Poodle Information
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Poodle Allergies
Overview
While your Poodle may not be causing you to have allergies... over 20% of dogs suffer from allergies. This is a high percentage and some owners do not know, that their dog is experiencing this, as symptoms can vary so greatly.
Let's take a closer look at the ways that a Poodle can be allergic to elements and how to help your with allergies.
Let's take a closer look at the ways that a Poodle can be allergic to elements and how to help your with allergies.
Two Types
There are 2 different ways in which a Poodle may show signs of an allergy:
There are 2 different ways in which a Poodle may show signs of an allergy:
- Externally
- Internally
What a Poodle May Be Allergic To
There are 5 main categories that can trigger allergies to a Poodle. Due to certain Poodle clips, some are much more obvious with this breed. For Toy Poodles, others are much more severe. The culprits will fall under 1 of the following:
Poodles and Contact Allergies
This type of allergy can be very hard on a Poodle, particularly when the dog is given a show cut such as the Continental, Modified Continental or English Saddle which exposes the Poodle's skin. A contact allergy is a reaction to any element that the Poodle comes into contact with. This can be something that the dog touches or something that is applied. The most common elements are:
Signs
The most common signs of contact allergies are:
Any open sores should be seen by your Poodle's veterinarian in case infection has settled in. A good dose of antibiotics will clear up the infections and, if needed, a storied shot can be a temporary relief from the itching while changes are made in your Poodle's environment. You can help by:
There are 5 main categories that can trigger allergies to a Poodle. Due to certain Poodle clips, some are much more obvious with this breed. For Toy Poodles, others are much more severe. The culprits will fall under 1 of the following:
Poodles and Contact Allergies
This type of allergy can be very hard on a Poodle, particularly when the dog is given a show cut such as the Continental, Modified Continental or English Saddle which exposes the Poodle's skin. A contact allergy is a reaction to any element that the Poodle comes into contact with. This can be something that the dog touches or something that is applied. The most common elements are:
- Carpeting - When a Poodle lies down on the floor it can be the carpeting itself or carpet cleaner that causes a reaction.
- Shampoo - While an owner takes great care in grooming their Poodle, this can be the very cause of an allergy, as many Poodles are sensitive to shampoos or conditioners.
- Dog Beds - It is the laundry detergent used to clean doggie beds and other laundry items that a Poodle lies down on or sits on that can be the trigger
SignsThe most common signs of contact allergies are:
- Itching - As a Poodle is touching something that irritates the skin, itching (sometimes quite severe) can occur
- Sores - As the itching continues, a dog will instinctively scratch and this can cause sores to appear
- Infection - Without treatment or elimination of the trigger, sores can quickly become infected
- While many do not mention this, another sign of contact allergies is eye discharge and/or nasal discharge. One reason that this may be overlooked by many is due to the fact that eye discharge may be chalked up to normal discharge and nasal discharge is often missed when a puppy or dog licks their nose.
Any open sores should be seen by your Poodle's veterinarian in case infection has settled in. A good dose of antibiotics will clear up the infections and, if needed, a storied shot can be a temporary relief from the itching while changes are made in your Poodle's environment. You can help by:
- Stopping the use of carpet cleaner and switching to a water steam cleaner
- Change your laundry detergent to a hypoallergenic one with no fragrance added
- Use only hypoallergenic dog shampoo and conditioner
- Be sure to wash and wipe the bathtub or sink very well before giving your Poodle a bath to rid the area of any human soap, shampoo or conditioner
- Rub Vitamin E oil onto any dry, scaly skin (once any infection has cleared)
Poodles and Flea Allergies
Many owners of indoor dogs do not realize the importance of using flea prevention treatments. A flea can jump up to 6 feet, therefore a dog can catch fleas from the vet's office, grooming salon, passing by another dog when walking, etc. When a Poodle is allergic to fleas, it is actually the flea's saliva that causes a reaction. While any fleas will cause itching, dogs who are sensitive to the saliva can have very severe allergic reactions.
Signs
Amazingly, only 1 bite from 1 flea can cause a Poodle to have such severe itching that it causes uncontrollable itching. This can lead to areas where the hair has been chewed off and skin will develop sores, just as the above photo shows. As with contact allergies, those sores can become infected.
How to Help
Treatment is 2 fold, you will want to get rid of the fleas and provide immediate treatment to your Poodle's skin. If there is a flea on your dog, there are fleas in your home, even if you do not see them. The most common resting place for them is carpeting...you can test this out by walking across the floor with deliberate hard steps while wearing clean, white socks. You would then see small black specks on the bottom of your socks.
Getting rid of fleas is not always easy, particularly in hot climates where fleas hatch every 2-3 weeks. However, all surfaces of the home should be treated, this is most effectively done with a fogger. Your Poodle must be washed with high quality flea shampoo and receive flea protection. Be careful in regard to bathing your Poodle and applying protection. Many products will stop working if the dog is given a bath one week after treamtment. For this reason, if you do choose topical flea protection, wait 2 weeks before giving your Poodle a bath.
To offer immediate relief to your Poodle, seek treatment at the veterinarian's office where a steroid shot can be given to decrease swelling and put a stop to the intense itching. Sores will be check for any infection. Vitamin E oil can be rubbed into un-infected sores to soothe the skin. A hypoallergenic oatmeal based dog shampoo can provide cooling relief as well.
How to Help
Treatment is 2 fold, you will want to get rid of the fleas and provide immediate treatment to your Poodle's skin. If there is a flea on your dog, there are fleas in your home, even if you do not see them. The most common resting place for them is carpeting...you can test this out by walking across the floor with deliberate hard steps while wearing clean, white socks. You would then see small black specks on the bottom of your socks.
Getting rid of fleas is not always easy, particularly in hot climates where fleas hatch every 2-3 weeks. However, all surfaces of the home should be treated, this is most effectively done with a fogger. Your Poodle must be washed with high quality flea shampoo and receive flea protection. Be careful in regard to bathing your Poodle and applying protection. Many products will stop working if the dog is given a bath one week after treamtment. For this reason, if you do choose topical flea protection, wait 2 weeks before giving your Poodle a bath.
To offer immediate relief to your Poodle, seek treatment at the veterinarian's office where a steroid shot can be given to decrease swelling and put a stop to the intense itching. Sores will be check for any infection. Vitamin E oil can be rubbed into un-infected sores to soothe the skin. A hypoallergenic oatmeal based dog shampoo can provide cooling relief as well.
For Food, Bacterial and Inhalant Allergy Information, Click Here
What You Need to Know
We have had experience with Poodles who have had very unusual symptoms of allergies; that fall out of the normal classifications of allergic symptoms. It is sad how a simple allergy can be so harmful and discomforting to a dog. For this reason, we have put our combined knowledge into 1 easy to read format: The AllPoodleInfo Book. To learn about what is inside of this easy to download ebook, just click here.
