Helping your pet cope when allergies strike

Ahh, spring!  The trees are blooming, the grass is growing, and I am sneezing.  A lot.   When we think about pets and allergies, we tend to focus on the allergies they cause, but pets suffer from allergies, too – yes, even the very same seasonal allergies that are such a drag this time of year. 

CURSE YOUR MAJESTIC, SNEEZY BEAUTY, SPRING

Those of us blessed with a wide variety of allergies can tell you that they come in many forms, and the same is true for pets; a pet who is inexplicably itchy, sneezy, sniffly, gassy, or patchy-haired from time to time could be suffering from seasonal, contact, food, or flea allergies.  We’ve got a few tips to help you make them a little more comfortable when those allergies strike. 

Pollen, our arch nemesis

Seasonal allergies cause some of the same respiratory symptoms you might experience this time of year – sniffles, sneezes, coughs, mucus.  Reducing exposure can be tricky, because pollen gets absolutely everywhere, and for dogs in particular, staying indoors 24/7 isn’t really an option.  If you know your pet is sensitive, try to keep windows closed as much as possible when the pollen count is high, and make a point of dusting and vacuuming regularly to keep the stuff that does find its way in under control.  After an outdoor romp, take a damp cloth and give your pet a good wipe-down to remove any pollen that might be hanging out in his fur…and although your pet may disagree, a weekly bath routine is helpful during allergy season.  Use an oatmeal shampoo or something similarly soothing to avoid drying out his skin.  

Similar symptoms, although not necessarily seasonal, may also be caused by dusty or dander-y environments (like an adoption center full of pets, despite our constant cleaning); if your pet seems to be constantly just a tiny bit sniffly or weepy-eyed for no evident reason, that might be the cause.  Try establishing a more frequent vacuuming routine, especially in the areas your pet frequents, and that may be all it takes to see improvement in their symptoms. 

Contact allergies, our other arch nemesis

Contact allergies, for those of you lucky people who don't have them, are allergies that affect the skin when it comes into physical contact with the offending "something," and they are tricky.  This is probably the most difficult allergy to treat, because it can be very difficult to pinpoint the cause.  Symptoms of contact allergies include itching, skin irritation, and patchy hair loss - anything from a few tiny spots to a whole naked underbelly.  The most common place we see contact allergies is on the feet, legs, and tummy on pets who are allergic to something in the grass they run through.  If you suspect contact allergies are to blame for an itchy, patchy pet, a trip to the vet is in order; the odds of you figuring out exactly what your pet is allergic to on your own are pretty slim.  Once you know what's to blame, minimize exposure as much as possible, and do the same wipe-down routine described above.  Although this, and other allergies that cause itchy skin, may seem like more of an annoyance than a hazard for your pet, the real harm comes from the risk of secondary skin infection that, if left untreated, can become serious. 

To flea or not to flea. That is the question. (And the answer is always "not to flea," duh.)

Flea allergy dermatitis - an allergic reaction to flea bites - is super common.  There's also really no excuse for letting it happen, because it is super easy to prevent.  Symptoms include scabby, itchy, inflamed skin and hair loss, usually around the butt/base of the tail area and around the face and ears.  If we see these symptoms, and see evidence of live fleas or flea dirt (little dark specks in the fur that are, essentially, dried blood that the fleas have digested and pooped out), flea allergies are almost a given.  Again, the real risk of flea allergies is not the allergy itself, but the secondary problems it creates.  First of all, fleas spread disease and parasites, so if your pet is infested with fleas, it's at risk for much larger problems.  And secondly, skin infection is extremely common in conjunction with flea allergy dermatitis.  Luckily, there's a very simple solution for this problem: start a monthly flea and tick prevention regimen and stick with it.  If you apply one treatment and assume your problem is fixed, you're in for a rude awakening.  And please, if you're trying to pick out the right parasite prevention product, talk to your vet.  Products bought at the grocery store (and particularly Hartz brand products) are mostly ineffective and often toxic; not only will they not solve your flea problem, they might actually kill your pet.  

You are what you eat; don't be "allergens"

It's amazing what a good diet can do for your pet.  With the right knowledge, you can pick a food that promotes heart health, reduces shedding and dander, keeps ear infections at bay, helps regulate insulin production, alleviates arthritis, makes weight loss and management easier, boosts their energy, creates less poop (seriously), and even cuts down on farts.  What do we call this magical super-food?  Well, allergen-free, for one thing.  The most common ingredients list villains for pets who have food allergies are corn, wheat, and soy.  Write that down, don't forget it.  If your pet has sporadic stomach upset or diarrhea, excessive gas, dry, flaky skin, struggles to maintain a healthy weight, or suffers from frequent ear infections, guess what: those three baddies are most likely to blame.  

Almost all dogs and cats, to some degree, will struggle with allergies to corn, wheat, and soy.  So why to pet food companies keep using them?  Because they're cheap.  Corn and wheat are cheap byproducts of the grain industry, and make great fillers if you're trying to take up a lot of volume and not spend a lot of money.  But they're also extremely difficult for pets to digest, and provide no nutritional value.  Soy is a cheap way to bump up the protein content in pet food without spending money on meat, but cats and dogs can't digest it well enough to get the protein they need from it.  It's basically a way to meet a protein quota, or make a food appear to be of higher quality without actually doing so.  Unfortunately, it's the pets who pay the price for the cheaper ingredients.  

The short version of how to pick a good pet food is this: no corn, no wheat, no soy, no by-products.  This applies to both cats and dogs, and to both canned food and dry kibble.  Read the long version here.  You'll pay a little more for a higher quality food, but it's worth it to give your pet a longer, healthier, and allergy-free life.  

Meds

Pinpointing the cause of an allergic reaction can be tricky, especially since the itchy-scratchy-scabby-hair loss symptoms can crop up in one way or another with almost any allergy, so a trip to your veterinarian would not go amiss, regardless of the type of cause of your pet's allergies.  It is absolutely essential if your pet needs medication to alleviate symptoms.  Much the way we allergy sufferers are emotionally bonded with our flonase and allergra, allergy medications can make the difference between "miserable" and "pretty ok" for your pets during an allergy outbreak.  And there are some over the counter allergy medications that are safe and effective for pets, but don't make that decision on your own; one medication that may be safe for dogs may not be for cats, and overdosing can be very harmful.  It is never safe to prescribe or dose human medications for your pet without vet approval.