If you notice your dog is itching a lot more than usual or seems to have a runny nose, this can be an indication that they are suffering from allergies. Dogs will often develop seasonal allergies, which means they’re more likely to react to certain allergens in their environment at certain times of the year. This is why you can suddenly notice an increase in this activity as if it started out of nowhere. It’s important to note that while allergies are often seasonal, they can also be year-round though.
Seasonal allergies in dogs can be caused by pollen, mold, grasses, trees, weeds, and even dust mites.
If you suspect that your dog has a seasonal allergy, the first thing you should do is schedule a visit with your vet. The vet will examine the dog and determine if there are any physical symptoms present. If there are, he or she may take samples from the dog’s skin or fur for testing. Those tests will determine whether or not your dog has an allergy and what types of allergens may be causing it.
Things like fungi or mold spores can also cause allergic reactions in dogs. There are also things like bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus pyogenes – for example, that can be present. It’s important to have the vet run these tests to figure out what exactly is causing your dog’s allergies.
Allergy symptoms in dogs can be skin rashes as well as respiratory issues. They may also have gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and vomiting if they’re allergic to something they eat or drink regularly (like grasses).
Other signs to look for are if your dog struggles to breathe and seems to be wheezing or coughing a lot, this is a sign that they might be suffering from allergies.
Another sign that your dog might have allergies is ear infections. If a dog is constantly scratching at their ears, which is often a symptom of an allergy, it’s important to get them to a vet to rule out any other issues and help them get some relief.
If you think your dog might have an allergy, it’s important for you to take her to the vet for testing. The vet will be able to run tests and tell you what kind of allergy she has and what kind of treatment options are available for her condition.
Possible treatments could include antihistamines and immunotherapy (allergy shots).
To help alleviate some of these allergy issues for your dog, it’s important to keep a dog’s environment clean by sweeping or vacuuming regularly to remove allergens from the home or even using a HEPA filter vacuum to control what gets sucked up into the machine. For those dogs that have indoor/outdoor lifestyles, you may not be able to avoid allergens completely; however, experts do recommend at least keeping them indoors when there are high pollen warnings happening.