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Our cherished four-legged friends, and dogs, provide our lives with happiness, amusement, and countless tail-wagging moments. As responsible pet owners, we try to give our pets a secure and cozy environment. But have you ever thought about how seemingly safe household items affect their health?
We will talk about something today that might surprise you: can dogs be allergic to laundry detergent? Unanimously, the response is yes! The chemicals and perfumes in ordinary laundry detergents can cause harmful reactions in our beloved pets. Join us as we examine the warning signs, symptoms, and cures to guarantee your dog leads a contented, scratch-free life.
Definition Of Laundry Detergent Allergy
Laundry detergent allergies are brought on by the immune system’s too-aggressive reaction to a particular detergent protein. For our canine friends, allergies to laundry detergent can be unattractive, painful, and challenging to diagnose.
There are many different kinds of laundry detergent, so trying a different category may help your pet feel better if one type is upsetting them. A definitive diagnosis and treatment plan should be sought from your veterinarian, as many dog allergies have similar symptoms. Your dog may experience persistent skin and ear infections and itchy, inflamed skin due to allergies to the ingredients in your laundry detergent.
Reasons For Pet Allergies In Detergents
Animals can develop allergies to almost anything, just like people can. While specific, more frequent allergens can be discovered in the detergents used by your neighbourhood laundromat, virtually any component could be to blame for your pet’s allergies. In some cases, changing from powdered to liquid detergent alone will alter the chemicals sufficiently to eliminate sensitivities.
One of the cleaning enzymes employed by a laundry dry cleaning firm may cause an allergic reaction in your dog. Although there is a modest increase in danger with synthetic cleansers, this is still a possibility whether detergents are made with natural enzymes or synthetic cleansers. The risk of allergens can be decreased by employing organic dry cleaning services, but a pet with uncommon allergies may still react to their detergents.
Pets may still experience adverse reactions to the scents or colours used in professional laundry services, even if the cleaners handling the detergents are not allergic to them. You can ask your laundry service to use detergent free of scents and dyes in those circumstances.
The following detergent ingredients include those that may cause allergies:
- Dyes And Colours
- The Chemicals
- Emulsifiers
- Parabens
- Textile Softeners
- Solvents And Thickeners
- Parabens
- Fragrances
Symptoms Of Allergies With Laundry Detergent
Your pet’s immune system reacting to specific proteins in your detergent causes allergies or irritations. When exposed to the protein, your pet produces histamine, which can be synthetic or naturally occurring. Histamine has an inflammatory effect.
If you observe your pet exhibiting these symptoms, consult your veterinarian for a precise diagnosis and treatment strategy because pet allergies are a prevalent problem.
Some typical signs include:
- Skin Itch
- Rub Your Face And Eyes
- Coughing And Sneezing
- Bald Patches Or Hair Loss
- Infections Or Skin Rashes
- Hives, Pimples, Or Blisters On The Skin
- Swollen Feet
- A Lot Of Licking Of The Injured, Bodily Parts
- Head-Shaking
- Biting Paw
- Lesions
- Infected Ears
- Skin Abrasions And Wounds
Treatment For Dogs With Laundry Detergent Allergies
While antihistamines are typically successful in humans, they barely work for 20–30% of dogs and are prone to losing their potency with time. Hydrocortisone-infused salves and shampoos can ease itchy skin, but you should take precautions to prevent your pet from licking the treatment off. If topical hydrocortisone or antihistamines cannot treat allergy symptoms, corticosteroid injections or oral pills may be required.
Although the adverse effects of these drugs can be concerning, they are typically quite successful in relieving allergy symptoms. To prevent major problems like diabetes and liver malfunction caused by long-term adverse effects, it may be necessary to check blood chemistry levels concurrently. The lowest effective corticosteroid dose should always be used because these changes are frequently dose-dependent.
Injected immunotherapy is another treatment option for animals with uncontrollable or severe allergic reactions to various detergents, mainly when the reactions last for at least four to six months a year and are unresponsive to antihistamines. Sublingual immunotherapy has made strides, and recent trials are encouraging, but this alternative is not yet widely accessible.
Suitable Laundry Detergents For Pets
If you have a pet at home, these should be noted while buying detergent, as pets are susceptible. You must follow the following terms while buying detergent:
Artificial Fragrances
Experts estimate that dogs’ nostrils may include 300 million receptors. What a fantastic sense of smell! Therefore, the fragrances in your washing products may result in allergic bronchitis. Artificial perfumes can also cause allergies in pets.
Note: Sneaky, sneaky! Fragrances can appear on ingredient lists as an unnamed or perfume. By the way, the term unscented just implies that there isn’t any discernible scent; it doesn’t imply that fragrance ingredients aren’t present.
Dye-Containing Detergents
Your laundry soap now has an artistic element thanks to dyes. Because of this, many liquid detergents and detergent pods come in blue, pink, purple, and green hues.
But if artificial colourants can cause allergies in people, what about our pets? Their skin is up to ten times more fragile and thinner than ours!
Note: Dyes are identified on labels as the colourant, by their brand name, or as a mixture of letters and numbers as CI 42051, CI 50325, CI 61102, etc.
Items Containing SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate)
SLS is known for causing contact dermatitis, which it accomplishes by removing natural oils. This can cause dry, cracked, or itchy skin on both you and your cat. Additionally, since the skin is the body’s most significant organ, SLS and other chemical irritants can make your pet’s life unpleasant.
Note: They are listed on the label either by chemical name or, more kindly, as surfactants. Additionally, keep an eye out for polyethene glycol (or PEG compounds) and its “milder” relative sodium lauryl sulfate (SLES) in the ingredient list.
Pet-Friendly Household Detergent
The following detergent can be used easily as they are pet friendly:
Seventh Generation
Additionally, this business sells dishwashers and laundry detergent that is safe for pets. The Free & Clear line from Seventh Generation, a reputable “green” company, lacks harsh chemicals and additives. The hypoallergenic cleaning products developed by Seventh Generation contain triple enzymes and plant components. Even Kosher items are made by them. Additionally, they provide cleaning wipes, dryer sheets, and non-toxic fabric softeners.
Common Good
These laundry and dishwashing products contain plant enzymes that dissolve lipids and break down starches. Children, pets, and the environment are all safe around them. Common Good detergents are entirely biodegradable, hypoallergenic, and free of harsh chemicals, synthetic perfumes, or brighteners. They also provide reusable, eco-friendly packaging.
Dropps
Dropps is among the most excellent solutions available regarding detergent safe for pets. They use plant-based chemicals and don’t add colour dyes to their laundry and dishwasher detergents. They are PETA-approved, meaning they don’t use animals in their tests, and the EPA honoured them as the 2017 EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year.
FAQ
Does My Dog Have A Detergent Allergy?
The face, crotch, under the front legs, and between the toes are common areas where skin reactions are concentrated. Contact with freshly cleaned bedding, dog bags, or your clothing can result in allergic responses to washing detergent.
Can Laundry Detergent Impact Dogs?
Your dog may develop recurrent skin and ear infections due to allergies to the chemicals in your laundry detergent, which can also make their skin itchy and inflamed. Certain compounds, particularly laundry detergents, could also be dangerous if your pet chews on their blankets.
Which Pet Allergy Is The Most Prevalent?
Proteins derived from dairy, beef, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, or wheat gluten are dogs’ most typical food allergies. When a pet consumes food containing these ingredients, the antibodies interact with the antigens and cause symptoms.
What Signs Would Indicate An Allergy To Laundry Detergent?
If you are allergic to your laundry detergent, you can suffer various symptoms, such as itching, redness, rash, hives, swelling, sneezing, coughing, or wheezing. These symptoms may manifest immediately after exposure or hours later, and their severity can vary.
Which Detergents Are Harmful To Dogs?
Shampoos, dish soap, and dishwashing detergents are examples of anionic detergents. Disinfectants, fabric softeners, and sanitising agents are all examples of cationic detergents. Shampoos, dishwashing detergents, and laundry detergents are examples of nonionic detergents.
Conclusion
Ultimately, our canine pals can have an allergy to laundry detergent. While we might not give the cleaning supplies we use for our clothes much thought, it is essential to consider how they will affect the health of our pets. When exposed to some laundry detergents, dogs may get skin irritations, itching, rashes, and even respiratory problems.
We must emphasise our pets’ well-being as responsible pet owners and choose hypoallergenic or natural detergents devoid of harsh chemicals and smells. This change guarantees our devoted companions live happier, healthier, and itch-free lives. Remember that taking more care can save our dear friends from unnecessarily suffering.