Like humans, pets can suffer from various allergies, which can be uncomfortable and impact their overall health, wellness, and happiness. Seeing a veterinarian for pet allergies can help treat the cause and ensure your pet is happy and healthy. Our veterinary care team at Glen Eagles Pet Hospital & Urgent Care Clinic in Edmond, OK, is dedicated to helping treat pet allergies and all other pet health concerns.
What Are Pet Allergies?
Pet allergies result from over-reactivity or hypersensitivity of the pet’s immune system caused by an allergen. In pets, allergies are primarily caused by proteins from insects, animals, food, and plants. Continual exposure to allergens can create allergy symptoms, and seeing our veterinarian can help treat your pet’s allergies. In addition, chemicals and environmental elements may cause other allergies.
What Are the Symptoms of Pet Allergies?
Depending upon the cause of pet allergies, symptoms vary. Common allergy symptoms include itching skin, coughing, sneezing, and wheezing. In addition, some pets experience runny discharge from the eyes or nose. Pet allergy symptoms can sometimes affect the digestive system, causing vomiting and diarrhea.
How Common Are Pet Allergies?
Allergies are prevalent, especially among dogs. However, no specific breed suffers from allergies more than another. Most allergies start in pets after six months of age, with most pets showing symptoms at one or two.
What Are the Common Causes of Pet Allergies?
Multiple substances, including proteins and chemicals, can act as allergens causing pet allergies. Common allergens include pollen, mold spores, skin cells, insects, medications, and dust mites.
What Is a Flea and Insect Bite Allergy, and How Is it Treated?
Insect bites can exaggerate the inflammatory response in pets. Allergic reactions in pets may occur from the bites of spiders, ticks, fleas, deer flies, horseflies, mosquitoes, ants, bees, black flies, hornets, and wasps. Flea saliva is the most common insect allergy for dogs. This allergy is treated by providing flea and tick treatment plans, including medications and topical ointments.
Pet Allergies FAQ
At Glen Eagles Pet Hospital & Urgent Care Clinic in Edmond, we can diagnose and treat allergies in cats, dogs, and other animal companions. Our veterinarian hears great questions about pet allergies, including what causes them and how to recognize them. Read on to learn more.
What Are The Most Common Pet Allergies?
An allergy is an excessive reaction from the immune system to a substance called an allergen that doesn't normally cause problems in healthy pets. The cause isn't always known and any animal breed can be affected. Common triggers or causes of pet allergies include:
- Parasites and their waste, including dust mites and fleas
- Pollen and grass
- Household chemicals, like floor cleaners
- Certain medications
- Certain foods, such as eggs, dairy, and wheat products
What Are Signs of Pet Allergies?
An animal experiencing an allergy may exhibit the following signs:
- Waxy and sometimes foul-smelling discharge in the ears
- Frequent licking, biting, and scratching of different areas of the body, including the paws, muzzle, or nose
- Areas of skin that appear patchy, crusty, scaly, red, swollen, or irritated
- Unusual patchy hair loss
Pets experiencing food allergies may get better temporarily when given medication to treat skin problems but will develop signs and symptoms again as soon as the medication is stopped.
Like humans, animals can also experience severe allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis, which may present with warning signs such as hives or wheals, facial swelling, excess salivation, and trouble breathing. Severe allergic reactions in pets are life-threatening so call your local emergency veterinarian right away if your animal begins to exhibit any of these signs.
How Can I Help My Pet With Allergies?
There are several ways to help your pet with allergies. The most important thing to do is to bring your animal in for a comprehensive pet wellness exam with an experienced veterinarian. Using a physical exam, blood tests, and other techniques, our staff can diagnose your pet's allergy and prescribe an appropriate treatment plan.
We can also make recommendations on dietary modifications, medication changes, and supplements that will support your pet's healing. If your pet has an allergy, you should also take steps to reduce your pet's exposure to the allergen and support their overall well-being.
Itchy Skin & Ear infection
If you have pets, you know that they can get itchy skin & ear infections occasionally. It's common for there to be no obvious sign of what caused the problem. However, our veterinarian can sometimes help you figure out what caused the condition. Having itchy skin can be highly irritating to pets and disturb their quality of life. Getting ear infections can be painful, resulting in several symptoms. To help your pet with itchy skin & ear infections, call our office in Edmond, OK, to see the veterinarian for the problem.
Itchy Skin
Itchy skin often develops because of an allergy. Pets may react to something they have come into contact with and begin itching their skin. They may also have other symptoms, like a runny nose or watery eyes. If you have started using anything new lately, your pets may have come into contact with it, causing a reaction.
Did they come into contact with clothing or blankets? What about licking dishes? Did they get into anything they shouldn't have? It may also be something that your pet is eating or rolling in outside. For example, grass allergies are common in pets. If you can't find anything else, and they spend time outdoors, grass may be causing it. This allergy may be especially true if their feet are itchy. Several treatments can help with itchy skin, such as steroid injections and topical medications.
Ear Infections
Allergies often cause ear infections in pets. If your pets have spent time in the water, it could also be water trapped in the ears. Ear infections can be excruciating, and when left untreated, they can progress. There are also several good medications for ear infections that will clear up the infection effectively. Your pet may need liquid medicines placed in the ears every day for a while, or they may need a wax treatment applied to the ears if the infection is moderate to severe.
See Our Veterinarian about Itchy Skin & Ear Infection
When your pet suffers from either of these conditions, they need relief. You can call our Edmond, OK, office to visit our specialized veterinarian. They may need treatment to recover and have a better quality of life. Contact us at (405) 463-0600 to schedule an appointment today.
Schedule an Appointment with an Edmond, OK, Veterinarian
If your pet suffers from allergies, it is best to see veterinary treatment to determine the cause of the allergy and develop a treatment plan. The Glen Eagles Pet Hospital & Urgent Care Clinic veterinarian in Edmond, OK, is dedicated to relieving your pets from allergies. Call our office today at (405) 463-0600 to schedule an appointment and get your pet started on an allergy treatment plan.