Friday, April 25, 2014

Does Your Dog Have Seasonal Allergies?

The answer in my house is a resounding YES!  I have terrible seasonal allergies (just like Ma and Daddy-dog).

Living in South Florida, it seems like something is always blooming so to say I have "seasonal" allergies is just silly.  Trees here start pollinating as early as December, with March being the BIG month for high pollen counts, and April and May bringing the end to the "season".  Basically, I am an itchy mess for 6 months.


What is an allergy?
Just like in humans, allergies are a hypersensitive immune response to substances that either enter or come into contact with the body.  In general, most allergens (the substance causing the reaction) are harmless even though the body reacts to it like it was a disease-causing cootie.

Here is a great infographic by VetDepot that shows common allergens and common allergy symptoms in pets:


How I Deal with My Allergies
I have not had all those fancy tests (skin scrapings, blood test) at the veterinarian to find out EXACTLY what I am allergic to but it is fairly obvious that I am allergic to pollen...lots of it...from all kinds of plants. 

When our "allergy season" starts, I start scratching away at myself and licking my paws day and night.  Ma usually catches it right away and starts me on daily doses of antihistamine, like Children's Benadryl, to stop the itch and reaction.  It makes me a little groggy but it does make the itching stop and any skin irritations dry up.

My friend Sugar the Golden Retriever told me about one of the best things for my itchy paws - PawZ Boots.  They keep the grass and pollen off my paws which helps hinder any sort of allergic reaction. 


During allergy season, I also get a lot of medicated baths.  My vet gave me a great medicated shampoo that helps stop the itching as well as helps heal my skin where I have scratched it raw.  I admit, I hate taking b-a-t-h-s but "a dog's gotta do, what a dog's gotta do" when he has allergies.  Of course, when my symptoms get really bad, we head right to the vet's office as any good dog should.

Does your dog have Seasonal Allergies?  How do you deal with it?


32 comments:

  1. Mr Reilly has severe allergies. He had the all the skin testing and was positive for 98 out of 100. We tried him for a year on the allergy injections that cost over $1000 but they didn't help as all. The only thing we have found that helps him is regular baths and the depo medryal shots every 3 weeks. There is a risk to having the shots but his quality of life is so much better. And then to add to it - he has the food allergies too..... I always carry none allergenic (sensitive) baby wipes with us and wipe his paws down after a walk...they really help too.

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    1. Yeah, I have food allergies too but now that we know them, we just avoid those foods completely. The single-protein, raw diet, helps to control them a LOT! I think we all have to do what is best for us when it comes to allergies...baths, medicine or shots. I am glad you have found something that works for you.

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  2. I've often wondered if Bailey suffers from the dust mites like I do.

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    1. Yeah, we wonder about that too. Ma hates doing laundry but she is forever washing all my bedding and hers just in case!

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  3. Nothing worse than allergies Oz and I am lucky as I don't have any but we know some poor doggies that do. Life can be difficult for them and their peeps. Have a fabulous Friday.
    Best wishes Molly

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    1. You are lucky, Molly. But you are right, life can be difficult with allergies...but you have to play the paw you're dealt, right?

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  4. Oh OZ :-( Sugar can relate. This year is a bit bad since Spring started late. No meds for Sugar, handling it naturally such as lots of BATHS! Sounds silly but Sugar is avoiding walking on grass too. SO glad the PawZ is helping you. Golden Woofs

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    1. I take the Benadryl because I am a tenacious scratcher which is not good. I have scratched my skin into open sores before so better to take the medicine. Of course, the baths really help too. I love the PawZ so thank you for introducing them to me!

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  5. Oh boy do I have allergies
    Lily & Edward

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    1. You poor dear, Lily. I feel your itchiness!

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  6. Oh yes, we know the allergies all too well. Sorry you have to deal with that :( Allergies are such a pain! I agree that the single protein, raw diet is one of the biggest helpers in battling Buster's allergies. A daily probiotic and fish oil are also really helpful. I like that infographic!

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    1. Fish oil is great for helping the skin, for sure! I like the infographic too which is why I wanted to share it.

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  7. I thought my hair loss was just old age.

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  8. Poor you, Oz. Thankfully none of our pets have allergies (at least so far). It's just me, the dog mama :-(

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    1. They are lucky Miss Sue. I'm sorry you have them...Ma and daddy-dog's have been bad this year,

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  9. Changing my diet to a LID food has helped alot. Since my allergies first showed up last May/June mom is waiting to see how I do this year when everything gets growing. I did seem a little itchie on Saturday after Dad mowed the grass but was fine the next day.
    hugs
    Greta
    Bailey & Hazel too

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  10. Oh yeah!!! I gots the allergies, butts it's not only seasonal, butts it's also a food allergy (we think), butts I can't change my food because when I try I gets REALLY bad colitis and the sickies, so Ma has given up tryin' to change my food.
    I take the Benadryl too, butts it doesn't make me sleepy AT ALL!! Ma is very disappointed in this fact...something abouts me bein' a hyperbutt, and she would REALLY love to have something to calm me down...pffffft!!!
    Anyhu, it's something we gots to live with right? So I am soooo glads you found your might attactive booties to help!!
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  11. Amazing how many dogs have allergies. Paws crossed as I type this, but none of us have allergies of any kind and we hope it stays that way. Mom had them really bad as a kid and took shots for five years to get rid of them. They came back when she was in Germany, but she started taking 1000mg of Vitamin D a day and they disappeared. Paws crossed that holds as well. Hope yours aren't too bad.

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  12. Aww! Allergies SUCK! Luckily my pets have none that I know of, but I have seen some who do, and it is not a fun situation!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  13. Vlad & Barkly don't have allergies, but I do--including allergies to dogs. One of the best things I've found is vacuuming them daily with the hose attachment. If it helps me, it might help Oz if you can get him to let you do it. I'll admit that it took some training to get our older dogs to do it waaaay back when; but with desensitization work, a lot of treats and slowly turning the hose into a tickle game, they got used to it, and eventually seemed to look forward to it. I also use a Lentek Koolatron Ionic Massaging brush on them, and it seems to attract quite a bit of dusty stuff from them as well, so I vacuum the under-plate on it. I guess if dust does get into the working part of it, it doesn't bother it because I've had this brush for 8 years. They even have ionic brushes now that are supposed to repel fleas.

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  14. I'm sorry you have allergies, my gang does not and I am so thankful for that. I hope you get some relief soon.

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  15. Unfortch, I have seasonal allergies too.

    My mom's beagle has them really bad. He's been to the vet numerous times and they can't seem to help him.

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  16. I don't have much allergies, but Baron gets them pretty bad from pollen. He has to get meds when he chews a bloody spot. He wears t-shirts to help keep pollen away from his skin.
    Hugs,
    Pepper

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  17. Yes Oz, I am allergic to everything! The vet did a blood test for me, I scored off the charts for 37 out of 40 allergens tested for. My itchies are starting now so mom is giving me Benadryl and Claritin. We use an all natural shampoo called Itchy Dog by Bobbi Panter it really soothes my skin. We tried shots and stopped them, there's a new drug Alpoquel that I wrote about and we plan to try that. So I understand completely what you are dealing with! Love Dolly

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  18. Yep, I's allergic to tons of stuff... it usta be worst in da Fall, but now they is mostly year-round. I usta take allergy shots and they helped some-- I don't get ear infections anymore and aren't so yeasty. Now I am on sublingual therapy for my allergies. Since I have a heart murmur I wuz born with, we don't want to do any immuno-suppressants like Alpoquel or Atopica.... they could lower my immune system and cause further heart problems, not to mention things like cancer. I've been to dermatologists and now go to a holistic vet and get supplements from him that help some-- that and lots of baths. Best I can hope for is what my vet calls "comfortably itchy".....

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  19. We are lucky we don't have allergies, but our Lady has a lot. We hope yours aren't too bad this year.

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  20. I get some allergies on my nearly naked belly once when some grasses are flowering. Your boots are great, it's good that we can cover our paws and haven't to stay at home in spring.

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  21. I fink me an Lola, do be lucky and dussnt got da allergees Oz my pal….muss be a p[ains…typist got da hay fever…he ate it….is mekkin him sneeze all da time...

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  22. Typists dog is allergic to daffodils which makes this time of year such fun!!

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  23. All of a sudden Freighter started sneezing with on and off runny nose. They said the snow mold was going to be terrible this year and we thought seasonal allergy. We have heard of other dogs who never have issues having them this year. Nothing is really growing or blooming here yet. But now Thunder and Storm are sneezing, and we think it may have been a bug. Ugg. We trotted Freighter all around this weekend and he probably took said bug along with him!

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  24. None of our current dogs have shown signs of allergies yet. Our beagle Kobi did though, and one thing we were told to try was to add local honey to his diet. It has to be local though, as those bees would be exposed to the same pollens as anyone living nearby would. We only got to try it for a short time, so I don't really know if it worked or not.
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier