Maltipoo Allergies - Causes and Solutions
If your maltipoo is itching uncontrollably, you might want to consider checking to see if they are having an allergic reaction. Allergies are probably the biggest nightmare for most maltipoo owners, but the worst part is when you can’t figure out what the cause is, as a lot of the symptoms are similar for the different causes.
In this article, we’ll be showing you a list of causes for Maltipoo allergies and we hope to help you find the cause of your problem and some quick and long term solutions.
Types of Allergies
Dogs are usually allergic to multiple types of allergen, like pollen, perfumes, metal etc. Crossbreds are more prone to allergies than pure breeds. There is a high chance that your Maltipoo is allergic to some things. Here is a list of the most common types of allergies.
Food Allergies:
This would be anything in the food that they eat. This includes synthetic preservatives, added in by companies to save money. There’s Artificial ingredients, Fillers (used to bulk up food) soy, corn, wheat, some grains, eggs, meat by products, and it’s uncommon, but even some proteins can be a trigger.
Some foods that would be better to feed your Maltipoo would be natural unprocessed protein (lamb, chicken, fish, beef, and turkey). It’s important to make sure you get the unprocessed kind, as many processing methods destroy the protein.
Carbohydrates are one of the most important ingredients in your Maltipoos diet. But you need to be careful as some Maltipoos stomachs have a hard time digesting some of the common carbs, like corn and soy. Look for ones like brown rice and sweet potatoes.
Fats, every maltipoo needs some good fats, they help your puppy keep a nice, shiny, and healthy coat. Fish oils are one of the best ingredients for a healthy coat.
You want to make sure your dog is fed quality dog food that includes all the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
2. Contact Allergies:
Contact allergies are one of the less common allergies but it is always a possibility. This would be something that a dog comes into physical contact with. Plastic bowls is a big one, certain fabrics (like carpet) also can be a cause for allergies
Other triggers would include lawn care chemicals, carpet cleaning solutions, cheap shampoo and other grooming products, toys, and laundry detergent.
3. Inhaled (Environmental/Seasonal) Allergies:
There are many things your Mlatipoo may be breathing in that is causing them to have an allergic reaction.
Common seasonal dog allergens
Pollen
Grass
Weeds
Mold
Fungi
Flea Saliva
Allergy Symptoms to Watch For
Symptoms can be a little confusing because a Maltipoo could have some of them, one of them, ones that change throughout the year, or even all of them. All maltipoos can get allergies, but if their immune system isn’t as strong, they are more likely to have allergies.
Itchy Skin: This is the number one sign that something is causing an allergic reaction from you Maltipoo. Although, it could be shown in different ways, like licking or chewing at the paws, scratching at parts of their body, or rubbing against surfaces.
Skin Reactions: This is another common sign which includes hot spots (specific areas on body are red, irritated, and sometimes moist; hair may also be thinning or balding over these spots), they might have a rash, or excessive dryness.
Coat Issues: This one isn’t as common but it usually occurs when there has been a problem with the skin for a while. This would be things like thinning hair, bald spots, or poor coat textures.
Respiratory Issues: This is also uncommon but it does happen, it would be stuff like coughing, wheezing, sneezing, congestion, runny nose, teary eyes, and exercise intolerance.
Gastrointestinal Distress: This symptom is not a sign of seasonal (inhaled) or contact allergies, but it is a sign of food allergies. This would be things like upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea
Other Signs: Teary eyes, red/bloodshot eyes, repeat ear infections.
Diagnosing and Treatment
Even Though it’s always nice to be able to help your Maltipoo at home there are a few reasons why going to the vet is needed.
Diagnosing: Sometimes other issues can mimic allergy symptoms or even it can get confusing deciding which allergies are linked to what as they can have many at a time. So seeing the vet is always a good idea. It can also be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the allergic reaction.
There are two ways a vet could test to see if your Maltipoo has allergies. The first way is blood testing, it’s often done with the ELISA test, which tests the bloodstream for anti-allergens. This has a few cons though, it is more accurate with airborne allergens rather than food or contact allergies, even then, it can have some false positives because the test was created for humans and not dogs.
The second option is intradermal skin testing. For this one the dog needs to be sedated. A section of the coat is shaved down to expose skin, then tiny pinpricks of common allergies are tested, if there is a reaction, this shows that the puppy is allergic to it.
Treatment - if your Maltipoo is having severe allergic reactions, they may need to take medication to help calm down the itchiness or runny eyes or any other symptoms that may be bothering them.
You can also consider getting allergy shots which would help long term, but you might want to give this some thought before making your decision. Like how you want to give them, or if it is needed. First, make sure your Maltipoo does really have this allergy, then they would get a series of shots. In some cases medication can be given orally, which would be a long term process.
Resolving Maltipoo Allergies
The first thing you want to do is make sure that there are no more triggers that could cause them to have a reaction. Even if you don’t take your puppy to the vet, this is one way to make a big difference.
The number one thing you should check first is their food and snacks, you want to check and see what it is made of and make sure it has no preservatives, dyes, or anything like wheat, grain, soy, or corn.
If you have eliminated these and they are still having a reaction, there is a possibility that they could be allergic to certain proteins. It is very rare, but they can be allergic to chicken or turkey (both are usually extremely well tolerated by most dogs), fish, lamb, beef, rabbit, bison, or any other meat.
But, when you make any changes just remember that it can take a dogs’ body a long time to clear out the food allergies, so you might have to wait about 12 weeks to see changes in the symptoms. You can use sprays and shampoos to help with the symptoms until then.
You also might want to make changes to get rid of the allergens around your house. You’ll want to get rid of any old beds that aren’t being used. Replace pillows that don’t have any protectors. Vacuum your entire house, the floors, couches, pillows. Just vacuuming won’t get rid of all of the dust mites and pollen so sprinkling baking soda on everything and letting it sit for about 15 minutes before vacuuming can help to neutralize them.
Dusting all of the surfaces in your home and getting an air filter will help a lot too. Wash anything that can be with hot water (dog bed cover, clothing, throw rugs, etc.) set your washer temperature to at least 130 F to kill the dust mites.
Once you’ve cleaned your house, keep windows and doors closed, and don’t let anyone walk around with shoes, keep them at the door.
Maltipoos usually aren’t very allergic to a lot of things, but if you do see any of these symptoms, you might want to look into it and find the root cause and get rid of it. If it does ever get severe, the best option is to contact a vet. Allergies can actually be very harmful for your little friend so be sure to watch out for any of these symptoms. But if your puppy is itching or anything else and it doesn’t seem to be from any allergies, it could be other things and you can read more about that in this article: Helping Your Maltipoo with Itching Issues.