complement
traditional veterinary care and may eliminate or allow you
to use fewer conventional drugs.
Used with permission from PetView Magazine,
Summer 1997 Issue
Common Allergens
Foods
Beef and beef by-products
Milk
Yeast and yeast products
Pork
Turkey
Tuna (cats)
Corn and wheat
Preservatives
Environmental
Molds
Dust
Plant and tree pollen
Grasses
Water contaminants
Lawn and insect pesticides
Flea and insect bites
Pressure-treated wood
Chemical
Detergents and fabric softeners
Flea repellent shampoos and dips
Medications, including vaccines
Carpet cleaners
Elusive allergens
Bedding fillers: cedar, feathers
Plastic or improperly fired ceramic dishes
Fluorescent lighting
Perfumes
Household deodorizers
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