Have you noticed your dog or cat scratching their ears, chewing at their tail or licking their paws more than they normally do lately? Yep, it is allergy season and for some pets, this is the start of the season of misery. All climates have allergens and they are usually harmless to most pets, but for dogs with allergies, their bodies have a severe reaction to them.
Humans’ allergies typically engage the respiratory system, but dogs and cats allergies normally present as skin irritations or inflammations, otherwise known as allergic dermatitis. The skin can become dry and itchy. Hot spots can develop when an uncomfortable pet continues to scratch and bite at their skin. They become red, sensitive to touch, the hair can become very thin or fall out all together and open soars can develop. Allergens can be problematic when ingested, inhaled or contact a dog’s skin. Dogs and cats can sometimes cough, sneeze, and have watery eyes and a runny nose very much like a small child with a cold.
Does your dog or cat scratch at their ears, shake their head a lot of have hair thinning around the ears? Well there is usually a reason. The ears can become problematic for a pet with allergies. The ear canal (more often in dogs than cats) can become itchy, inflamed or develop a yeast or bacterial infection. Some pet owners complain that their pet/s have generalized redness around the eyes, nose, chin and paws.
Dogs and cats share many of the same allergy symptoms:
- Excessive scratching
- Itchy, runny eyes
- Itchy back or base of tail
- Paw chewing/swollen paws
- Itchy, sometimes infected ears
- Snoring caused by an inflamed throat
- Sneezing and coughing
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/06/22/pets-seasonal-allergies.aspx
http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/allergies-dogs#1
http://pets.webmd.com/cats/cat-allergy-symptoms-triggers#1
