Poodle Information
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Overview
While we have already discussed the important contact and flea allergies that can severely affect Poodles, we will now discus other important triggers:
- Food
- Inhalants
- Bacterial
If your Poodle is showing strange symptoms, it may just be an allergy...and you may be surprised how quickly you can help your puppy or dog.
Poodle Bacteria Allergies
A bacterial allergies is the most rare of all possible allergies that affect Poodles, however this must be mentioned as it can be quite serious and cause quite a bit of discomfort to a Poodle
The type of bacteria that can cause a reaction to a Poodle is one of many Staphylococcus bacteria, usually referred to as "Staph". Many types actually live on a dog's skin all of the time, this is true for all dog breeds. When the Poodle's skin is healthy and the dog has a strong immune system, this bacteria causes no symptoms and both owner and Poodle will not even be aware of this microscopic bacteria.
However, some Poodles are allergic to a certain Staph bacteria and then this will cause physical symptoms, most often in the form of sores which cause hair to fall out and circles to appear. Many owners confuse this with ringworm, as the sores look extremely similar. The above photo is that of a Poodle who showed signs of a bacterial allergy.
The sores will usually be .5 to 2 inches in diameter (1-5 cm). Treatment is vital and a bit complicated. When a Poodle has this type of allergy, antibiotics (the usual cure) will only work temporarily and in most cases sores will reappear as soon as the course of medicine has been given to the dog. Therefore, treatment is 2 fold: Antibiotics will be given to provide immediate help and the Poodle will need to be desensitized to the Staph antigen in order to have life time relief. Unlike ringworm, this is not contagious.
A bacterial allergies is the most rare of all possible allergies that affect Poodles, however this must be mentioned as it can be quite serious and cause quite a bit of discomfort to a PoodleThe type of bacteria that can cause a reaction to a Poodle is one of many Staphylococcus bacteria, usually referred to as "Staph". Many types actually live on a dog's skin all of the time, this is true for all dog breeds. When the Poodle's skin is healthy and the dog has a strong immune system, this bacteria causes no symptoms and both owner and Poodle will not even be aware of this microscopic bacteria.
However, some Poodles are allergic to a certain Staph bacteria and then this will cause physical symptoms, most often in the form of sores which cause hair to fall out and circles to appear. Many owners confuse this with ringworm, as the sores look extremely similar. The above photo is that of a Poodle who showed signs of a bacterial allergy.
The sores will usually be .5 to 2 inches in diameter (1-5 cm). Treatment is vital and a bit complicated. When a Poodle has this type of allergy, antibiotics (the usual cure) will only work temporarily and in most cases sores will reappear as soon as the course of medicine has been given to the dog. Therefore, treatment is 2 fold: Antibiotics will be given to provide immediate help and the Poodle will need to be desensitized to the Staph antigen in order to have life time relief. Unlike ringworm, this is not contagious.
Poodles and Inhalant Allergies
This is the second most common dog allergy, with only food allergies being more prevalent with the Poodle breed. Poodles can be allergic to any of the inhaled allergens that we can. Most common is:
How to Help Your Dog
If you suspect that your Poodle is allergic to 2nd hand smoke, it is very important to limit any family members to smoking outdoors or at the very least in a separate and closed off room in which smoke will not drift into the main area of the home. Also, when all triggers have been eliminated as culprits, it is usually then that an owner will realize it is something simple such as the air freshener that is sprayed into the home...an easy fix to eliminate.
When a Poodle is allergic to other elements such as pollens or molds, treatment will depend on the length of time that a Poodle is showing symptoms and involves 3 main elements:
This is the second most common dog allergy, with only food allergies being more prevalent with the Poodle breed. Poodles can be allergic to any of the inhaled allergens that we can. Most common is:- Tree pollens
- Grass pollens
- Weed pollens
- Mold
- Mildew
- Dust mites
- 2nd hand cigarette smoke
- Spray air freshener
- Itching - This is the #1 symptom and can be quite severe in many cases, leading to scratching, which can lead to sores and then ultimately infection of those sores
- Eye and/or nasal discharge - As with contact allergies, these symptoms can be overlooked. Many Poodles quickly lick nasal discharge before an owner can notice it and eye discharge may occur intermittently and be chalked up to normal eye discharge.
How to Help Your Dog
If you suspect that your Poodle is allergic to 2nd hand smoke, it is very important to limit any family members to smoking outdoors or at the very least in a separate and closed off room in which smoke will not drift into the main area of the home. Also, when all triggers have been eliminated as culprits, it is usually then that an owner will realize it is something simple such as the air freshener that is sprayed into the home...an easy fix to eliminate.
When a Poodle is allergic to other elements such as pollens or molds, treatment will depend on the length of time that a Poodle is showing symptoms and involves 3 main elements:
- Medications
- Shampoo Therapy
Washing your Poodle more often with hypoallergenic, oatmeal based dog shampoo can help simply because it washes away the microscopic triggers.
- Hyposensitization
Poodles and Food Allergies
Food allergies can develop when a young puppy is weaned too early. However, they can also develop in any properly weaned puppy,
Signs
Food allergies can be quite baffling. Some dogs will show external symptoms, others will show internal symptoms and some Poodles will show both. The following are signs that a dog may be allergic to the food he or she is eating...and a dog may have just 1 or many of these signs:
Understanding Fillers and What "Real" Food Means & How to Help Your Poodle
When a Poodle is suffering from food allergies, it is very important that an owner understand what is being fed to their dog. All commercial dog foods will "hype" up their offerings. All state that their product is "recommended by veterinarians." (Legally, only 1 vet in the entire country can "recommend" a food for the manufacturer to put that label on it). Another problem, is that many veterinarians, in an effort to increase income sell their own "special dog food". It is very sad indeed that so many dogs suffer from food allergies and everyone from commercial dog food makers to veterinarians want to cash in on this health issue...and offer dog food that does not even help! Shame on all of them.
In addition, commercial dog food is filled with fillers. Fillers are non-food elements with zero nutritional value. They are added to food to plump it up...to make owners believe that they are getting more food in the bag or can...and they fill up a Poodle's stomach to make the dog think that they are fill...but without having eaten real food.
Add the colorings, the preservatives and the artificial flavors...and what do you have? Basically, it comes down to this: You would not eat dog food... so why allow your Poodle to eat it? The reason humans do not eat it is because we know it is not real food...yet owners, who love their dogs very much, feed it to them. This is often because the media has dog owners believing that dogs should eat dog food. When in fact, dogs should eat food. Real food.
Feeding real food to your Poodle eliminates the possibility for allergic reactions. You can read more about Home Cooking here...and more details about Feeding here.
How to Help a Poodle with Food Allergies
The first thing that a Poodle needs when allergic to food is for their stomach to have a good rest. It is suggested to feed a very bland diet which will not upset the stomach or trigger any reactions. At the same time, you want to make sure that your Poodle is receiving enough calories and nutrition.
A bland diet can consist of mushed up, boiled, boneless white chicken meat, plain white boiled rice and a sprinkle of salt. While this is a very healthy meal, after 2 days, do add a full & complete supplement to ensure that your Poodle has all the necessary vitamins.
You may then choose to add 1 new ingredient every 2 weeks. As soon as you see any signs of a reaction, you will know which ingredient is the culprit. Your other option is to offer home cooked meals. When polled, top reasons for not home cooking for pets included cost and time. However, it is less expensive to home cook, since many of the ingredients are those that are already purchased on a regular basis, and buying in bulk almost always saves money. In addition, many recipes can be cooked in bulk, refrigerating or freezing portions for weeks at at time. Dr. Sara's Home Cooking for the Poodle offers meals for both "tummy rest" and hypoallergenic foods. You can read more about this here.
If your Poodle suffered from dry skin or skin irritations from food allergies, while you are offering the bland diet to stop reactions, it is highly suggested to gently rub Vitamin E oil onto your Poodles skin. You may find that the best time to do this is when your Poodle is about to go to sleep for the night. Laying a towel down on thier doggie bed or sleeping area will protect any fabrics from becoming stained.
You will want to put a pause on any coat trimming while the skin recovers. In addition, you do not want to give too many bathes as it can dry out the skin, however offering a bath using oatmeal based shampoo will offer soothing, cooling relief. If itching is severe, your dog's veterinarian may suggest cortisone treatments or a steroid shot. Do keep in mind that dogs do not react or have side effects to steroid shots as humans do and giving a shot to provide fast relief to severe itching is commonly done and is considered safe.
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Signs of having an upset stomach (wanting to rest alone, not wanting to be touch, not wanting to run around)
- A bloated stomach
- Constipation
- Weight loss (and accompanying weakness)
- A dull coat
- Dry skin
- Itching
- Trouble breathing
Understanding Fillers and What "Real" Food Means & How to Help Your Poodle
When a Poodle is suffering from food allergies, it is very important that an owner understand what is being fed to their dog. All commercial dog foods will "hype" up their offerings. All state that their product is "recommended by veterinarians." (Legally, only 1 vet in the entire country can "recommend" a food for the manufacturer to put that label on it). Another problem, is that many veterinarians, in an effort to increase income sell their own "special dog food". It is very sad indeed that so many dogs suffer from food allergies and everyone from commercial dog food makers to veterinarians want to cash in on this health issue...and offer dog food that does not even help! Shame on all of them.In addition, commercial dog food is filled with fillers. Fillers are non-food elements with zero nutritional value. They are added to food to plump it up...to make owners believe that they are getting more food in the bag or can...and they fill up a Poodle's stomach to make the dog think that they are fill...but without having eaten real food.
Add the colorings, the preservatives and the artificial flavors...and what do you have? Basically, it comes down to this: You would not eat dog food... so why allow your Poodle to eat it? The reason humans do not eat it is because we know it is not real food...yet owners, who love their dogs very much, feed it to them. This is often because the media has dog owners believing that dogs should eat dog food. When in fact, dogs should eat food. Real food.
Feeding real food to your Poodle eliminates the possibility for allergic reactions. You can read more about Home Cooking here...and more details about Feeding here.
How to Help a Poodle with Food Allergies
The first thing that a Poodle needs when allergic to food is for their stomach to have a good rest. It is suggested to feed a very bland diet which will not upset the stomach or trigger any reactions. At the same time, you want to make sure that your Poodle is receiving enough calories and nutrition.
A bland diet can consist of mushed up, boiled, boneless white chicken meat, plain white boiled rice and a sprinkle of salt. While this is a very healthy meal, after 2 days, do add a full & complete supplement to ensure that your Poodle has all the necessary vitamins.
You may then choose to add 1 new ingredient every 2 weeks. As soon as you see any signs of a reaction, you will know which ingredient is the culprit. Your other option is to offer home cooked meals. When polled, top reasons for not home cooking for pets included cost and time. However, it is less expensive to home cook, since many of the ingredients are those that are already purchased on a regular basis, and buying in bulk almost always saves money. In addition, many recipes can be cooked in bulk, refrigerating or freezing portions for weeks at at time. Dr. Sara's Home Cooking for the Poodle offers meals for both "tummy rest" and hypoallergenic foods. You can read more about this here.
If your Poodle suffered from dry skin or skin irritations from food allergies, while you are offering the bland diet to stop reactions, it is highly suggested to gently rub Vitamin E oil onto your Poodles skin. You may find that the best time to do this is when your Poodle is about to go to sleep for the night. Laying a towel down on thier doggie bed or sleeping area will protect any fabrics from becoming stained.
You will want to put a pause on any coat trimming while the skin recovers. In addition, you do not want to give too many bathes as it can dry out the skin, however offering a bath using oatmeal based shampoo will offer soothing, cooling relief. If itching is severe, your dog's veterinarian may suggest cortisone treatments or a steroid shot. Do keep in mind that dogs do not react or have side effects to steroid shots as humans do and giving a shot to provide fast relief to severe itching is commonly done and is considered safe.
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.
