Author: World Arabia

Key points

• Food allergies are one of the most common types of allergies in dogs. Statistics show that around 10% of canine allergies are caused by food.
• The symptoms of food allergies in dogs include itchiness, diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy. Some of the less common symptoms are itchy paws, hot spots, eye discharge, alopecia, ear infections, and behavioral issues.
• Food allergies are not the same as food intolerances. However, their symptoms are similar. A food allergy involves an immune system response to a specific product, and food intolerance means that your dog can’t digest or tolerate a particular product.
• If your canine has non-seasonal skin and gastrointestinal symptoms that have begun in puppyhood and the reaction doesn’t go away after administering steroids, it’s likely that your dog has food allergies.
• The only effective treatment for dog food allergy is to eliminate the foods that cause the reaction from the pet’s diet. Your dog should also follow a special hypoallergenic diet.
• Always consult with your pet’s vet and obtain a treatment plan before trying any remedies.

Pet allergies are probably one of the most triggering and frustrating conditions for any pet owner because of how tricky it is to diagnose and treat them. Food allergies, for instance, are among the top five most common allergies and intolerances in dogs. Many dogs also suffer from two types of allergies simultaneously, such as food and environmental allergies. Unfortunately, the symptoms of these two allergy types are almost indistinguishable, which makes it hard to determine the allergen. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at food allergies in dogs and provide some tips on how pet owners can diagnose and treat their allergic pets.

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Key points

• Acepromazine is a medication most commonly used to sedate pets. It is very well-suited for calming nervous animals and reducing aggressive behavior;
• Acepromazine can be used as a pre-anesthetic to anesthesia. It calms the animals, extends the duration of anesthetic effects, and leads to a calmer wake-up phase;
• The minimum effective dose of acepromazine should be administered 45 minutes to one hour before the expected stressful event;
• Certain dog breeds cannot tolerate acepromazine. For instance, boxers are known to have adverse reactions even to minimal doses of acepromazine;
• Acepromazine should not be used in puppies, old, lactating, or pregnant pets.

For many people, dogs have become loyal life companions throughout the years. So naturally, it’s incredibly upsetting for most pet owners to see their furry friends stressed, anxious, or otherwise unhappy.

Dogs can experience fear in literally any situation: while playing outside or at home, during a vet visit, or a fireworks display. For the majority of dogs, loud noises, bangs, and droning are very scary, even from a distance. 

To be able to counteract your pet’s fear, you should recognize its preliminary stage – uncertainty. Dogs experience uncertainty in different ways. In most cases, it manifests itself as general tension and restlessness combined with panting. The coming fear can be easily recognized by the pet’s posture. When a dog is scared, it will lower its head, crouch, avert its gaze, and lower its tail. If the fear progresses, the dog will pull in the tail completely. Once you notice these symptoms of distress in your dog, you should take action. 

Fortunately, there are different ways to calm a pet down, depending on the extent of the fear and the situation. For instance, sedatives for dogs are often the first choice in such cases. In this article, we will discuss one of the most popular medications for anxious dogs – Acepromazine.

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Key points 

• White foamy vomit is formed with undigested food, digestive secretions, and saliva. In most cases, there’s nothing to worry about if your dog throws up white foam. Most causes of this condition are minor and resolve on their own.
• The most common causes for foamy vomit in dogs are indigestion, bloating, acid reflux, kennel cough, pancreatitis, kidney disease, and parvovirus.
• If your dog suffers from immune diseases or other medical conditions, it’s best to take it to a vet, as vomiting can worsen the existing symptoms.
• To minimize the risk of vomiting, monitor what your dog eats and keep the toxic products and chemicals out of its reach. Also, don’t give your dog too many treats, and make sure it doesn’t drink and eat immediately after exercising.

Occasionally, dog owners have to put up with their canine’s puke, but besides the discomfort of having to clean it up, a little dog vomit is nothing to worry about. But what if your dog is throwing up white foam? This condition may be concerning for you, but it’s usually very easy to determine what’s causing it. 

In most cases, the problem will resolve on its own, and there’s no need for you to panic. However, some cases may be severe, requiring you to seek immediate veterinary attention, especially if your dog looks physically sick. Let’s take a closer look at the possible reasons for white foam vomit so you can gain a clearer understanding of when to be worried.

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Key points

• A hypoallergenic diet is a diet comprised of a small number of ingredients that are less likely to cause an allergic reaction in dogs.
• Hypoallergenic diets provide many other benefits for canines besides eliminating (or at least minimizing) the risk of allergies. The benefits include lowered risk of heart disease and arthritis, reduced frequency of digestive problems, obesity, periodontal disease, blocked anal glands, and some kidney problems.
• Dog allergy symptoms include excessive scratching, dandruff, gastrointestinal upset such as diarrhea, vomiting, gas, bloating, ear infections, and loss of appetite.
• If you want your dog to follow a hypoallergenic diet, consult with your vet first because it may take some time to find a suitable hypoallergenic diet for your pet.
• Dog allergies are not the same as food intolerances. Allergies are congenital, meaning dogs are born with them, while intolerances develop over the pet’s life.

Hypoallergenic dog food is an emerging trend that is actively featured in the media. However, with a wide variety of different canine diets available today, it can be challenging for pet owners to understand how to choose food that will really benefit their pups. And if your dog is a picky eater or has an intolerance to many products, the diet issue becomes even more complicated. Dogs should have a well-balanced and healthy diet just like humans, so is it a good idea to switch your pet to hypoallergenic food? Keep reading this article to find out everything you need to know about hypoallergenic dog food. 

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Key points

• A food allergy is a form of intolerance in which the immune system does not function normally and perceives harmless substances as dangerous;
• The most common signs of food allergies include skin changes, itching, vomiting, and diarrhea. The symptoms can occur suddenly, even in response to foods that the cat has tolerated for a long time without any problems;
• A food allergy can be triggered by any protein of animal or vegetable origin such as beef, chicken, soy, milk, dairy products, egg, fish, and lamb. But artificial additives such as preservatives, coloring, or fillers can also potentially cause allergies in pets;
• There is no cure for food allergies in cats, so if your pet is sensitive to one or several products, you should simply avoid giving them to the pet.

Food allergy in cats can occur very unpredictably. For example, your kitty’s favorite food that it has been eating every day for years might all of a sudden trigger an allergy. If your furry friend is suffering from a food allergy, there are a few things for you to consider. In this article, you will discover what you should do if you suspect that your pet has an allergy.

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Key points

• Excessive lip licking can be caused by a number of things, but it most often occurs as a response to stress, dehydration, nausea, and allergies. Your dog may also lick its lips when it feels oral discomfort, internal pain, or bloat.
• Sometimes, lip licking can be a sign of neurological problems such as epilepsy. In this case, licking occurs as a symptom of a seizure.
• Dogs can also lick their lips in an attempt to get your attention. In this situation, you need to determine what action of yours your dog perceives as a reward.
• If you see your dog licking its lips and sneezing, it means that the pet is experiencing an allergic reaction to something. The most common allergens for dogs include dust, pollen, grass/weeds, and mold.
• If your dog is licking and yawning simultaneously, it can be a sign of either anxiety or nausea. You should find out the cause as soon as possible to prevent it from adversely impacting your dog’s well-being.

Seeing your dog constantly licking its lips may concern you and leave you clueless about the cause of this behavior. Your dog may also look uncomfortable, lick the floor or carpet, and swallow air. At the same time, the pet’s teeth, gums, and nose may look fine, and nothing will seem unusual except for the pet’s behavior. 

There are many reasons why your pet may repeatedly lick its lips, and some of them include serious health conditions. So should you be concerned? What’s causing this abnormal behavior in dogs? How can we stop it? Keep on reading and learn ways to tackle this issue.

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Key points

• A limited ingredient diet is a food regimen that includes fewer ingredients than an average dog’s diet. It typically has one source of protein and carbohydrates that your dog has not eaten before.
• There’s no set number of ingredients that can be present in limited ingredient dog food, but the ingredients should be whole and well-balanced.
• Switching your pet to LID is the easiest and most precise way to determine whether your dog is allergic to something. The idea is to start with a low-risk allergy ingredient and slowly introduce new foods to your dog, watch its reactions and find out what’s causing the allergy.
• The other benefits of LID for dogs include improved digestion, lower risk of GI upset, and lower fat and higher protein content compared to an average dog’s diet.

Statistics show that about 15-20% of cases of allergies in dogs are related to food allergies. However, there are a lot of debates about how common canine food allergies really are. Beef, chicken, dairy, and wheat are responsible for 79% of cases of food allergies in dogs. At the same time, it’s rare for dogs to have an allergic reaction to any other grains besides wheat.

Limited ingredient dog food contains fewer different ingredients compared to regular dog food. Essentially, when your dog has a less diverse diet, it’s less prone to developing allergic reactions to food. Your dog can’t be allergic to a product that it has not been exposed to before. But is a limited ingredient diet better for canines? How does LID work? Keep on reading and find out all the pros and cons of a limited ingredient diet.

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Key points

• Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps you and your dog know when it is time to go to bed;
• Sometimes, the body cannot produce enough melatonin, which leads to difficulties falling asleep and other sleep disorders. That’s why this hormone is often taken as a supplement;
• Melatonin is considered to be safe for dogs. However, you should not give this medication to puppies or pets in the advanced stages of pregnancy;

Melatonin is an ideal all-natural supplement that is said to help relieve stress and sleep disorders. However, it might also be effective in treating a wide range of health issues from mood swings and Cushing’s Disease to hair loss.

Since melatonin naturally occurs in the body, melatonin supplements are quite safe for humans and have no harmful side effects. However, many dog ​​owners wonder if they can give this hormone to their dogs to alleviate the pets’ fear of thunderstorms, fireworks, or loud noises.

In this article, we will tell you everything there is to know about melatonin for dogs so you can make an informed decision regarding giving your pet this supplement.

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Key points

• Technically, peanut butter is not considered to be toxic to cats. However, there are many reasons why you should avoid feeding your cat peanut butter;
• Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that the majority of their diet should come from animal-based protein. Protein in peanut butter is plant-based and, therefore, doesn’t have any nutritional value for your cat;
• The texture and consistency of peanut butter can create choking hazards for your furry friend;
• If you decide to feed your cat peanut butter, make sure that there is no xylitol in the ingredient list on the label;

Pet nutrition is one of the most important issues for owners of animals. While some people may want to share the foods they love with their pets, not all human foods, snacks, and the like are healthy and nutritious for our beloved four-legged friends. For example, onions, garlic, chocolate, alcohol, and excessive amounts of fish can be very dangerous for felines. Moreover, some products can be beneficial for dogs and simultaneously toxic for cats, making it even more challenging for pet owners to feed their animals appropriately. For example, one of the most popular human foods that pet owners feed their dogs is creamy peanut butter. However, can cats eat peanut butter and benefit from it just as much as dogs? 

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Key points

• Coconut oil is a superfood that can benefit your cat in several ways. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties, which help with different skin conditions, inflammation, prevent hairballs, improve digestion, and boost the immune system.
• Coconut oil is safe for cats with chronic illnesses such as pancreatitis and liver disease. In fact, it helps to relieve the symptoms and alleviate the severity of these conditions.
• It’s recommended to start by giving your cat ¼ to ½ teaspoon of coconut oil, but you can also start with as little as ⅛ teaspoon and gradually increase the amount if necessary. Be careful, as too much coconut oil can cause obesity and diarrhea in cats.
• Coconut oil has a high calorie and fat content, so owners of overweight cats should give it with caution.

Coconut oil is a natural “superfood” that can benefit both humans and pets, and its popularity has increased rapidly in the last few years. Many pet owners are using coconut oil for their cats, but does coconut oil have the same benefits for cats as it does for humans? Can we use it as a dietary supplement for our felines? We discuss how coconut oil can benefit your cat and underline some concerns regarding this product in this article.

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