It can be easy to miss the initial symptoms of dog allergies. We go about our day-to-day lives while our dogs are sometimes suffering without our knowledge. Unlike us, our canine friends can not go over to the medicine cabinet, pull out a bottle of Benadryl and take some. They rely on us to pay attention to their needs and notice when they need help.
Inhalants (like dust, molds, pollens, grasses), flea saliva allergies, and even allergic reactions to the foods we feed our dogs can cause them to have allergic reactions which sometimes last weeks or even go year-round.
Scratching, licking, and gnawing to relieve their itches are usually the first signs of dog allergies. Your friend may also rub their itchy parts on almost any corner or rough surface available. I’ve seen dogs rub parts of their bodies on table legs, door jams, to name a few.
Sometimes all of that licking and scratching can cause dog hot spots which are circular, red, swollen area that sometimes are associated with hair loss. If left unattended, the hot spot can get worse and even spread to different parts of the body which makes a vet appointment imperative.
Hair loss around the eyes was the first indicator of an allergy with my Chocolate Lab. When this occurred, he spent a great deal of time rubbing around his eyes with his paws or anything else. This made way to him losing hair around his muzzle as well.
If you catch your dog rubbing her / his ears and making a moaning noise, this might be the sign of an ear infection. We once had a dog with recurring dog ear infections. Our vet said it was hereditary and there wasn’t much that could be done other than keeping her ears clean. Ear infections can lead to vicious head shaking, which in turn can cause ear hematomas. Hematomas occur when the two ear flaps separate and fluid starts to build up in the middle.
If you think your dog has allergies, it is best to get them to the vet for a proper diagnosis. There are some conditions that have symptoms like dog allergies, but are actually something different. Your vet can give you suggestions on how to determine what type of things your dog is allergic to. In some cases, an allergy test may be needed as well.
Sam Hardliman helps educate people about why you need a dog allergies treatment and also learn about how to stop dog allergy symptoms.