As a pet parent, you always want your pup to be their happiest, most contented self. But allergies can put a real dampener on your dog’s all-around comfort, stopping them from accessing the world in the way they want to, and causing sometimes significant behavioural and wellness issues.
Adding complication, symptoms of allergies don’t always immediately read as allergic reactions. Often, if your dog is experiencing allergies, it’s not clear what the source is – or what exactly is causing them.
There are numerous types of allergies in dogs. The most common include:
- Flea allergies
- Contact allergies
- Food allergies
- Seasonal/environmental allergies (also known as “atopic dermatitis”)
Each of these allergies need to be managed in different ways. If you suspect your dog is experiencing symptoms of allergies, take them to your veterinarian for a check-up. Your vet will come up with a suitable treatment and management plan to help your dog.
Flea Allergies
What causes flea allergies in dogs?
Animals with flea allergies are allergic to flea saliva. A single bite is enough to cause a reaction. Because of this, you might not be able to see fleas on your pet — even though they’re showing signs of a reaction.
Signs of flea allergies in dogs
Dogs experiencing an allergic reaction to fleas may show the following signs:
- Itchiness all over the body, particularly along their back, tail base, and tail.
- Skin sores and hair loss from excessive chewing and scratching.
Flea allergy affected pets do not generally lick their paws, scratch/lick the underside of the body or develop ear issues, as seen with other common allergies.
How to manage flea allergies in dogs
Management of flea allergies involves:
- Treating any skin sores or inflammation
- Treating all pets in the home for fleas
- Cleaning the environment thoroughly
If you are having issues with fleas or suspect flea allergies, your vet can recommend the best ways to eradicate fleas from your pet(s) and home and provide guidance on how to manage any skin sores.
Contact Allergies
What are contact allergies?
Contact allergies are reactions of the skin to direct contact with a trigger. The most common triggers are plants and grasses.
Signs of contact allergies in dogs
Because this allergy requires your dog to come in contact with the cause of the allergy, signs usually appear in places that would touch the trigger, such as their feet, the back of the legs and underside of their body.
Signs of contact allergies include:
- Itchiness
- Inflammation/ redness
- Hair loss
- Swelling
- Skin sores
How to manage contact allergies in dogs
Management of contact allergies is best achieved by avoidance of known triggers and topical therapies, like washing or wiping down your dog’s body and paws after going out, as well as soothing washes or lotions.
If your dog is experiencing more significant reactions, your vet can provide additional treatments to help reduce and soothe your dog’s symptoms.
Food allergies
What causes food allergies in dogs?
Food allergies in dogs are most often triggered by animal proteins in the diet. Beef, chicken and lamb proteins are the most common food allergens for dogs. Dairy is another common allergen, and grains are a possible allergen, though they’re not as common.
Signs of food allergies
If your dog has a food allergy, signs will usually appear before they are two years old. Symptoms of food allergies may present as gastrointestinal signs and/ or skin signs.
Gastrointestinal signs of food allergies include:
Skin signs of food allergies include:
- Inflamed, itchy skin
- Sometimes skin thickening/swelling
- Secondary skin infections, particularly ear infections
Visible areas on a dog’s body that are most affected by food allergies include the paws, armpits, belly and the ears. Signs may also appear as itchiness around the mouth and bottom.
How are food allergies diagnosed in dogs?
A strict food trial is often needed to diagnose dogs with a food allergy. If food is the cause of the allergy, these trials may help uncover which protein is the allergen. Your vet can advise you best on how to do this and which foods to feed for the trial. Most commonly recommended is an allergy specific diet, which uses hydrolysed proteins that rarely cause reactions, or a single, novel protein diet your dog has never been exposed to.
How to manage food allergies in dogs
Management of food allergies is about avoiding the offending food type once it has been identified. Supporting overall skin health, with supplements and lotions as needed, also helps.
Environmental allergies (Atopy/ Atopic Dermatitis)
What is atopic dermatitis?
Just like some humans, dogs can be allergic to environmental triggers including grasses, plants, dust mites, moulds, and pollens. Unlike contact allergies, dogs do not need direct contact with an allergen to have a reaction. Just being near the allergen is enough to trigger a flare up. Unlike food allergies, there is the option to test for these allergies, to see exactly what your dog is allergic to. This testing needs to be done by a Veterinary Dermatologist.
Any dog, regardless of the breed, can develop allergies but certain breeds that more commonly develop them include Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Shar Pei, French Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Boxer, Labrador, Golden Retriever, West Highland White Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, German Shepherd, Schnauzer, Bichon Frise and Maltese Terrier.
Signs of atopic dermatitis in dogs
Atopic dermatitis can present in young dogs from puppyhood or develop later in life, such as around 4-6 years old.
With this allergy type there are no gastrointestinal signs. Instead, you’ll see skin issues very similar to the signs and locations listed above for food allergies. However, environmental allergies don’t cause itchiness around the mouth and bottom.
Signs of environmental allergies may include:
- Itchy, inflamed skin
- Thickened skin
- Secondary infections, such as ear infections
- Eye irritation – watery, irritated eyes, conjunctivitis)
- Nasal irritation – watery nasal discharge and sneezing, just like people who experience “hayfever”
How to manage atopic dermatitis in dogs
There is no “cure” for this type of allergy. Desensitisation can be done with a dermatologist to lessen a dog’s clinical signs and there are also several treatment/management options available. Medications, topical therapies and supportive management and skin specific diets can all help. Your vet can tailor a plan to be most appropriate for managing your dog’s allergies and specific needs.
How to support your dog’s skin health
There are a number of things you can do to help keep your dog’s skin healthy:
- Wipe your dog down after walks to remove possible triggers like pollen and plant material. Focus on their paws and underside.
- Apply soothing lotions, such as Paw Nutriderm Replenishing Conditioner, to their coat. When applied regularly to the skin, these lotions help maintain a strong, hydrated skin barrier.
- Using an ear flush regularly (e.g. once a week) can help keep ears clean and reduce the risk for ear infections.
- Feeding Omega 6 supplements, such as Paw Coat, Skin + Nails chews, helps support a healthy oil level in the skin and coat, reducing dander, dry and itchy skin and shedding.
- Adding probiotics to their diet helps support a healthy gastrointestinal tract, which in turns helps support a healthy immune system and overall skin health.
If you’re ever concerned about your dog’s skin health, book them in to your local Greencross Vets for a check-up.