Dog Allergies: Everything You Need to Know

Just like humans, your furry friend can also develop sensitivities, and knowing about your dog’s allergies is so important, as it can help you to manage them and stop any serious health issues from occurring. There are various different types of allergies, such as food, medicine and pollen. It’s always useful to know the signs and symptoms of allergies and, with summer around the corner, it's important to be able to identify seasonal allergies and sensitivities too.

Whilst allergies can be very uncomfortable for your pooch, there are plenty of dog health treatments that can relieve the symptoms of them! From tablets and topical treatments to special food, we’ll provide plenty of top tips for you to keep these pesky allergies under control.

Being familiar with and recognising the symptoms of dog allergies will mean that you can treat your dog much more quickly.! If you notice any of the symptoms and don’t treat them straight away, it can cause various health issues such as infections and breathing difficulties.

Flea allergies occur when dogs are bitten and they react to the flea’s saliva, it's really common and will make your pooch really itchy and scratchy! If you find your furry friend nibbling away at their fur, this may be why.

Food allergies can crop up out of the blue, even when they have been eating the same food for a while! This is normally a reaction to certain proteins or chemicals in the food and will show up as a reaction on your dog's skin.

Atopic dermatitis is a result of allergies and is caused by the environment, it can be seasonal and may flare up in the summer months more than others. Things like dust and pollen can cause your dog to have a reaction and make them very irritated, causing them to rub their face, chew paws and scratch away!

If your canine companion does have sensitivities, then it is so important to keep an extra eye on them - some of the most common dog allergy symptoms include:

If you notice any of these signs, then you need to make sure to either take them to the vet or treat them as soon as possible!

Your pooch may show signs of allergies but it can be tricky to work out what is causing those symptoms, however, dog allergy testing is available and is best done at the vets. This will help with ruling out causes, as it’s 75% accurate and can get you one step (or paw) closer to finding the trigger of your poor dog’s flare ups!

These tests can be carried out in a variety of ways, including blood tests, which can test for a range of allergens such as pollens and parasites, and skin tests, which involves injecting injecting small doses of allergens into the skin and seeing if there is any reaction - don’t worry your furry friend would be asleep for this part and wouldn’t feel a thing!

Once you have figured out what triggers your dog's allergies, you can then try and manage them as much as possible to help keep your pooch comfortable. Taking your dog to the vets is the best way to get the right treatment for your furry friend, especially if reactions and symptoms continue to persist!

There are plenty of things that will help to treat allergies and reactions such as medicated shampoos, that will help soothe your dog's skin and hopefully that means less scratching.

If your canine companion happens to be allergic to their food, then there are plenty of specialised dog foods that suit different dietary requirements, such as grain free dog food.

If your poor pooch has had a reaction and you want to treat it quickly, then there are topical treatments such as rash creams available to try and improve symptoms. Additionally, tablets such as antihistamines can help too.

If you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to help, then going to vets and seeking treatment would be the best way to help control your dog's allergies. They can provide allergy medication, more suitable topical treatments such as steroids and in much more severe cases cortisone injections may be prescribed.

To treat a severe allergic reaction where your dog is having breathing difficulties or is experiencing swelling, it’s vital to get in contact with the vets and head straight to the clinic. Once under the supervision of the vets, they are able to provide the best care as your dog may need monitoring, fluid drips and breathing assistance. This is the safest way to ensure that the allergic reaction does not lead to other health complications and reduces life threatening risks.

So, now you know what signs to look out for, you can spring into action when your furry friend has an allergic reaction and try to manage it as quickly as possible! From symptoms and triggers to treatments and medicines, you’ll be able to keep your dog itch free! Make sure that you’re prepared and shop for a variety of health treatments here at Jollyes!