Dog Allergy Symptoms: Does Your Dog Have an Allergy?

Dog Allergy Symptoms: Does Your Dog Have an Allergy?

Dog allergy symptoms are often similar regardless of the cause of the allergy, and this does not help when trying to figure out the cause of the problem. However, there are small clues to look out for if you think your dog has an allergy and can be used to determine a likely cause.

Dogs are no different than humans when it comes to allergies, and dog allergy symptoms are very similar to ours – sneezing, itching, and watery eyes. However, we humans generally have a good idea of ​​what causes our allergy, and we know we have one, but your poor dog has no idea what is causing that terrible itch.

He certainly can't tell you, so let's take a look at the more common dog allergy symptoms and how they can be used to potentially determine what's causing them. “Maybe” is used because dog allergies are notoriously difficult to diagnose, but the dog itself could help you.

Itching, redness and scratching

Itching is caused by irritation of the skin and causes the dog to scratch the affected area. This will cause it to become red and possibly even inflamed as the dog bites and gnaws on the irritation. When inflammation sets in and the immune system kicks into gear, the dog can become really agitated and distressed. The skin may break and be subject to bacterial contamination, leading to the formation of pustules.

There are two main causes of these dog allergy symptoms: contact allergens such as fleas and food allergies. It's not so much the "flea bite" that causes these symptoms, although it can be irritating, but rather the flea's saliva. A flea bite is not an allergic reaction, but many dogs are allergic to the flea's saliva, which is used to prevent blood clotting while the flea feeds.

Other contact allergens include detergents, hair (even human hair), and some airborne allergens that land on the skin such as pollen, dust mites and other types of dust - they affect dogs just as they do humans. The behavior of dogs suffering from itching of any kind is scratching and rubbing the skin on the floor - especially a carpet or something rough. Dogs sometimes sit down and put their front paws and butt on the ground when their rear end itches.

Food allergies in dogs can unfortunately cause exactly the same symptoms, but the 'tip' here is that a dog may also vomit, have loose stools or the abnormal behavior often coincides with a change in food. If you notice this and switch the food back to regular food, the problem should go away. Alternatively, try only canned food, preferably organic, if you can afford it and that should cure a food allergy.

Runny eyes, licking paws

Just as humans are affected by pollen, hay fever is also a form of dog allergy. Their skin can become irritated so they can scratch themselves with most of the symptoms mentioned above, but the 'explanation' here is that female dogs are more affected than dogs and their eyes are prone to watering like humans. Not only that, but another one of the specific symptoms of dog allergy is licking their paws.

They do this to relieve the itching in their paws and you should inspect their feet carefully as ticks and fleas can be picked up on grass and of course dogs don't normally wear shoes and therefore can pick up all sorts of infections when they are outside, not just allergens. However, if they walk in clover fields or even among the daisies and buttercups in your garden, they may experience intense itching from the pollen. In this case, their eyes do not water, but they lick their paws excessively and sometimes even gnaw them.

So while it's difficult to determine the exact cause of dog allergy symptoms, you can narrow it down by keeping your eyes open and observing your dog's behavior. In general, you can distinguish a contact allergen from a food allergy, and often hay fever can be diagnosed by the time of year, your dog's exposure, and whether its eyes water or paws lick.

If you are still unsure and your dog is suffering and showing extreme dog allergy symptoms, you should be on the safe side and visit the vet.

Inspired by Warren Peters