Is your dog or cat scratching more than usual? Licking their paws, losing hair, or having recurrent ear infections? Do they also have gastrointestinal signs like vomiting or soft stool? These signs either individually or all together may be consistent with an underlying allergy. These signs can happen year-round or only during certain seasons, depending on the cause of the allergy.
Many other health problems can look very similar. Fleas and other parasites, skin infections, and even endocrine disorders, cancers, and behavioral conditions can also cause itching, redness, hair loss, scabs, or rashes. Because of this, it’s important to have your pet examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause of the problem.
One type of allergy is environmental allergy, also called atopic dermatitis. Pets may react to things like pollen, grasses, mites, dust, or mold. Veterinarians usually diagnose environmental allergies after ruling out parasites and infections. In some cases, allergy testing may be recommended.
Food allergies can also occur in dogs and cats. To test for a food allergy, veterinarians often recommend a prescription hydrolyzed diet trial. This usually involves feeding only this diet for 8–12 weeks with no treats or table food. Elimination trials may also be performed. Improvement during the trial may help confirm a food allergy.
It’s helpful to have your pet on a once monthly, year-round preventative for fleas, ticks, lice, and mites to ensure they are not the cause. Infections should also be resolved prior to deciding long term treatment options. The good news is that many treatment options are available to help allergic pets feel more comfortable. Depending on your pet’s needs, treatment may include prescription medications, allergy injections, diets, medicated shampoos, or supplements such as omega-3 fish oils. While some over-the-counter antihistamines may help mildly affected pets, they are often not enough on their own.
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