Many dog owners assume that a dog who is suffering from allergies will display the same symptoms that a human would display. Unfortunately, this is not true and many dogs are misdiagnosed by their owners with dry skin or other common conditions. Recognizing the signs can help diagnose and treat allergies in dogs.
Symptoms of Allergies in Dogs
Unlike humans, dogs display most of their allergy symptoms through their skin. For example, some of the most common symptoms of an allergen affecting a dog includes rubbing the face against carpet or furniture and moderate to severe itching and scratching all over the body. In some cases, dogs can develop skin lesions and infections from bacteria entering through open scratch wounds.
Additional symptoms include hair loss and chewing on their feet. Some dogs may chew their feet so aggressively that bleeding and infection occurs. In rare instances, dogs may emit a bad odor from the skin, suffer from diarrhea, vomiting or ear infections.
Common Dog Allergens
While their symptoms may be different from their human counterparts, dogs suffer from many of the same allergens as people. Some of the most common dog allergens are environmental and include trees, grass, pollen and mold. They may also be allergic to certain types of fabric, rubber or plastic items, all of which can be found in dog toys. In rare cases, dogs can also be allergic to specific ingredients within their food or to milk products, dust and fleas.
In addition to this, allergies can be seasonal and only last for a few weeks or they can be year round.
Diagnosing and Treating Canine Allergies
Testing for allergies in a dog will depend on what the suspected allergen is. For example, dogs who are allergic to a certain food may undergo a diet in which different foods are tried until the issues are resolved. This is known as an elimination process and can be effective in some cases.
However for many dogs, the culprit is often unknown or the allergies are seasonal or year round. In these cases, there are two types of canine allergy tests. The most common type is a blood test in which the veterinarian tests the blood for antibodies which would be present and help determine the allergen.
Other dogs may undergo intradermal testing. In this case, the dog will have a section of their abdomen shaved down. Then, various common allergens will be injected into the skin and studied over a course of a few hours to determine which allergens are the cause.
Once the allergen has been identified, treatment can be pursued. Based on the type of allergen, there are a variety of treatments. For food allergies, simple avoidance of the food or the ingredient may be all that is necessary to prevent future allergy symptoms.
Dogs who are suffering from seasonal allergies may need a variety of topical anti-itch shampoos or sprays to be used during the time when the allergies flair up. They may also be given antihistamine medications which can be prescribed through the dog’s veterinarian. Some veterinarians may also recommend fatty-acids to help improve the dog’s skin and coat, which can also help reduce the effects of the offending allergens.
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