What Are Common Animal Or Pet Allergy Symptoms
Cat, dog, and other animal allergens can land on the membranes that line the eyes and nose. You can also breathe in pet allergens into your airways. Animal allergy symptoms can include:
- Swelling and itching of the eyes and nose
- Stuffy nose
- Other: sleep disruption, fatigue, itchiness of roof of mouth and throat, irritability
It is common to get itchy eyes after petting an animal and then touching your eyes. A pet scratch or lick on your skin can cause the area to become red and itchy. You may get hives. Pet allergy can trigger an asthma attack if you also have asthma.
People with pet allergies have different levels of sensitivity to pet allergens. Some people have very minor symptoms, while other people have severe symptoms. If allergen levels are low, symptoms may not appear until after several days of contact with the pet.
Animal allergens can get into the air. Many airborne allergens are small enough to get into your lungs. For some people, this exposure can make it very hard to breathe. An asthma episode can begin within 15 to 30 minutes of inhaling allergens. Learn more about allergic asthma.
Color Or Texture Changes
Changes in a dog’s skin color or coat texture can be a warning sign of several common metabolic or hormone problems. They can also result from an infection or other skin disorder. Usually a simple blood test can identify the underlying cause. Be sure to ask your veterinarian about any significant changes to your dogâs coat.
Is Your Dog Having An Allergic Reaction Watch Out For These Warning Signs
Pollen, chemical fumes, insect bites, and certain types of food are all common allergens in humans. Symptoms range from mild annoyances, such as itchy, watery eyes, to life-threatening anaphylaxis. For the most part, its easy to tell when a fellow human is suffering from an allergic reaction. But what about a dogs allergic reaction? They might not be as immediately recognizable as your seasonal allergies, but there are signs to keep an eye out for if you suspect your dog has allergies. Well tell you what to look for, what you can do to help, and give you a general idea of how long your precious pooch will have to deal with the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
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What Is Inhalant Allergy And How Is It Treated
The term inhalant allergy in the dog is often used as a synonym for atopy. The main inhalant allergens are tree pollens , grass pollens, weed pollens , molds, mildew, and house dust mites. Many of these allergies occur seasonally, such as ragweed, cedar, and grass pollens. However, others such as molds, mildew, and house dust mites occur year-round. When humans inhale these allergens, the resulting allergy primarily manifests with upper respiratory signs: runny eyes, runny nose, and sneezing . Although sometimes the symptoms of allergies include allergic rhinitis or bronchitis, in most dogs, inhalant allergy manifests with itchy skin . Due to these clinical signs, the condition is also called inhalant allergic dermatitis. The dog may rub its face, lick its feet and scratch the axillae .
“Symptoms of atopy can be controlled but a permanent cure is not usually possible.”
Most dogs that have inhalant allergy start showing signs between one and three years of age. Affected dogs will often react to several allergens and often experience concurrent flea or food allergies. If the offending allergens can be identified by intradermal skin tests or blood tests, the dog should be protected from exposure to them as much as possible. Because most of these allergens are environmental, this is difficult and recurrent bouts are likely. Symptoms of atopy can be controlled but a permanent cure is not usually possible.
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The Four Keys to ID. Northern Harriers are slender, medium-sized raptors with long, fairly broad wings and a long, rounded tail.
They have a flat, owl-like face and a small, sharply hooked bill.
Harriers often fly with their wings held in a dihedral, or V-shape above the horizontal.
- The appearance of a Huskydoodle can vary and it highly depends on its parents and their heritage. They commonly have thick double layers of hair, giving them a fluffy, shaggy appearance the more Poodle genetics a Huskydoodle has the more curly, non shedding, and hypoallergenic the dog will be.
- The Jagdterrier has a long but not too narrow head with a fiery facial expression. The muzzle is strong, elongated and ends in muscular and punishing jaws. The oval-shaped eyes are small and dark. The V-shaped ears are semi-dropped and set high. He also has a long neck that gets wider as it reaches the shoulders.
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- The Chorkie can be a tall, leggy dog or have shorter legs with a light colored, medium-length, fluffy coat and prominent eyebrows. They can be any color grey, white, brown, black, tan and even red. Most Chorkies change color from black and brown as a pup to gray and brown or red with some graying around the muzzle that increases with age.
- With a characteristic lovable, expressive face, the chug dogs have almond-shaped eyes, medium-length ears folding at the peak, and a short, blunt muzzle. Although their heights vary, the chugs are generally small.
What To Look Out For In Different Types Of Allergies:
Life would be so much simpler if there was one single allergy symptom that we could point to and go, yep, thats definitely an allergy! Unfortunately, life is never that easy. Allergens can be inhaled ormore commonly with petsabsorbed through the skin or gastrointestinal tract. Either way, symptoms manifest in a few different ways. If youre beginning to see suspicious signs, you can begin to narrow down the possibilities into a few broad allergy categories.
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Your Dog Has Chronic Ear Infections
Relatedly, many dogs with allergies will experience ear infections that recur frequently or never seem to fully go away. As with the feet, this problem is often caused first by the allergies.
The allergies break down the healthy skin barrier, then opportunistic bacteria or yeast create an infection, which all further contributes to the itch .
Dogs that have gone years with allergies that are either undiagnosed or undertreated will often have ears that are raw, smelly and thickened.
In severe cases, ear infections may become so resistant to treatment that surgery to remove the ear canal may be required. To avoid this situation, it is important to have your dog examined by your veterinarian as soon as you suspect that your dog may have allergies or ear infections.
What Is My Dog Allergic To
Not all dogs with allergies have the same condition. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and they may affect several areas of the body.
There are many different types of allergens your dog can be sensitive to. Some dogs may have just one type of allergy, while others may suffer from multiple allergies.
Below are common types of dog allergies.
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Diagnosing Hives In Dogs
Diagnosing hives in dogs is relatively straightforward. Diagnosing their underlying cause, however, is not.
Once your veterinarian has identified hives on your dog, he or she will give your dog a physical examination to check for other symptoms as well as any further signs of allergic reactions. As long as there is no risk of anaphylactic shock, your veterinarian will most likely then ask you for a history of your dogs diet, changes in medications, and any relevant recent activities. Your veterinarian may recommend pursuing several different courses of action depending on these findings.
Allergy testing may be necessary in some cases, especially in cases of chronic urticaria. If food allergies are suspected, your veterinarian may also suggest an elimination diet to determine the cause.
Chemical irritants and plant irritants may be difficult to identify. However, most plant irritants resolve on their own without causing any lasting problems.
In many cases, however, your veterinarian may not be able to identify the underlying cause.
Changing Diet Can Help
These small symptoms can add up to largely indicate an unaddressed allergy. Consider switching from a processed kibble to a raw or home-cooked diet. This reduces the amount of additives, grains, and artificial components in your dogs diet.
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But remember: going raw does not guarantee allergy-free. If your dog is allergic to sweet potatoes and peanut butter, no amount of witch hazel in the world will solve these problems if hes getting sweet potatoes and peanut butter daily. See the chart below for a list of common allergens that you may be feeding your dog.
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Are There Hypoallergenic Pets
All dogs and cats can cause allergy symptoms. People with dog or cat allergies may tolerate some breeds more than others. People may think those breeds are hypoallergenic, but a truly non-allergic dog or cat does not exist.
You can be allergic to the animals skin cells, urine, and/or saliva. These have different proteins your immune system may react to. Research is looking into if there is a way to change the proteins so that they dont trigger symptoms.
When choosing a pet, consider fostering one first to see if you have an allergic reaction. Another option is to choose pets that do not have fur or feathers. Fish, snakes, or turtles are some good choices.
Treating And Preventing Your Pets Allergies
Once weve determined what your pet is allergic to, its important to avoid those substances when possible. Some allergenslike dustare more difficult to avoid than others, but there are ways you can help to minimize your pets exposure.
For example, some pets with environmental allergies might benefit from bathing once per week. Bathing this often can strip your pets skin of its natural oils, though, so be sure to ask us about shampoos that will help to moisturize your pets skin.
Additionally, you should attempt to keep your pets environment as clean as possible to minimize exposure to potential allergens. Clean bedding, curtains, and flooring often.
All pets, but especially those that struggle with flea allergies, should be given a year-round flea preventive medication.
Dogs and cats with more severe allergies might also benefit from:
- Antihistamines
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Can Dogs Have Eczema
Yes, dogs can get eczema however, its a lesser-used term in the veterinary community. There are two types of eczema in dogs: wet and dry eczema. You can find both types in dogs with skin allergies.
Wet eczema is just another term for a hot spot . Dry eczema is simply another term for allergic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis when the skin is itchy, dry, and flaky.
Signs Your Pet Has Seasonal Allergies And What You Can Do To Help
Some days it seems like you step outside into a thick cloud of pollen, ragweed, or even worse, mold. Hello, seasonal allergies!
Thankfully humans have remedies that let us enjoy the outdoors without itchy eyes and inflamed sinuses. But what about your pet? If you notice your pet is scratching themselves, sneezing more than normal, licking their paws, or shedding worse than before, they too could be suffering from seasonal allergies.
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How To Treat Allergies
Treatment plans vary depending on the allergy, but they usually involve medication, managing the environment to remove the allergen, or both. Not every dog will need all these measures, so talk with your vet once you know what your dog is allergic to.
Here are a few common ways to deal with dog allergies:
Food Allergies In Dogs
Food allergies are not nearly as common in dogs as most pet parents think they are in fact, food allergies only account for 10% of allergy-afflicted pets.
However, its still important to consider food allergies when figuring out whats causing your dogs symptoms. Your pup may be have an allergic reaction to just one ingredient, or several and new food allergies can develop over time. This is similar to humans who are allergic to peanuts or shellfish theres nothing inherently wrong with the foods, its just that some individuals develop an allergy.
Common food allergens include proteins found in beef, lamb, chicken, soy, or wheat.
Dog food allergy symptoms often show up as digestive problems, but they also commonly cause skin issues that mimic environmental allergens.
Its also important to note your pet may have symptoms due to a food intolerance. This is different from a true allergy because the immune system is not involved, so some allergy treatments wont work for food intolerance. Instead, difficulty digesting or processing a certain ingredient may be to blame.
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When Do Allergies Start In Dogs
Allergies can develop as early as 8 months to a year, but you seldom see allergies in puppies or really young dogs. Thats because hypersensitive reactions happen when a dog is repeatedly exposed to the same allergen.
A reaction isnt just a random occurrence. Older pets have more exposure, so theyre more likely to experience that type of pollen. Theyve had 5 or 8 seasons of ragweed under their proverbial belt.
So, the first time a reaction happens to that ragweed, for instance, the body responds with sneezing, redness, histamine release, but thats the bodys normal sensitivity reaction.
When repeatedly exposed to that allergen, though, that sensitivity reaction becomes more exaggerated and extreme till we see it as the hypersensitivity reaction.
But theres wide variability in that spectrum, too. From the time it happens to when we start to notice theyre miserable.
Can Dogs Develop Skin Allergies Over Time
Yes, its very common for dogs to develop an allergy or insensitivity as they get older. This often makes determining the cause all the more complicated. For example, your dog could have spent years eating the same dog food without any issues. But over time, she may develop an insensitivity to one or more of the ingredients.
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What Causes Skin Allergies In Dogs
A skin allergy, often called allergic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis, is a chronic itchy skin condition that can affect any dog. When dogs have this condition, they experience an allergic reaction to one of these general causes:
- Inhaling or having direct skin contact with environmental allergens
- Ingesting a substance to which they have an insensitivity
- Flea bites
- Allergic reaction to normal bacterial flora on the skin
When My Dog’s Allergies Are Bad He/she Seems To Have A Terrible Smell Is This Normal
When allergies occur, the skin produces more sebum, which is an oily material that causes a musty odor. Once the itching and scratching are controlled, the odor and seborrhea also clear up.
Another cause of odor is infection. Yeast and bacterial infections in the skin and ears can produce an unpleasant odor and are very common in animals with atopy.
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How Are Seasonal Allergies In Dogs Diagnosed
Your vet can tell you for sure if your dog is experiencing seasonal allergies or something else, based upon your pet’s history, a physical exam, laboratory tests and their response to therapy. You can also take your dog to a dermatologist for skin testing another accurate method for diagnosing seasonal allergies.
Skin testing is usually performed by a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, who measures your pet’s reaction to microdoses of different allergens to determine exactly which they’re allergic to. Using this information, they can make a serum for allergy shots that may make your dog’s response to allergens less intense over time.
Blood testing is another route to consider, although skin testing is considered the more accurate approach.
Diagnosing Your Pets Allergies
If your pet is showing signs of a possible allergic reaction, . To diagnose your pets condition and determine the specific allergen, well conduct a thorough exam, including any appropriate blood or skin tests.
If we suspect your pet is allergic to a food ingredient, well recommend an elimination diet to determine the specific ingredient he should avoid.
Some pets with severe allergies may be referred to a veterinary dermatologist for more in-depth allergy skin testing and treatment.
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Your Environment And Dog Allergies
Most allergists agree that although medication may help, the best way to control dog allergies is to avoid contact with dogs. Here are some tips:
- Keep your distance. Don’t touch, pet, or kiss a dog. As best you can, avoid going to homes with dogs. If you have to stay in a house with a dog, ask if it can be kept out of the room in which you’ll sleep for a few months before your arrival.
- Use your medicine. If you know that you’ll be coming into contact with a dog soon, start taking your medicine a few weeks ahead of time. By taking medication preventatively, you might stop an allergic reaction before it starts.
- Be wary of visitors who own dogs. Dog dander can cling to clothing and luggage. So even if your house guests leave their dogs at home, they can bring the dander with them — and that can cause you a lot of trouble.
Of course, some of the above advice won’t help that much if you already have a dog in your home. Even then, there are still things you can do:
Will bathing your dog have any effect on allergy symptoms? Experts aren’t sure some studies have shown that baths reduce the amount of airborne dander, while others haven’t found a difference. You can certainly try out weekly baths and see what happens. Just make sure that someone without dog allergies is doing the actual bathing.
So if you or a family member has dog allergies, talk to a doctor. Getting control of symptoms will not only make you feel better, but it will help protect you from becoming sicker.
