Hunting games, made golden retrievers a very prominent breed during the late 1800s. The medium-sized dog, who could retrieve the prey from the water as well as land made golden retrievers favorite among many hunters. As the years passed, many breeders and people around the world learned many different qualities and personalities of this dog. This prompted the breeders to breed and develop the golden retriever bloodline and even make them compatible as family dogs.
Lord Tweedmouth created this superbly energetic and clever bloodline, that could be strong enough to bear the Scottish climate and retrieve the hunters' game even in extreme climatic condition. Due to this, golden retriever is a stronger breed that can well adapt to the extreme climatic conditions. A Golden retriever has a dense double layered coat. The inner coat keeps the body warm, while the outer coat exhibits a shiny and smooth coat, that sticks to the body. The outer coat is water resistant and comes in various shades of gold. As the breed comes with a thick coat it is susceptible to many skin problems and therefore, requires frequent brushing. Other than skin problems, there are several allergies that can severely damage the coat as well the health of this breed.
Prominent Allergies Affecting Golden Retrievers
Known as the most calm and composed breed, golden retrievers are not only prone to skin allergies but also suffer from food allergies. Flea, atopy, food and contact allergies are mainly observed in this breed. Let's take a look at how these allergies happen and cause damage to the dog.
Atopy
Golden retriever is prone to atopy, which occurs when the dog comes in contact with harmful chemicals or substances. Atopy causes itching in feet, groin and face and could become worse if left untreated. Crusting, thickening of the skin and infection are the severe symptoms of atopy. It can further cause ear infection, which could take a while to treat. Once the dog is diagnosed with atopy, antibiotics and shampooing can reduce the severity of this problem.
Flea Infection
This is among the most common allergies that dogs with long and thick coats suffer from. Fleas are present in the environment we live in. Dogs are common victims to fleas because these parasites have a firm grip to hold on to the dog's skin. Flea bites can create tremendous amount of discomfort to the dog and can cause physical and mental instability. The common areas where the fleas reside on the dogs body are back, lower back and, upper thighs, hind legs and their belly. Dogs with flea will experience redness, swelling and itching. If the problem is not treated immediately it could get worse and cause more clinical complications. Golden retrievers can even show the signs of alopecia, papules, pruritus and dermatitis. Hair loss, skin erosion due to excessive scratching, dark skin, reddish skin and hot spots are other common symptoms of this problem. The only way of prevention is to frequently comb the coat of the dog and detect the slightest sign of fleas.
Food Sensitivity
Food provides energy and keeps the body fit and healthy. However, it can also cause certain allergies in dogs. Therefore, the owner must be careful while feeding the dog. Foods such as poultry products, wheat, lamb, soy, dairy products can cause food allergies for breed like golden retrievers.
Skin Sensitivity
Allergies such as atopy and fleas, can cause great amount of hair loss if left untreated. This makes the dog's skin very sensitive and pale. Even a slight touch can cause pain and burning sensation. Due to hair loss, dogs lose their coat hair and become prone to contact allergy. This condition affects areas such as belly, paws and underarms. As the bare skin comes in contact with chemicals, it causes itching and burning and makes the dog weak.
These allergies can be prevented through proper grooming and keeping the environment clean. A dog's coat is an important body part, which must be well maintained. It protects the skin and is one of the distinctive features of the dog.