Seasonal Allergies and Giveaway

Hey, Buddy here with a PSA and a giveaway.  Don't let the post title fool you.  I'm not giving away seasonal allergies. But one lucky reader will win something invaluable for this time of year when we furries are shedding heavily and cats are prone to hurling furballs more than usual- a FURminator.

You might remember this photo of me protesting Jan making me wear a lampshade / bullhorn on my head.  

Or this more recent one.

Yes, I suffer from allergies and when they flare, I am prone to licking and chewing myself raw.  Jan swears I am allergic to myself but how could anyone be allergic to this handsome .... well, I am handsome when I'm not dressed like a party pooper.  More likely, I'm allergic to Jan

Seriously, this has been a bad year for humans and pets with allergies and we've been asked to help raise awareness of seasonal allergies in pets, so I was elected spokesdog because I know firsthand how an allergic reaction can affect the skin of a cat or dog (allergic dermatitis).  We furries can be allergic to just about anything: pollen, dust mites, fleas, household chemicals, mold, animal or human dander, tobacco smoke ....    Jam was quite surprised to find cotton and wool fabrics on the list.  She was aware of wool but  ... cotton?  She hopes I'm not allergic to it.  (Not as much as I do since Jan likes cotton!)  Check out the interesting facts on the pet allergy infograph.

Is your pet scratching, licking, chewing on his paws more than you consider normal, perhaps he has red skin, recurrent skin infections, or is losing hair, and you suspect he has an allergy?  Cat and dog symptoms vary.  You can take this simple vet-created 1 minute quiz at itchfreepet.com (one quiz for cats and one for dogs) to determine whether your pet might be at risk for atopical dermatitis and needs to visit the vet for testing.

The rules for our FURminator giveaway are simple.  To enter, just leave a comment stating you'd like to enter and whether or not your pet has seasonal allergies.

We know that some of you have a pet that has been diagnosed with and is being treated for allergies. And just as many of you, Jan prefers to avoid steroids and drugs for all of us as much as  possible. So feel free to include in your comment what works for your pet.

You can enter this giveaway till midnight EDT Friday. We will use random.com to choose a winner and post the name on Monday, May 20.  We're sorry, but the giveaway is limited to residents of the US and Canada. 

We are not being paid for this post but Novartis' Atopica has provided the quiz and is sponsoring the FURminator giveaway for the primary reason to raise awareness of the issue that pets can have allergies just like people, and many owners don't know the signs.