Can dogs get allergies just like people?

It is common for dogs to get allergies just like people. There are different ways an allergy shows itself. Some allergic pets will have respiratory symptoms. Another form of allergy involves the digestive system, resulting in vomiting or diarrhea. The most common forms of allergy show up as skin problems.

What kinds of things can animals be allergic to?

Almost anything that an animal comes in contact with has the potential to produce an allergic response. The most common types of allergies in the dog are bacterial, contact, inhalant, flea, and food allergies.

Bacterial Allergies

Staph bacteria that are normally present in the environment can produce an allergic response in some dogs. The animal’s immune system should recognize the bacteria and keep it from creating a problem. However, in animals with poor immune system function, the bacteria can invade the deeper layers of the skin and cause an infection called pyoderma.

Symptoms: The signs can range from raised circular lesions to generalized flakiness and hair loss. Intense itching usually accompanies the condition. Staph allergies can also be secondary to some primary allergic condition. For example a dog that has a flea infestation will initially itch due to the allergic reaction from the fleas, then develop a Staph infection and itch from the bacterial infection as well as the flea infestation.

Contact Allergies

Contact allergies are not commonly seen in pets. This form of allergy is a local reaction to some type of chemical. Examples of contact allergy include reactions to flea products, Cedar dog beds, disinfectants, or any substance that may irritate the skin.

Treatment: Usually, removing the offending substance from the pet's environment will resolve the problem.

Inhalant Allergies

Inhalant allergy, or atopy, is the most common kind of allergy seen in pets. The condition is similar to hay fever in people, but the symptoms are manifested in the skin rather than the respiratory system. Dogs may be allergic to tree pollen, grass pollen, weed pollen, mold spores, and house dust mites. Allergies to plant pollens are usually seasonal. Mold and house dust can create problems anytime of the year.

Symptoms: Usually the same for any of the inhalant allergens. Dogs will typically scratch, shake their head, rub their ears or muzzle, or lick their feet.

Flea Allergy

Fleas are a common source of skin allergies in the dog. Before a female flea can reproduce, she needs take a blood meal from a host. Most commonly this is a dog or cat, but any mammal will do. When she bites the animal, she injects saliva into the skin so she can drink the blood. Some animals are extremely sensitive to flea saliva. Once they are bitten and start itching they are at increased risk for a secondary bacterial skin infection.

Treatment: The key to treating Flea Allergy is to get rid of the fleas.

Food Allergy

Food allergies can display themselves as skin problems, or as digestive system maladies. They usually take a long time to develop. The allergy can be to the protein source such as beef, chicken, or pork; or to carbohydrates such as rice, or wheat.

Symptoms: Diagnosing food allergies takes great patience. The animal needs to be switched to a food source that it has never eaten before; for example lamb and rice diet. It takes at least 12 weeks on the new food to determine if the old food was the problem.