Chihuahua Allergies

Chihuahuas can suffer from three kinds of allergies, atopy, food, and flea.  Each of these allergies has its own unique set of clinical signs and specific treatments.  Here is a brief overview of them, their clinical signs and their treatment.

Atopy: is basically a contact allergy to pollens, dust, and other environmental allergens.  Clinical signs include scratching, ear inflammation, and licking at the paws.  Treatment of this disease is usually anti-histamines and prednisone.

Food Allergies:  Chihuahuas can develop allergie sto many different ingredients in their diet.  Some signs of food allergies include diarrhea that may even contain some blood.  Treatment of this disease often includes feeding a hypoallergenic diet, prednisone and even metronidazole in some cases.

Flea Allergies:  Flea saliva can produce a hypersensitivity reaction which shows as red bumps and inflammation of the skin.  These areas can be very itching and your dog may scratch a lot.  Treatment involves making sure your Chihuahua is on a good flea preventative like Frontline Plus.

If you thing your are experiencing Chihuahua allergies than please see your veterinarian.  Also a great product to help treat flea allergies is this from Pet Alive called Flea Derm