Fall allergy season is in full bloom. As the crops come off, dust (probably full of pesticides) blow right into my house and all over my car and yard. Not to mention the heightened amount of ragweed! My eyes get watery, and I tear right through a box of Puffs, but I’m not the only one affected; Caesar was bothered this year, as well, and boy did it make him itchy!
During the Fall of 2012, Caesar had his first run-in with Fall allergies. The hair around his eyes began to thin, he licked his feet non-stop, and he eventually felt so terrible he refused to step in the grass to potty. After a trip to the vet, we realized that Caesar was suffering from environmental allergies. Yep! Just like us, dogs can have allergies too.
There are a few tips and tricks I have learned by dealing with a dog who has environmental allergies. However, I am not a vet, so if you are concerned for your dog, the best way to know what is going on is by calling your local veterinarian to make sure what you are dealing with is in fact allergies and not something bigger.
Symptoms of environmental allergies
Dogs do not necessarily have the same symptoms as humans do when it comes to allergies. Rather than cough and sniffle, dogs lick, chew and scratch, which can result in hair loss.
When Caesar deals with allergies, he chews his feet and scratchs his face, resulting in thinned hair around his eyes and nose and thinned hair and red skin on his feet. Of course, there could be other symptoms as well depending on the allergen.
Other common signs of dog allergies can include:
- Bumps on the skin
- Runny nose
- Eye or ear infections
- Redness or irritation on the skin
- Swelling in the face including eyes, ears, and lips
What can you do?
In a perfect world, we would all be able to avoid the things that make our allergies flare up. However, if nature is the cause, it’s quite hard to avoid.
One way to help is to wash your dog’s feet each time they come inside. This helps clean off the allergen they may have picked up in the grass while outside. Dog’s are smart. Caesar eventually realized that the grass was making his feet itch and refused to go outside. After taking the time to wash is feet each and every time he came inside, his little paws quickly began to heal. To further soothe his skin, I also gave him an oatmeal bath once a week until his allergies cleared.
Because his feet looked so sad and sore, I picked up a soothing balm at the local pet store called “Fou-Stick Soothe.” This really seemed to help him. It’s like a giant chap stick and went on very easily for a dog that hates his feet touched. It’s meant to help soothe itchy and irritated skin. Its top ingredients are beeswax, aloe vera, coconut oil, and other oils.
Dogs can also take Benadryl, but I am always careful when giving my dogs over the counter pills. I typically opt for the options above before I turn to medication. The rule with Benadryl is 1mg per pound of dog given two to three times a day. So if you have a 25 pound dog, you can give them 25mg each time according to PetMD. Make sure you always check the dosage of the pills and the bottle to make sure that what you are giving your dog is only Benadryl which contains diphenhydramine. PetMD also warns that if your dog has a heart condition, high blood pressure, or glaucoma, you should ask your vet before giving them Benadryl. Of course, it’s always a good idea to ask your vet before giving any dog any over the counter medication.
I am not an expert. Just a dog-mom to two dogs that have taught me a lot. A lot of what is in this article is from my local veterinarian who I have visited more times than I’d care to count on topics such as environmental allergies. If you have serious questions about your dog’s health, contact your local veterinarian, who can also allergy test your dog to make sure allergies are the actual cause for your dog’s symptoms.