23 Oct

Do Pets Get Seasonal Allergies? How To Manage Them?

When the weather is good, we all want to run outside, and your best dog friend usually leads the way on every adventure. But have you ever seen that they start to scratch, shake their heads, or lick their paws a lot when you get home? It’s conceivable that your dog’s bothersome seasonal allergies. Seasonal allergies can be a significant burden for some people. It can be a difficult time of year to get through, whether you have a runny nose, itchy eyes, or persistent sneezing say Animal Hospital Jacksonville.

Some dogs experience the aggravating symptoms of seasonal allergies, just like their human parents. In addition to chemicals like those in domestic cleaning products, cigarette smoke, and some perfumes, dogs can also be allergic to naturally seasonal things. This can contain dust, feathers, fleas, mold spores, pollen from plants and trees, and dust.

The symptoms of a dog’s allergies are typically similar to those of a human’s: the immune system overreacts to one or more allergens, causing itch and irritation. Your dog might lick or scratch, get itchy eyes, or sneeze. While some dogs endure diarrhea and vomiting, others have itchy, inflamed skin. Occasionally, a secondary infection may appear.

Types of Different Dog Allergies

Naturally, humans and animals are susceptible to allergies, resulting from the immune system’s mistaken response to foreign chemicals. Dogs can develop a variety of various allergies. Dogs and their owners face difficulties due to skin allergies, food allergies, and environmental allergens. The symptoms of these many shapes of allergies may also coexist to make matters more challenging say Animal Hospital Jacksonvlle Beach.

Skin Sensitivity

The most typical type of allergic reaction in dogs is allergic dermatitis, which is short for allergic dermatitis. Skin allergies in dogs have three main causes:

Allergic dermatitis to fleas
Food intolerances
Allergens in the environment

Food Allergies

An immunological reaction brought on by food allergies might manifest as gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea), skin issues (hives, face puffiness, itching), or a mix of both. Anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that can happen in scarce circumstances, is comparable to severe peanut allergies.
Food sensitivities in dogs can cause various symptoms, such as gastrointestinal ones like vomiting and diarrhea or dermatological ones like itching, bad skin and coat, and recurrent ear or foot infections. According to Animal Hospital Arlington, working with your veterinarian to manage your dog’s symptoms and identify the offending ingredient is the best method to identify a food allergy and treat it.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Some dogs may experience an anaphylactic reaction to bee stings, vaccine reactions, etc. For this reason, it is always advisable to closely monitor your dog after administering any new vaccine, medication, or food.
Although it may appear dangerous, swelling of the face, neck, lips, eyelids, or ear flaps is rarely fatal, and your veterinarian can treat it.

Pet Seasonal Allergy Signs And Symptoms

While dogs and cats exhibit allergy symptoms comparable to humans, they primarily manifest on their skin. Over-scratching usually indicates skin that is inflamed and irritable. Animal Hospital Race Track Road suggests few additional signs to look out for:

Biting and scratching their skin or coat
Skin that is red, swollen, or diseased
A lot of shedding
Dog paw licking is compulsive
A boot scoot or anal gland sucking
A persistent ear infection or waxy, red ears (common for dogs who are prone to ear problems in the first place)
Respiratory conditions, including breathing difficulties, coughing, or wheezing (more common in cats)

Symptoms And Allergen Exposure

Follow these five measures to lessen the symptoms of allergies if you or a family member have mild to moderate symptoms that are not life-threatening:

Establish a strictly off-limits “allergy-free” area in your home, preferably in the allergic person’s bedroom. Use a high-efficiency HEPA air purifier, and consider covering the pillows and mattress with impermeable material.
Install HEPA air purifiers throughout the house, and avoid items that attract dust and dander, such as carpeted floors, fabric curtains, and blinds. Wash items like couch covers and pillows, curtains, and pet beds, and clean surfaces frequently and thoroughly to get rid of dust and pet dander.
Bathe your pet once a week to lessen the amount of dander that triggers allergies (shed old skin cells) say Vets Arlington. Cats can get acclimated to bathing, but using marked items is essential; young kittens may require a shampoo made specifically for young kittens. It’s a good idea to apply a shampoo recommended by a veterinarian or another expert in animal care. For instructions on safe bathing, consult the staff at your veterinarian or a reputable book on pet care.

Don’t immediately attribute allergies to the family pet. To specifically check for pet dander allergies, ask your allergist. Many people with allergies are Many people who have allergies are sensitive to multiple allergens. By focusing on all of the causes, not just the pet allergy, you can lower the overall allergens in your surroundings.
Examine remedies. Immunotherapy (allergy shots), steroidal and antihistamine nasal sprays, and antihistamine pills are other treatments for allergies in dogs. Find an allergist who respects your resolve to keep your pet at home. To allow an allergic individual to live with pets, a combination of strategies—medical symptom control, excellent cleaning practices, and immunotherapy—is most likely to be successful.

Utilize Additional Strategies To Control Irritation

As per Vets Jacksonville, Alternative methods, including natural cures, relieve your pet’s symptoms if you’re hesitant to administer a prescription.

Clean your paws and coat. When a thorough wash is impossible, a simple wipe down of your pet’s fur, skin, and paws each time they come inside will help eliminate extra pollen and allergies. Use a damp towel or a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic grooming wipe. If your pet only has paw irritation, this might be extremely helpful.

Anti-tick and flea medication: Make sure that fleas won’t bother your best friend’s skin.
Regional honey: This advice is exclusive to dog owners. The pollen that causes seasonal allergies are frequently used to make local honey. The idea is that you or your dog will become more acclimated to the pollen by consuming the honey. Your allergies will become less troublesome as a result.
Keep allergies away: Reduced exposure is the most excellent strategy for symptom relief or reduction. Limiting time outdoors on days with high pollen levels may be the most complicated option because keeping a dog or an outdoor cat from going outside is challenging, but it will help control symptoms.
Anti-itch lotions or sprays: Topical remedies will offer short-term comfort, allowing your pet to stop scratching so much. Use only pet-specific products because those intended for humans may be harmful or ineffectual for your pet.
Baths: You’re lucky if your pet likes taking showers. Prepare those sweets in case they aren’t a fan. Baths clean off pollen or allergies from your pet’s skin, easing discomfort and calming skin. Look for shampoos that contain oatmeal, which reduces irritation, itching, and dryness on the skin. Remember only to use pet-specific shampoos and soaps. Since humans and animals have different pH levels, goods designed for humans may irritate dogs more than they already do.
Supplementation for fatty acids: Another option to soothe itchy skin or stop skin infections is using omega fatty acids, which are present in many fish oil supplements. Additionally, they’ll aid in enhancing and softening your pet’s coat.

Tips On Managing Any Discomfort

Here are several things you can do to manage any discomfort your dog may be experiencing due to seasonal allergies and lower the likelihood of more severe issues.

Clean Up The Air
As well as other surfaces. To reduce the number of airborne allergens that enter your home through open doors and windows, change your air filters frequently. It will be more complicated for mold to grow in your home if you run an air conditioner or a dehumidifier to eliminate moisture from the interior air. Reduce your dog’s time in wet areas like bathrooms, basements, or laundry rooms because these areas are more likely to develop mold. Vacuum at least once weekly, and don’t forget to clean any rugs or curtains that may have accumulated dust or pollen.
Jump Into The Tub
According to a veterinarian’s advice, bathe your dog more frequently to prevent dry, itchy skin. Wash their fur with a mild, hypoallergenic anti-itch shampoo with a calming component like oatmeal, aloe, or evening primrose oil. Some dog owners let their pets soak for ten minutes in a bath that also contains a light moisturizing oil. Consider bringing your dog to the closest Dogtopia to utilize our all-inclusive canine spa.

Avoid taking the dog for a stroll in the early morning or late afternoon when pollen counts are usually at their maximum.

Change Your Daily Walk Plan
Avoid areas with many irritating plants, such as fields and parks, and think about using Dogtopia or another indoor, open-play site during the offending seasons. Use a wet cloth or a grooming wipe with no scent from your neighbourhood pet store to clean your dog’s body and paws when you get home. You can eliminate extra pollen and other allergens from your dog’s skin and fur without giving him a thorough bath. Pay close attention to the paws because allergens frequently harm the delicate skin. Some pet parents bathe their dog’s feet in apple cider vinegar to eliminate pollen and other contaminants. When employing this technique, combine two parts water and one part apple cider vinegar. You can also cover their paws with boots to stop your dog from walking in irritants and then tracking them into your home.
Don’t Ignore It
Ensure they are kept clean by being cleaned in hot water once a week. The surfaces your dog touches before bed can become covered in allergies. To simplify this chore and keep objectionable materials away from the area beneath chairs and beds (both yours and theirs), consider placing blankets or towels on top. Ensure regular washing of any plush toys your dog enjoys playing with.

Conclusion

Vets Race Track Road say, It’s crucial to visit a doctor and undergo testing to determine precisely what allergies you have. You might discover it’s not your pet but something else you are allergic to. For instance, you might believe that your beloved dog is the cause of your allergies, only to learn via an allergy test that what’s troubling you is an allergy to particular tree pollen that got on his fur while you were out for a walk together.

If an allergy test reveals that you are allergic to your pet, it is crucial to comprehend the root of your allergy. The saliva and skin glands of animals contain proteins known as allergens that cause allergies and stick to their fur and dry skin (dander). Then, the fur and dander adhere to the furniture, carpets, and clothes.

A person’s response to these allergens varies from person to person. The reaction can vary significantly from a little sniffling and sneezing to asthma which could be fatal. If a person is also exposed to other items to which he is allergic, such as pollen, dust mites, cigarette smoke, and mold, the reaction may get worse.

It depends on humans and animals if they experience an allergic reaction. One particular cat or dog may induce a greater or lesser allergic reaction than another of the same breed in a person with animal allergies, or a person with animal allergies may respond less to canines with soft, continuously growing fur. You may hear claims regarding dog and cat breeds that are hypoallergenic or non-allergenic (don’t trigger an allergic reaction) (cause less of an allergic reaction). A severe allergic reaction, however, can occur even with hairless breeds.