Dog Allergies in Limerick, PA: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options

Allergies in dogs can lead to all kinds of health issues. Your dog might scratch enough to cause an infection, or they might experience hair loss and balding as well as discomfort and swelling of the skin. Dog allergies can increase over time if the original allergen is not removed from their environment, and they can grow sensitive to other common items along with the original allergen. You might have to involve your vet in the process of tracking down the thing that your dog is allergic to. Food is a common problem but there can be other things in your dog’s environment that are causing their allergies.

dog allergies in limerick, pa

Symptoms of Allergies in Dogs

The first step in figuring out if your dog is allergic to something is figuring out if their symptoms match allergy symptoms.

Itchy skin

Many dogs with allergies will show itchy skin symptoms by scratching and fussing at the skin on their neck or their bellies. You might also see red skin near their elbows and along their underline. This can be a very common issue related to fleas and a few other conditions as well, but itchy skin can be entirely related to allergic reactions.

Sneezing and Coughing

Some dogs with environmental allergies will sneeze and cough a lot. They might also display red eyes and a runny nose. These symptoms can also be related to common dog colds and other kinds of illnesses but when paired with scratching, they can indicate allergies clearly.

Vomiting and Diarrhea

When your dog is allergic to its food, these are common symptoms, but they can also be associated with allergies that are in the rest of their environment. You might need to try eliminating one possible cause after another to find out if your dog’s kibble is the culprit or if they are having a reaction to something else in their environment.

Causes for a Dog’s Allergies

There are many common causes for allergies in dogs and it can sometimes take a lot of trial and error to find out which items are the reason for their allergic reaction. In some cases, there is more than one cause for your dog’s allergies, and you will need to cut out both of these exposures to help them to feel better.

Food

This is by far the most common reason for allergies in dogs. Many dogs cannot tolerate the formulations of some dog food blends and you might even have to switch to natural, organic or raw food to help your dog with their allergies. Not every dog can tolerate kibble, and this is usually the first thing that is eliminated to see if it makes a difference.

Plant Allergies

Dogs can have hay fever or seasonal allergies just like people. Some dogs are also allergic to regional plants. This can be a harder allergy to isolate but it is possible to figure out which outdoor allergens are the problem for your dog. Sometimes you will just need to keep your dog mostly indoors during the worst of the hay fever season for humans to help manage their allergies.

Other Pets

In rare instances, your dog might be allergic to your cats or the other dogs in your house. This can be a tough allergy to manage but it is not common thankfully. You will need to work with your veterinarian for management of this kind of issue if you want to keep the other pets as well as this pet that is having an allergic reaction.

Chemical and Cleaning Products

Sometimes your dog might be allergic to soaps, cleaning products, and other substances that are being used in their environment. You can make sure to use an allergy-free shampoo on your dog and eliminate cleaning products until you find the culprit for the allergic reaction that you are dealing with. Removing these kinds of products from the house is quite easy overall.

Flea Allergies

Pets that are allergic to fleas can exhibit shocking symptoms like baldness and swollen joints as well as incessant scratching. This is an easy problem to fix with proper flea management and prevention, but this allergic reaction can appear like other conditions and be hard to isolate at first.

Treatments for Dogs that Have Allergies

Allergies in dogs are often easily treated by removing the offending allergen from their environment. Things like changes in food and removing shampoos and cleaning products that are causing the allergic reaction are really easy to put in place. When your dog has seasonal allergies, you might need to treat it with allergy medication and supportive care.

Your vet will be able to advise about allergens that are hard to avoid but most treatments are done by removing the offending substance from your dog’s environment. This can be quite easy once you know what the problem is, but it is tough if you never figure out what is causing the allergic reaction. Just like in people, some dogs are just allergic to lots of things and will need supportive care that is directed by a veterinarian.

Caring for Your Dog’s Allergies Can be Easy

If you have been struggling with caring for your dog’s allergies, sometimes the best thing to do is take them to a vet. Your vet will be able to help you to craft a care plan that will make sure that your dog feels healthy again, even if you are not able to figure out why your dog is having allergies. Sometimes the best treatment plan is to add an antihistamine to your dog’s care plan and make sure that you are tracking their allergic reactions.

Allergies in dogs are usually not complicated to treat and you will find that almost all the allergies that dogs experience are related to dog foods. This can make treatment for this problem easy in most cases.

Call (610) 489-2848 or book an appointment online to talk with your Limerick Veterinary Hospital veterinarian about your dog’s allergies!

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