Allergies in dogs and cats

Allergies are very common in pets, especially in dogs.

Signs your pet may have an allergy:

DOGS

• Chewing and licking of feet, or belly.

• Itching or scratching, especially sides or under legs, axillas and groin and around the head/ears.

• Rashes (red or scabby) under belly and legs.

• Recurrent ear or skin infections or smelly skin.

• Gunky or red eyes.

If a dog is red, rashy or itching just under the belly, on their paws or legs (any places where there is less hair) then your dog is more likely to have contact allergies, such as, plants or grasses that they come into contact with. A plant such as Wandering Jew is a highly contact allergic plant for dogs.

If the dog has ear infections, chewing feet and generally itchy and/or has skin recurrent or ear infections then dog is more likely allergic to airborne things, such as, pollen and dusts etc. 

Food is a much less likely to be the cause of allergies in dogs, although it can contribute to already present allergies as most dogs that are allergic are allergic to lots of things - pollen, dusts, grasses, fleas and food - so eliminating certain food proteins from the diet can improve dogs even with multiple allergies.

CATS

• Itching around head and ears.

• Hair loss or scabbing/scratches.

• Overgrooming or licking off hair especially under the belly or on the legs.

• Ear infections.

• Sneezing and/or coughing.

Although allergies are a lot less common in cats, flea and food allergies are usually the main cause. Most cats are allergic to certain food proteins. Occasional coughing or sneezing cats allergic to dust or airborne materials.

Treatments:

Depending on the likely cause of the allergy can determine the treatment needed. For dogs that are severe enough we use Prednsiolone or Cortisone (works great but can have side effects especially longer term) or non-cortisone tablets like Apoquel or long acting injections like Cytopoint. Antihistamines work very poorly for most dogs and cats, in some cases they can be helpful, but they will often need supplementary treatment. 

For some localised rashes your vet may recommend a topical treatments, such as, medicated washes, antibiotic and /or anti-fungal cream, as well as, tablets for a bad skin infections.

If the cause is food, hydrolysed or novel single protein like kangeroo, duck, venison and crocodile diets can help both dogs and cats.

For cats with flea allergies we will recommend a flea treatment, such as, Bravecto as well as, food trials.

You vet cannot always know what your pet is allergic too but history and location of lesions can help as well as response to treatments. Further testing can be done to help discover causes, such as, blood tests, food trials, and skin tests.

What you can do:

If the allergy can be identified, avoidance of the cause, if possible, is recommended. For contact allergies in dog washing/wiping down paws, legs, belly and "in contact" areas after a walk can be help to "wash" the allergens away. Using a wet, clean cloth or dunking paws in a bowl of water and drying off after.

Avoiding cut grass or certain locations at certain times of the year. Try taking note of what your pet has been doing, or where they have been when symptoms of an allergy appears.

If you dog or cat is allergic to fleas, ensuring that you stay up to date with flea treatments, speak to your vet about the best brand to use and how often.

If they are found to have a food allergy, ensuring your stick to a specific diet formulated by your vet, avoiding certain proteins in their diet.

If your dog or cat has a skin allergy, using mositurising creams or conditioners can help sooth their skin, however, try to avoid over washing and drying shampoos and eave on/in conditioners. Adding omega 3 and 6s to diet as supplements can improve skin barrier.