It’s another beautiful day, and Spring seems to have come early for us in North Vancouver. With Spring comes allergies and for many pet owners, this is nothing new to them. But, did you know your dog can have seasonal allergies as well? Many of the symptoms are also common to humans, but some are not as obvious. Find out here about common dog allergies, and how to help your dog if she has an allergic reaction.
Symptoms To Look For
Many symptoms that your dog might exhibit if she has an allergic reaction are quite common to humans:
- Sneezing repeatedly
- Non-stop scratching or chewing: in our house we call it the “Carpet Swimming” where our dog is lying on her back, twisting back and forth
- Constant licking
Some not so obvious symptoms might be hiding and should be part of your dog’s grooming process to check:
- Swelling: can be any part of face, ears, lips, eyelid or ear flaps
- Inflamed skin that is red and warm to touch: this can be under and inside the ears and especially on the paw pads
- Runny eyes that is constantly tearing up
- Chronic ear infections
- Scooting bum: this may look funny, but it’s a sign that something needs to be checked out!
- Upsetting digestive or tummy issues causing vomiting or diarrhea
Causes
Just like humans, one day you have an exhilarating hike on one of our beautiful North Shore mountains without issues, and the next day you’re rubbing your eyes and sneezing without warning. Some of the most common causes include:
- Nature: flowers, grass, and weed pollens
- Dust and house dust mites
- Dander (yep, your dog can be allergic to fur)
- Food ingredients
- Flea saliva
- Perfumes, cleaning products, and certain fabrics
Prevention
There are some things that as a pet owner you can do to prevent an allergic reaction for your dog and should be part of your dog’s health and well-being regime.
Wipe ‘em paws!
Outside is gross. Really gross, but our dogs love it so we take them out in all kinds of weather and that means they come home with mud, grass, bugs and the chemical-laden de-icing salts and fertilizer. By washing your dog’s paws after they’ve been outside will reduce all that yucky stuff from getting stuck in their paws and them licking it.
Use Natural, Earth-friendly and chemical free products
Try to find a hypoallergenic shampoo for your dog and give them a good bath once a month. Also, do stick to chemical-free cleaning products and laundry detergents.
You are what you eat
And the same goes for your dog. Visit your local pet store that carries raw or limited ingredient pet food and treats and ask them what you can do to address any food allergies your dog may have. Make sure to also check with your vet on any dietary changes.
Treatment
Some of the symptoms listed above can have a more serious underlying cause and may require more immediate veterinarian diagnosis. Depending on what your dog is allergic to the treatment varies from prescribing medication to food elimination to performing a very complicated allergy test.
If you notice your dog has any of the above symptoms, make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out any other condition that can be causing it so you can focus on an appropriate treatment plan to help your dog get some relief!
Happy Tails, always.
Fontaine