When most people think about spring, they think of thawing snow, blooming flowers, and bluer skies, but for others, it means the beginning of allergy season. Just like with humans, spring allergies often affect our furry friends. Although allergies can occur during any season, spring is considered to be one of the worst due to the dramatic shift in temperature, and consequently nature, that takes place.
With spring upon us, we’ve broken down everything you need to know about spring allergies and your furry friends.
Potential Causes of Allergies
For dogs, the most common form of allergy, especially in the springtime, is atopy, which means airborne. These airborne allergies typically stem from trees, grass, weed pollens, and dust and can cause a variety of reactions, with skin irritation and ear infections being the most frequent.
Identifying Allergies in Dogs
In humans, airborne allergies are easier to diagnose due to the way they present themselves – runny nose, watery eyes, itchy eyes, red eyes, sneezing, and difficult breathing. In dogs, however, most, if not all allergies show themselves via the skin. Common skin-related allergy reactions include red, rashy skin infections that result in dogs excessively itching and licking. When this occurs, dogs attack that area of discomfort with such aggression that they actually create bald or thinning patches of fur that become extremely inflamed, commonly known as hot spots. In addition, dogs tend to get ear infections from springtime allergies, which can be identified by them itching their ear more often, shaking their head more often, or developing an unpleasant smell around the ear area. While all of these reactions may seem like classic dog behavior that doesn’t necessarily need to be watched, they can actually lead to potentially dangerous outcomes. Being able to recognize when these allergy reactions start is key to your dog’s overall wellbeing during these spring months.
Allergy Prevention and Treatment in Dogs
In dogs, just like in humans, there is only so much you can do to help prevent allergies due to most being airborne. But, there are a number of ways you can still try to help alleviate some of the discomforts and pain your furry friend may experience. The main prevention tool is regular bathing – this will help remove any dust, pollen, or bacteria that may be on the skin or fur. In the same vein, consistently wash their ears and paws to ensure that all potential allergens that are sitting on the skin or fur are gone. There are a number of allergy-specific shampoos and washes that you can find either online or through your vet that may do a better job than your average grooming products.
We hope that this helps ensure an allergy-free spring for you and your furry friend!
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