For so many pet parents, dealing with a superficial allergic reaction from dog allergies is tough enough...but when those allergy reactions increase to include chronic ear infections, secondary skin infections, or even impact organ function, it can feel overwhelming.

Rest assured it doesn't have to be!

There is so much we can do to help with your dog's allergies in the short term and a lot we can do to support your dog to be well in the long term. Let's focus on getting to the root cause and connecting the dots holistically to help your dog feel better for good.

Does your dog...

• Get ear infections
• Smell “like a dog”
• Take allergy meds
• Get allergy shots
• Butt scoot
• Need anal glands expressed?

Does your dog have...

• Tear stains
• Eye “boogers”/infections
• Runny nose
• Dry nose
• Sneezing or coughing
• IBD/colitis
• Lumps & bumps on/under your dog's skin
• Liver problems
• Kidney problems
• Heart problems
• Cancer?

If any or all of these sound familiar with your dog, know that you are not alone and we can help your dog naturally to feel better, and, even more important, to truly BE better.

(You can see the recorded live version of the learning group on this topic by clicking "watch" above, where I talk everyone through it in more detail and answer questions from dog parents with allergy dogs like you.)

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Why getting to the root of your dog's allergies early matters

If you've read my other guides, you already know how allergic reactions work in your dog's body and the importance of getting to the root cause instead of only treating the superficial symptoms. It's critical to know, and worth underscoring.

(If you missed learning what's happening physiologically in your dog's body when an allergic reaction is triggered, you can find the detailed description of it here.)

Allergy symptoms vs true cause

The symptoms triggered by allergic reactions can make your dog miserable with itchy skin, red eyes, variations of atopic dermatitis, a range of upsetting gastrointestinal signs, and more. Addressing only the symptoms merely suppresses them and drives the disease force deeper into your dog's system, increasing the root disease and inflammation and expressing it through secondary infections, and worse through the organs (kidney, liver, heart), as well as types of cancer.

For centuries, addressing the root cause to genuinely heal the person or dog has been the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The good news for our dogs is it's now being embraced by a growing number of western Integrative & Holistic Veterinary Medicine practitioners as science and experience show the connections between symptom suppression and increasing disease - AND confirming the benefits of addressing root causes holistically.

Traditional vs holistic medicine

Traditional medicine tends to focus on fixing symptoms while holistic medicine focuses on the root cause and how everything is connected naturally.

No one wants to see a dog feeling miserable, so sometimes it makes sense to use traditional meds in the short term to buy time while we address the root cause to support your dog's health in a lasting way.

With an acute allergic reaction, an antihistamine or other medication makes sense for immediate relief when there's no other option in the moment. For more ongoing allergy issues, if your vet recommends Apoquel or Cytopoint, I highly recommend researching and discussing whether necessary at all vs a natural approach, or if you feel necessary, how it can be used short-term as you address the root problem in a more healthful way.

Note: Even the best drugs have side effects. Side effects in trials for the often-prescribed Apoquel reported by third party analysis -not the manufacturer- have been serious, even fatal, for some dogs.

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What is allergy symptom progression & how can you stop it?

Symptom progression happens when the root cause is still present even though surface symptoms may have been masked or suppressed by medications. The root disease and immune imbalance progresses to deeper, more insidious issues - many on the list above.

A few examples of why you want to catch allergies and address the cause as early as possible...

• Ear infections, yeast or bacterial, are a common example of how underlying, suppressed allergic issues can progress into a more serious, hard-to-kick problem. Itching and scratching can lead to broken skin, more inflammation, and infections leading to overuse of antibiotics, a recipe for an unhealthy gut and endless cycle of infections.

• Not quite as common and an issue dog parents don't always connect with allergies is impacted or infected anal glands. Normal anal gland expression should happen naturally, an unnoticeable non-event in a healthy, non-allergic dog with proper diet. If you see your dog butt-scooting or you need to have your dog's glands expressed by your vet on a regular basis, it may be an allergy/diet-related problem.

• Dermal lumps and bumps: scabs, tabs, lipomas (fatty, benign growths), hot spots. The skin is the first line of defense for the immune system, particularly for external environmental allergens so all of these are an expression of allergic reactions progressing from initial itchiness as the immune system continues to find ways to fight off the "invader."

• Respiratory: tear stains, eye boogers, drippy/dry nose, sneeze/cough. These usually present themselves after appearing through the skin first as allergies progress. Important to make the allergy connection with these signs (or earlier) and address the actual cause of the problem before the immune system dysfunction goes even deeper.

• Organs: colon, liver, kidney, heart. Kidney problems and kidney failure are what we most often see, particularly in aging dogs, since kidneys tend to do a large amount of the work of filtering out toxins and taking the brunt of a weakened immune system. We're now seeing it in younger dogs more which is heartbreaking and unnecessary. Keeping the immune system strong and in balance relieves the extra work placed on all these major organs by the inflammation and stress brought on by a pet allergy.

• Cancer. Another diagnosis no one wants to get that's sadly on the rise among dogs. Cancer is also an issue not often thought of as relating to allergies, but it's all connected to a healthy and strong or unhealthy and worn-out immune system. Everything we do to give our dogs a strong, balanced immune foundation contributes to helping arm them against cancer.

When we understand that pet allergies are really a symptom of a weakened immune system, we can start to look at ways to strengthen and balance the immune system naturally.

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3 key ways to strengthen your dog's immune system naturally against allergies

Knowing the impact suppressing symptoms has on our dogs makes it a clear choice to find ways to protect and strengthen them against the root cause instead. But how?

We talked about three ways to support your dog in detail in previous guides in this series - here's a recap with highlights of the three major areas with things you can do to fortify your dog's immune system now and for the long-term.

#1. Rethink your dog's diet

Your dog's food, everything your dog eats and drinks, is always your first, most impactful point of control for building a healthy gut and immune system from the inside out to protect against allergies.

Whether you suspect a food allergy/sensitivity or not, giving your dog the highest quality nutrition possible is the foundation of a strong immune system that keeps your dog healthy and everything from your dog's skin to brain to joints to kidneys functioning at its best.

That means knowing which high protein sources (meats, fish) work for your dog and rotating them to avoid overuse sensitivities, feeding a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and other vital nutrients, and giving your dog the freshest, cleanest foods possible (if you're feeding kibble, there are easy ways to enhance it!)

Good to know: genes and breed play a role in which dogs are predisposed to allergies. We also know, thanks to science, that food changes gene expression. One more reason to be excited about what we can do with nutrition to make and keep our dogs well!

You can see the full, detailed guide on nutrition & food allergies/other allergies with answers and tips here. (If you have questions feel free to ask in the Community discussion or on your personalized plan, as a clinical pet nutritionist, I'm here for you and your dog!)

#2. Reduce environmental allergens affecting your dog

Unlike food where we have control, external environmental allergens especially when it comes to seasonal allergies are out there. What we can control is minimizing and mitigating exposure for our affected dogs - and reducing their presence in our own homes and on our own property.

Most environmental allergies will show up first on your dog's skin as allergic dermatitis in some form.

Try this

Note the seasonal allergens that affect your dog (or not). That means keeping an eye on things like trees, grass, pollen/spring & summer; ragweed, mold/fall; dust mites/winter & all year - avoiding or minimizing as much as possible.

When using natural remedies for seasonal allergies, remember to avoid anything with ingredients that stimulate the immune system; echinacea is the most common example - wonderful herb when you want to stimulate the immune system to prevent something. We want to BALANCE the immune system since it's already over-stimulated once an allergic reaction happens.

1. Wipe paws (& face for big sniffers) when coming in from outside. Seems like a small thing but makes a huge difference!
2. Clean house, vacuum and dust frequently. Dust mites are your big nemesis but vacuuming, dusting, washing linens & dog beds goes a long way to keep them at bay. Just make sure your cleaning supplies are natural and not introducing new allergens and developing allergies in your dog through chemicals, scents, and other toxins.
3. Check for fleas to rule them out! Flea allergy dermatitis is one of the most frustrating allergies for both you and your dog - and can be hard to spot initially. If your dog is itching, you'll want to check for fleas first to either rule that out or address it asap before they multiply and become ever harder to get rid of. (More on how to spot and treat fleas in the Fleas & Ticks Channel here.)

For more detailed information, more environmental allergens to watch for, natural remedies and suggestions, check out the dedicated guide on environmental allergies & dogs in this series here.

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#3. Balance your dog's immune system with simple add-ons

If we can keep our dogs' immune systems in balance, we are setting them up to overcome allergies and even better avoid them (and so many other diseases and issues). In addition to giving your dog the right food and managing your dog's environment, we can include a few simple additions to your dog's bowl that are easy (and almost magical) to keep your dog in balance and at his/her healthiest.

My favorite additions (as a certified clinical pet nutritionist & dog parent) to power your dog's immune system:

• A probiotic and prebiotic - to balance your dog's immune system, access nutrients in foods, and increase the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
• Digestive enzymes - to help make all the good nutrients you're giving in food accessible for your dog's body to put to use.
• Fish oil - delivers vital omega 3s. Only works for dogs if it's a fish-based source. My preference is krill oil or through foods such as oysters, sardines, etc.
• Green tea (decaf) - a splash of green tea in a dog's bowl every day has been shown to add 2-3 years to that dog's life. One of the best natural sources of quercetin, one of the most powerful anti-inflammatories.
• Raw local honey - spoonful every day during seasonal allergy season protects and "inoculates" your dog against environmental allergies.
• Mushroom Matrix Healthy Pet - my hands-down, all-around favorite supplement for giving our dogs natural prebiotics and digestive enzymes, powerful antioxidants,and key nutrients through a mix of organic medicinal mushrooms. Just add to your dog's bowl once a day.

Next up in the Allergies Channel on Dogly

For more on allergy symptoms, causes, and solutions, continue on in Dogly's Allergy Channel where you'll find multiple resources. (Including the video recording of my live learning group/Q&A series on dogs & allergies.)

Hop over to the Allergies Channel if you have any nutrition related questions for the Community discussion or start any of the step-by-step guides in Food Allergies, Itchy Allergies, and Seasonal Allergies.

And if you ever need more personalized nutrition guidance, please reach out!