Canine allergies: what can probiotics do for your dog and their skin and gut health

Canine allergies : what can probiotics do for your dog and their skin and gut health

Allergies and your canine

If your dog gets a rash it typically means they have an allergy to something in the house, outside, or possibly in their food or a disease.  They can also get plagued by gas, diarrhea and other GI ailments when they have an allergy. The dog might sneeze, however, sneezing doesn’t mean they have to have an allergy—this is more of a human characteristic of allergies. You might notice your dog scratching areas or licking areas more frequently when they have an allergy.  Sometimes these issues could be just overactive nerves due to hyperactivity or the breed of dog you have. 

If you spot them scratching or rubbing a certain area, check the skin.  You might see patches of skin or an irritation that is red, flaky, raised a bit, dry and so on.  It could be a rash that might go away with some coconut oil or an antibiotic cream or hydrocortisone.  Most of the time it is caused by dermatitis or atopic dermatitis and your dog can benefit from a daily probiotic chew.  There are several breed types that are more susceptible to skin issues.

Breeds of canines that can have lots of skin health issues:

Shorter hair breeds is one of the main causes of canine skin issues.  If you own a short-haired breed you may not only want to consider using a probiotic to improve gut health but also make sure to use a moisturizing bath gel when they are bathed.  Short haired breeds aren’t the only canines that can benefit from a probiotic however, any dog can highly benefit for immune, skin and a variety of other health systems in the body—even the brain.

  • Chinese Shar-Peis
  • American Bulldogs
  • English Bulldogs
  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • Standard Poodles
  • Labrador Retriever

How often to use canine probiotics

While topical oils or other treatments might help with skin and coat health (like coconut oil or olive oil), it is best to improve skin health through the gut, just like in humans and use supplement tools like probiotic chews to balance gut bacteria and get their health on track each day, if you can afford probiotics for your dog.  You shouldn’t only use canine probiotics when your dog gets sick—use them as frequently as possible as a health care prevention supplement—or maintenance supplement.

Foods your dog should consume

In addition to probiotics, make you’re your dog’s gut is as healthy with probiotics but also with having them eat better brands of dry, wet canned food, and whole organic foods like potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, eggs, fish (salmon), chicken and high quality rice and grains. 

Dog breeds with sensitive skin prone to skin issues also include:

Some dogs have highly sensitive skin.  This can cause rashes and skin issues causing dermatitis.  Usually, it is from having less hair; however it can also be from hair that is finer or silkier. Again, just like the breeds with shorter hair prone to skin issues, skin infections, severely dry or flaking skin and patches that are red and irritated or inflamed, you’ll want to make sure these breeds also have the best gut health you can give them.  Consuming better foods and giving them a probiotic chew can dramatically help allergies and skin conditions they might develop.

  • Golden Retriever
  • Labrador Retriever
  • Dalmatians
  • Poodle
  • Boxer
  • Terriers
  • West Highland White Terriers
  • Staffordshire Bull Terriers
  • Irish Setters

Probiotics that can best improve your canine’s immune function and skin conditions

Probiotics aren’t just for humans to feel better in the gut and help their skin health and other issues.  They can also be used as a supplement for your canine. Humans need a good balance of bacteria in the gut to stay healthy.  Many of the main ones that are in the small and large intestines are essential for dogs like humans.

  • Lactobacillus
  • Bifidobacterium
  • Streptococcus
  • Enterococcus

Genes and other conditions can cause skin issues in some breeds

While probiotics are important for your canine, sometimes skin allergies can are actually genetically related.  Certain breeds are more susceptible than others.  Also, make sure your dog is getting groomed often.  Bathing doesn’t mean grooming—but should be getting bathed at least once every other month.  Without a good scrub down at least six times a year, dogs can develop dermatological issues.

The buildups of undercoat, tool many oils, crusting areas near eyes—all of these things can cause skin irritations and issues that are unpleasant for the dog.  They feel much better with a nice bath, nail clipping and some breeds need hair trimmed and most need it around their feet when they have longer hair. Chronic skin irritations can happen fast in some breeds, especially short haired breeds as mentioned above (bulldogs and other breeds).

Just like humans, your dog(s) need attention to their skin, hair and nail health.  Adding supplements to their diet in addition to canine probiotics like hemp supplements, MSM or chondroitin and glucosamine can not only help with joints but also improve gut health and lower inflammation.  Some dog breeds more hair than other breeds.  These breeds have heavy and thick undercoats, so brushing daily or every other day for dogs with thicker hair like German Shepard’s, Australian Shepard’s, Siberian husky’s, and Samoyed’s).  Thicker hair and heavy undercoats are typically on working dog breeds and sled dogs (huskies).

Other reasons your dog can have allergies:

  • Fleas
  • Treats and dog food
  • Environmental issues
  • Skin bacteria or ‘gut flora’
  • Poor gut health (they probably could benefit from a Safeguard Probiotic supplement for your dog)

Treatment is often a frustrating thing for dog owners, as it is hard to pinpoint the trigger. Among the many ways to address dog skin allergy is by feeding it probiotics.

Canine symptoms of atopic dermatitis and other skin allergies

Dog skin issues caused by an allergy usually show up as rashes.  This is due to severe scratching by your dog.  Conditions vets call hot spots or also referred to as moist dermatitis are red, inflamed, and highly irrigated.  They are usually hot to the touch and can look like balding areas due to over licking and scratching.  Sometimes some vets will tell you that your dog needs a shot of an antibiotic to help the hot spot and this is usually true as they can become worse or eventually become infected in the inflamed areas.

Dogs that have atopic dermatitis tend to constantly chew, lick, scratch and even bite areas that are bothersome.  Areas can be all over the body in arm pits, groin areas, paws, ears, stomach and so on.  The areas don’t have to be dry flaking skin; some areas might be oily and irritated skin.  Your dog can also have candida or yeast issues can be on the skin as well causing itching everywhere on the skin around the entire body—this can also be a reason for wax build up in the ears and ears to be overly itchy as well. 

The itching skin can be from many different reasons.  Regardless of the root cause and if it is only genetic, dogs can always benefit from having better gut health, just like humans.  Probiotic daily chews can help reduce these issues, as well as proper grooming and diet for your canine.

Your dog can also have dermatitis from allergies, or allergic dermatitis.  This can be something that is inherited.  These dogs have more allergic reactions than other breeds. Sometimes when they are exposed to an allergen that triggers them they can have a symptom and you’ll notice when they are young.

To test your dog vets can give them injections to see if there is a response to different allergens, just like we see an allergist to understand our skin issues and what we have reactions to that can be bothersome, and sometimes deadly.

Use our Safeguard Probiotic Chews for your pup’s gut and skin health

When you give your dog a daily probiotic you are helping them for life.  They need strong immune function so they can combat any illness that comes their way.   Dogs, just like humans need a strong balance of their gut flora because when candida starts to take over SIBO and other gut issues happen and they cannot ward off infections.  Infections can become trapped in the candida and fungus overgrowth.

Having a strong stomach and intestinal track means they can also absorb nutrients property and get everything out of their foods that we are paying for. Our Safeguard Probiotics for your canine contain blueberries and other nutrients added to them so they can be multi-use beneficial probiotics that you can count on to improve your dog’s health or maintain them from the start.

It is best to use these when you adopt your dog or from the time they are puppies. If you don’t want to give your dog a probiotics daily then several times a month is best.  You can also use them directly after or during the times they need steroids, antibiotics or are ill—they will help them heal faster and feel better quickly from any kind of illnesses.