Understanding the most common allergies for dogs is essential to ensure your furry friend is healthy and happy. Various factors, such as environmental elements, food, or certain medications, can cause allergies. Knowing what to look out for and how to treat an allergic reaction can help keep your pup safe and comfortable. Here are some of the most common allergies for dogs:
Skin Allergies
Allergic dermatitis is one of the most frequent canine allergic reactions. It has three principal sources: flea allergy dermatitis, food sensitivity, and environmental allergens.
Flea allergy dermatitis is a condition that affects many dogs and can be quite uncomfortable and irritating. Some dogs are especially sensitive to the saliva of fleas, causing an allergic reaction. This can lead to extreme itching, particularly around the base of your dog’s tail. Additionally, their skin may become inflamed, irritated, and even covered with scabs. The discomfort can be severe if left untreated
Food sensitivities can lead to itchy skin in dogs. In such cases, itching is usually seen around the ears and paws. Gastrointestinal issues are often seen in these cases too
Atopic allergies in dogs, also called environmental allergies, occur when your pet is exposed to certain elements from indoor or outdoor environments. Allergens like dust, mold, pollen, and grass can trigger an allergic reaction in a dog. This can manifest in physical symptoms, such as itchy skin, red eyes, sneezing, and coughing
Food Allergies
Contrary to popular belief, true food allergies are not as common. These reactions cause an immune response, which can manifest in various ways. These include skin rashes, hives, facial swelling, itching, and gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and/or diarrhea.
The best way to diagnose and treat your dog’s food allergy is to work with your veterinarian. This way, you can find the source of the problem. Through careful observation and testing, you can identify which ingredients are causing the reaction. This is crucial in developing an effective treatment plan to reduce or eliminate your pet’s allergic responses.
Furthermore, food allergies in a dog can also get so serious that the symptoms become comparable to what peanut allergies cause in humans — anaphylaxis. This is a medical emergency; hence, immediate treatment is required.
Contact Allergies
Contact allergies are the least common of dog allergies. However, it can still cause great distress and discomfort for your pet. This type of allergy is triggered by direct contact with your dog’s skin with certain substances or materials. These include shampoos, flea treatments, certain fabrics, and many others. Despite being innocuous, your dog’s immune system can sometimes misidentify these substances as a threat and become overly sensitive to them. Symptoms are usually skin reactions in the form of itching and dermatitis.
Does your pet show symptoms that suggest an allergic reaction? Allergies can be irritating and even potentially life-threatening to your dog’s health, just like they can be to humans. Get your four-legged friend diagnosed today at Mokena Animal Clinic in Mokena, Illinois. Call us at (708) 479-2811 to learn how you can provide the best care possible.
