ALLERGIES IN DOGS – THE MOST COMMON TYPES AND THEIR SYMPTOMS

It's estimated that 1 in 10 dogs suffer from allergies. Personally, I think it’s a lot more than 1 in 10. Just like humans, dogs can be allergic to a lot of different things, including pollen, dander, certain foods, and even chemicals found in shampoo or detergent. In this blog post, we'll look at the most common types of allergies in dogs and their symptoms so that you can be on the lookout for them.

The Most Common Types of Allergies in Dogs

There are four main types of allergies that dogs suffer from: food allergies, environmental allergies, flea allergies, and contact allergies. Let's take a closer look at each one.

Food Allergies

A food allergy is when your dog's immune system reacts to a protein or carbohydrate in their food as if it were harmful. The most common symptoms of food allergies are gastrointestinal issues like vomiting or diarrhea, but your dog may also experience skin problems like excessive itching, licking, or chewing. If you think your dog may have a food allergy, talk to your vet about doing an elimination diet where they remove all potential allergens from your dog's diet for 8-12 weeks to see if their symptoms improve.

Environmental Allergies

Environmental allergies (also called atopy) are caused by things like pollen, dust mites, and mould spores. They typically show up as skin problems like excessive licking, chewing, or scratching. Your dog may also have runny eyes or a stuffy nose. If your dog suffers from environmental allergies, you'll probably need to do some trial and error to figure out what they're allergic to so that you can avoid it. You may also want to consider giving them regular baths with a hypoallergenic shampoo and keeping their living area clean and free of dust and other allergens.

Flea Allergies

Flea allergies are caused by an allergic reaction to the saliva of fleas. Even just one bite from a flea can cause your dog to develop an itchy rash all over their body that can last for weeks. If your dog is allergic to fleas, you'll need to be vigilant about Flea prevention year-round. This includes using a monthly spot-on treatment as well as regularly washing their bedding and vacuuming your home (even if you don't see any fleas).

Contact Allergies

These are caused by an allergic reaction to something that comes into contact with your dog's skin, like certain shampoos, detergents, home cleaners or topical medications. The most common symptom of contact allergies is itchiness and redness of the skin. If you think your dog may be allergic to something they've come into contact with, try discontinuing use of the product for two weeks and see if their symptoms improve. If they do, it's likely that they're allergic to that product and you'll need to find an alternative.

Dogs can be allergic to a lot of different things – from pollen and dust mites to certain foods and even shampoos! If you think your dog may be suffering from allergies, talk to your vet or start an elimination diet where you remove all potential allergens from your dog's diet for 8-12 weeks to see if their symptoms improve. In the meantime, there are plenty of things you can do to help alleviate your pup's discomfort and make them feel better!

We can go into many different solutions over the next few blog posts.