Allergies in pets are very, very common. In fact, they’re one of the top reasons for vet appointments. The itching, the scratching, the hair loss…
And often, when we talk about allergies, we talk mainly about solutions.
But what about the actual cause? Can knowing what causes allergies actually help reduce them or their severity for your adored beast?
You bet it can! In fact, getting ahead of allergies – and trying to prevent them – is the best thing you can do!
What Causes Allergies in Pets?
Normally, the immune system protects your pet against infection and disease – that’s its job! And it does this by reacting to harmful substances like viruses or unfriendly bacteria. Essentially, the immune system sees a threat, says, “whoa, what’s this “thing” coming into our body, causing trouble,” and reacts appropriately.
This reaction involves the release of mast cells that then release histamine, and this causes the body to react. That histamine is part of what causes the reactive/allergic/trauma response to something like a bee sting, hives, etc. It’s the body’s defence against foreign proteins in the blood.
However, when your pet shows allergy symptoms, this is a result of over-reactivity or hypersensitivity of the immune system to a particular substance (called an allergen). It’s that normal “protection,” only it’s to a benign foreign substance, rather than something harmful.
Usually that benign foreign substance is an insect, a plant, or an animal protein. Common allergens include pollens, mold spores, dust mites, insect proteins such as flea saliva, different foods, and some medications.
Normally, these substances shouldn’t cause a problem for an animal. But when a sensitivity exists and the immune system isn’t functioning in tip-top shape, it can’t always distinguish between bad and good…
The Link Between Allergies and Gut Health
The majority of your pet’s immune system is in the gut. And ideally, a healthy gut helps to keep unwanted allergens from entering the bloodstream.
For example, if your dog is reactive to pollen, and licks their paws, you want the gut to be able to contain that pollen and excrete it. If the gut is unhealthy, and your dog ingests that pollen, it can leak into the bloodstream, causing a major reaction. That means, if the gut isn’t healthy, the immune system can’t be either.
And, the thing is, many of these allergies actually damage the gut lining, which can lead to leaky gut. (That’s when foreign substances, toxins, food particles, etc., leak through the mucosal lining of the gut and into the bloodstream.)
In a perfect world, you want to somehow grab onto those allergens and kick them out of the body before they get into the gut and cause problems, AKA allergies…
A perfect world… or a world one with SBI!!
SBI for Allergies in Pets
SBI stands for serum-derived bovine immunoglobulin (SBI). It’s a bovine plasma isolate that contains the highest concentration of naturally sourced immunoglobulins available.
Immunoglobulins are antibodies present in the body that latch onto invaders (bacteria, viruses, toxins, allergens, etc.), preventing them from entering cells, and then the body eliminates them.
These invaders are the things we mentioned above that do real damage to the gut. And since antigens damage the gut lining, and SBI binds to antigens, carrying them out of the body before they can do damage, it helps to maintain the integrity of the gut lining!
So, in a nutshell, if you stop the harmful invaders from causing trauma to the gut, the gut (and immune system) can better stop the allergens from causing a reaction.
Plus – and this is key – SBI is non-systemic, so it doesn’t encourage the production of immunoglobulins, since that can cause the immune system to become overreactive. Instead, it gives them to the body to use when needed.
Bam! Talk about an anti-allergy double whammy!
[RELATED] Supporting Your Dog’s Liver (+ a Surprising Link to Allergies!)
Other Ways to Support the Gut
There are also several other ways to support the gut (and the rest of the body) to help get allergies in pets under control.
To create a healthy environment in the body:
- bring on the pre- and probiotics
- opt for fresh food
- avoid harsh antibiotics and drugs when you can
- reduce stress
- address leaky gut syndrome
- work on supporting the detox organs
- optimize health with omega-3s
We never want our animals to be uncomfortable, and since allergies in pets are so common, we want to do everything we can to get ahead of them.
Protecting the immune system by protecting the gut plays a huge role in giving the body a chance to better stop allergies from starting. And in our books, that’s always a win!
