pets with allergies

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Did you know that over 1 million dogs and pets in Canada suffer from Seasonal Allergies and it’s alot harder to treat.

Prevalence

Dogs and cats can be allergic to pollen, mold, dust mites and many other substances in their environment. These seasonal allergies in pets causes intensely itchy skin condition called Atopic Dermatitis (Atopy). This condition is the cause of a great deal of suffering for 1 in 7 dogs in Canada and occurs in cats as well but is less common.

Allergies occur when the body makes an exaggerated response to environmental proteins and allergens. Unlike humans whose allergy symptoms usually involve the respiratory tract, allergies in dogs and cats more often take the form of skin irritation

 

or inflammation – a condition called allergic dermatitis.

If your pet has allergies, their skin will become very itchy. Your pet will start scratching themselves excessively, rub their faces along the furniture, bite or chew at certain areas of their body, lick their feet, or repeatedly scoot their bottoms across the floor. If cats suffer from allergies, they may lick themselves excessively and even pull out clumps of hair.

There is a progression of symptoms that occurs as animals age and if left untreated symptoms can worsen until they occur year round.

How allergies affect your pet

Animals don’t speak, so understanding how allergies affect them is important.

Effect #1 – Itching

If your pet has allergies, their skin will become very itchy. She’ll start scratching excessively, and might bite or chew at certain areas of her body. She may rub herself against vertical surfaces like furniture, or she may rub her face against the carpet. She’s trying to relieve the miserable itchiness by any means possible.

As the itch-scratch cycle continues, the animals skin will become inflamed and tender to the touch. Other signs of allergic dermatitis include areas of hair loss, open sores on the skin, and scabbing.

 

Effect #2 – Hot Spots

Hot spots can develop as well in dogs (hot spots are rarely seen in cats). A hot spot is inflamed, infected skin that occurs when your dog’s natural bacteria overwhelms an area of his skin. Typically the skin will be very red, and often there is bleeding and hair loss.

Effect #3 – Ear Infections

Pets with allergies also often have problems with their ears – especially dogs. The ear canals may be itchy and inflamed as part of a generalized allergic response, or they may grow infected with yeast or bacteria.

Signs your pet’s ears are giving them problems include scratching at the ears, head shaking, and hair loss around the ears. If infection is present there will often be an odor and a discharge from the ears.

 

Effect #4 – Hair Loss

Sometimes there is hair loss, which can be patchy or inconsistent over the body leaving a mottled appearance. The skin itself may be dry and crusty, reddened, or oily depending on the dog. It is very common to get secondary bacterial infections of the skin due to these self-inflicted lesions.

studies

There are many studies that support these findings.

How to help your pets with allergies

It’s a little harder for dogs and cats with environmental allergies to avoid the elements. Fortunately, our experts offer cool tips to help keep hot spots and other problems at bay during allergy season. Itchy pets are hard to ignore. “Owners say ‘they kept me up all night because every five minutes they were chewing, chewing, chewing,”…

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Role of genetics and the environment in the pathogenesis of canine atopic dermatitis

Canine atopic dermatitis is a heritable disease, in which interaction with environmental factors influences disease risk and phenotype. A study of British guide dogs indicated that nearly 50% of the risk of developing AD was determined by an individual’s genotype…

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Impact of canine atopic dermatitis on the health-related quality of life

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic or chronically relapsing human and canine skin disease that adversely affects the quality of life of affected individuals. The impact of the disease on affected children and their parents has been extensively studied, but very little is known…

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Feline atopic dermatitis: A retrospective study of 45 cases

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is recognized as a common cause of pruritus in cats, but it remains incompletely characterized. The aim of the study was to evaluate cases of confirmed feline AD. Fourty-five cats from a dermatology referral practice. A retrospective case record review was carried out using strict diagnostic criteria…

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How to improve the quality of life of your animal

Tips and Tricks

Know what is in the air

Enroll in our personalized reporting system for your pet. Get daily pollen forecasts specifically tailored to your pet’s allergies. You can also use our calendar system to log reports on your animal’s symptoms. This way you can monitor activities and be aware of conditions your animal is facing daily. Download the app now on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or click here for more info.

Foot bath

Give your pet a foot bath when you come back inside. This may feel like a lot of work, however our pollen report can help reduce the need for these activities by knowing what is in the air.

Clean area where they are

Keep the spots in your place where your pet(s) spend(s) most of their time as free from allergens as possible. Best way to accomplish this is by cleaning and vacuuming the floors and your pet(s) bedding on a regular basis using non-toxic house cleaning agents.

Pets treats

Use treats without meat and common grains (these can cause/exasperate allergic reactions) in your pet.

Best time to walk your pet

Pollen levels are usually the lowest in the evening, which is a great time to walk your pet.

GET OUR FREE POLLEN ALERT APP FOR PETS

Download the apps now through the APPLE APP STORE and GOOGLE PLAY STORE.

click here to learn more