Your dog may be suffering from spring allergies and you may have missed the signs.
Local veterinarian Dr Mona Radashwar said allergies in dogs persist all year round.
“We can see it year-round,” she said. “We see it in humans, too. As you know, it manifests as sneezing and itchy eyes. The disease is more commonly found in dogs' skin, ears, and anal glands.”
If your dog is scratching more than usual, you should take him in to be seen to understand what is causing the reaction.
The most common allergies are food.
“To be honest, food allergies are more common,” Radashwar says. “The first thing we start with is food allergies.”
And the most cost-effective way to find out what's wrong is to do a food trial diet. It involves avoiding one or more foods for a period of time to see if allergy symptoms go away.
What is not a common allergy symptom in dogs? Sneezing. a lot.
“My allergy-related sneezing has really decreased. If that's the case, I think I'll try Zyrtec and wait a while and see how it goes. But if you want to get to the bottom of it and find out exactly what's causing your sneezing, Allergy testing is available,” Radashwar said.
Local veterinarian says blood test can identify allergies in pets
Just like in humans, there are blood tests that can identify pollen or environmental allergens that are causing the inflammation. Radashwar said once the allergen is discovered, four-legged babies can be tried on certain oral vaccines.
But do dogs suffer from large amounts of pollen just like humans?
“Yeah, sure. You'll either do one of these blood tests or go to a dermatologist and get an intradermal injection,” Radashwar said. “Then we put all the antigens into the skin and see which one causes the most swelling.”
That gives you a profile of what your dog is allergic to,” she continued.
But what if your dog is allergic to pollen?
Radashwar said dog owners most often ignore the symptoms.
If you think your dog is in distress, call your veterinarian and follow their advice. Spend a few hundred dollars or more on blood tests to give your puppy some peace of mind.
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