Common Dog Allergies
This page looks at common dog allergies - dog skin allergies (canine atopic dermatitis), dog
flea allergies (flea allergy dermatitis), contact dermatitis, and dog food allergies.
If your dog is constantly scratching, chewing, and licking, he may be suffering from some form of allergy.
In recent years, the number of dogs suffering from dog allergies has increased dramatically. At the same
time, many dogs have been mis-diagnosed as having allergies when in fact they are suffering from
something else. Because of the mis-diagnosis, they have been put on the wrong medication (usually
corticosteriods) and sometimes suffer from side effects of such medication.
It is therefore extremely important that we educate ourselves as much as we can about canine allergies.
To help you understand more about allergies in dogs, the following pages have been compiled.
On this page, you will find information on the following topics:
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What are "canine allergies"?
Why do some dogs get allergies while others don't?
How do allergy symptoms develop?
What are some common dog allergies?
Also visit these pages for more information on:
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Canine atopic dermatitis (canine atopy)
Flea allergies in dogs (flea allergy dermatitis)
Dog food allergies
How to treat dog allergies
Prednisone for dogs
Antihistamines for dogs
Allergy shots for dogs
Natural allergy relief for dogs
What are "Canine Allergies"?
Canine allergies are basically symptoms manifested as a result of a
dog's immune system working hard to get rid of outside substances.
These substances - allergens - can be anything (natural or artificial,
organic or inorganic), and they can be found in a lot of places and
things, such as food, in our homes, and in the environment. They can
cause allergic reactions after being ingested, inhaled or absorbed.
Usually, canine allergies are manifested in three ways. The most
common is itching and inflammation of the skin which can either be
limited to one area (localized) or all over the body (generalized).
Another manifestation involves the respiratory system and may result in coughing, sneezing, and/or
wheezing. Nasal and/or eye discharge may also be present. Finally, sometimes dog allergies involve the
digestive system, resulting in vomiting or diarrhea.
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Why do Some Dogs Get Allergies While Others Don't?
Allergies in dogs come, first and foremost, from the "inside", rather than from outside allergens. These
days dogs are exposed to a lot of allergens. However, not all dogs develop symptoms of allergies. Those
who do are often pets with problems from the "inside", for example, dogs with an already weakened
immune system, hormonal imbalance, bacterial or fungal infections, or those with emotional stress due
to boredom, a lack of exercise, etc. When exposed to outside allergy-causing factors, (such as fleas, poor
quality food, environmental toxins, over vaccination), these dogs are more prone to develop symptoms
of dog allergies.
If your pet shows dog allergy symptoms, it is very important that you consult your vet and ask that a
thorough check-up (skin and blood tests) be carried out to identify the "inside" cause of the allergy.
Finding out the inside "root" problem and getting rid of that problem will strengthen the overall health
of your dog, making her more resistant against the outside allergens.
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How do Allergy Symptoms Develop?
The hallmark symptoms of common dog allergies include itchiness and inflammation of the skin. These
symptoms occur when the dog's allergen-specific IgE antiboides release some chemicals that cause the
symptoms. The exact mechanism is rather complex. Here is a simplified explanation:
When a dog is exposed to an allergen (e.g. fleas, pollen), IgE antibodies are formed by the dog's white
blood cells. The IgE antibody attaches to a tissue cell called a mast cell. The next time the dog is exposed
to the allergen, the allergen attaches to the IgE antibody-mast cell combination. When that happens, the
mast cell sort of "explodes" and releases chemicals within the cell and cell membrane. These chemicals
include, among others, histamine and various prostaglandins which are responsible for causing the
clinical signs of common dog allergies including itching and inflammation.
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What are Some Common Dog Allergies?
Common dog allergies include:
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Canine Atopic Dermatitis
One of the most common dog allergies is canine atopic dermatitis, aka canine atopy. Canine
atopic dermatitis is a genetic inflammatory skin disorder, in which the dog becomes sensitized
to environmental allergens (such as pollens, molds, house dust mites, etc.) Depending on the
allergens, canine atopy can be seasonal (e.g. pollen allergies) or it can be year round (e.g. house
dust mites, molds, etc.) Allergies usually occur within 1 to 3 years of a dog being exposed to
continual environmental allergens.
(Visit Canine Atopic Dermatitis for more information.)
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Dog Flea Allergies
Flea allergy dermatitis, aka dog flea allergies, used to be one of the most common dog allergies.
However, with more flea control products available to dog parents, the incidence of flea
allergies in dogs has decreased substantially.
The cause of flea allergy dermatitis is the saliva of the flea which contains a number of chemicals
that can induce an allergic response in dogs.
(Visit Flea Allergies in Dogs for more information.)
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Dog Food Allergies
Compared to canine atopy and flea dermatitis, true food allergies in dogs are rather rare,
accounting for less than 10 percent of cases referred to veterinarians.
Canine food allergies result when a dog develops allergic reactions to one or more ingredients in
his food. It causes intense itching to the allergic dog.
Suspect dog food allergies if your dog shows allergy symptoms all year round and does not
respond to anti-inflammatory and anti-itching medications such as corticosteroids.
To diagnose dog food allergies, you need to feed your dog an "elimination diet", the purpose of
which is to ban all protein that the dog has eaten before in order to isolate and identify the
allergen.
(Visit Canine Food Allergies for more information.)
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Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is rare in dogs and is caused by direct skin contact with an allergen. Contact
dermatitis usually causes sudden onset of skin reactions such as itching, rashes, and hair loss.
Common culprits that may cause contact dermatitis in dogs are chemicals found in some flea
collars, soaps and disinfectants, weed killer, fertilizers, and insecticides. If your dog shows
symptoms such as hair loss, redness, and/or inflammation around the neck shortly after
beginning to wear a flea collar, chances are she is allergic to the collar. Soaps and gardening
chemicals can cause allergic reactions on the skin that can easily contact the ground, such as the
"armpits", and the stomach and groin areas. Sometimes, the dog may also develop mouth
lesions if she licks the affected areas.
As mentioned above, not all itchy dogs are suffering from allergies. Be sure to visit our page on Dog Skin
Irritations to see what other problems can also cause your dog to itch.
Skin problems helped with calendula oil
My dog, a Border Collie/Aussie mix, gets rashes from the heat, bug bites and allergic reactions to plants
he runs through. I have found Calendula oil works really great. It helps clear up many of his rashes and
skin irritations in just a few days. Since it is safe for babies to eat, it is safe for pets to lick off. And you
know whatever you put on your dog or cat they WILL lick it off, as soon as you are not looking.
Calendula will heal from the inside out when they eat it. I use Avena Botanicals Calendula oil which is
made with organic olive oil and organically grown Calendula flowers and nothing else. I am going to try
infusing my own olive oil this summer since I am growing Calendula flowers in my garden.