Canine allergy symptoms often tend to be similar, distinct from the cause of the allergy, and this doesn’t help when trying to figure out the cause of the problem. However, there are small indicators to look out for if you think your dog has an allergy, which can be used to determine a probable cause.
Dogs are no different than humans when it comes to allergies, and dog allergy symptoms are very similar to ours: sneezing, itchy, watery eyes. However, we humans usually have a rough idea of what’s causing our allergy, and we also know we have it, but your poor dog has no idea what’s causing that horrible itch.
He sure can’t tell you, so let’s take a look at the most common canine allergy symptoms and how they can be used to determine what’s causing them. ‘Maybe’ is used because dog allergies are notoriously difficult to diagnose, but the dog itself might help you.
Itching, redness, and scratching
The itching is caused by skin irritation and causes the dog to scratch the affected area. This turns it red and maybe even inflamed if the dog starts to bite and bite the irritation. As the inflammation develops and the immune system kicks in, the dog can get really agitated and distressed. The skin can break down and be subject to bacterial contamination that causes pustules to form.
There are two main causes of these dog allergy symptoms: contact allergens, such as fleas, and food allergies. It is not so much the ‘flea bite’ that causes these symptoms, although it can be irritating, but rather the flea’s saliva. A flea bite is not an allergic reaction, but many dogs will have an allergic reaction to the flea’s saliva, which is used to prevent blood from clotting while the flea is feeding.
Other contact allergens include detergents, hair (including human hair), and some airborne allergens that fall on the skin, such as pollen, dust mites, and other dusts; they affect dogs in the same way as humans. The behavior of dogs suffering from any type of irritating itch is scratching and rubbing their skin against the floor, especially a carpet or something a little rough. Sometimes dogs will sit and walk with their front and hind legs on the ground when they have an itchy rear end.
Unfortunately, food allergies in dogs can cause the exact same symptoms, but the “signal” here is that a dog may also vomit, have loose stools, or abnormal behavior can often coincide with a change in food. If you notice this and change the food back to normal, then the problem should go away. Alternatively, try only canned food, preferably organic if you can afford it, and that should cure a food allergy.
teary eyes, licking paws
Just like humans are affected by pollen, hay fever is also a form of dog allergy. Their skin can become irritated, so they can scratch with most of the above symptoms, but the “sign” here is that female dogs are affected more than male dogs, and their eyes tend to water just like humans. Not only that, but another of the specific symptoms of canine allergy is paw licking.
They do this to relieve itchy paws, and you should examine their feet carefully because ticks and fleas can be picked up from the grass, and of course, dogs don’t usually wear shoes, so they can pick up all sorts of infections when they do. are out, not just allergens. However, when walking in fields of clover, or even among daisies and buttercups in your garden, they may experience severe itching from pollen, in which case their eyes may not water but they will be seen to be excessively licking their paws, and sometimes even. gnawing at them
So while it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause of dog allergy symptoms, you can narrow it down by keeping your eyes open and observing your dog’s behavior. You can usually tell a contact allergen from a food allergy, and hay fever can often be diagnosed based on the time of year, your dog’s exposure, and the way his eyes water or he licks his paws. .
However, if you are unsure and your dog is suffering from and displaying extreme canine allergy symptoms, you should play it safe and visit the vet.