Common Dog Allergies
The common dog allergies are, by all accounts, becoming an ever increasing feature in the general canine population. While there are some breeds that tend to be more likely to suffer from allergies than others, there are several common dog allergies that can be found in any breed.
Common Dog Allergies
Probably the most common dog allergy is the…..
Flea Allergy
The cause of one of the most common dog skin allergies is our friend the common house flea (C.felis). These guys have been around a couple of million years and have survived to pester the dog population in particular.
In this case the dog’s immune system reacts to one or more chemical substances in the saliva of the flea which the dog is exposed to when the flea bites the dog. To make matters worse for the poor dog, Flea Allergy Dermatitis encompasses both immediate and delayed type hypersensitivity reactions – so they start itching soon after the bite and the itching goes on for a long time (weeks/months) – even if every flea in that dog’s environment is removed!
Which of course is unlikely so they tend to be bitten over and over, especially during the summer months when the flea life cycle is very short – which leads to prolonged scratching on the part of the allergic dog and usually some serious skin damage.
A word of caution here – not all dogs with itchy skin and fleas have flea allergic dermatitis! In other words,many dogs tolerate a good number of fleas on them without showing any signs of an allergic reaction. Yet another reason why treating dog allergies is not usually a straight forward undertaking!
Other Common Dog Allergies
Canine Atopy
This is probably the second most common type of Dog Allergy and has a definite hereditary component. Atopy is typically an allergic reaction sparked by the dog breathing in the offending allergen – usually pollens (and therefore often shows a seasonal occurrence initially) but later this can expand to other inhalants like house dust, molds, feather dander etc.
When the dog starts reacting to more than pollens then the condition tends to become a year round occurrence.
Breeds that are most susceptible to this type of allergy include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers,Dalmations, Setters, Fox and West Highland Terriers, Boxers and Bulldogs amongst others.
Common symptoms include itchiness of the skin, sneezing, paw licking and watery eyes but can progress to a whole range of symptoms that result from continuous scratching – hair loss, secondary bacterial skin infections and eventually a dark, thick pigmented skin with all sorts of complications.
Dog Food Allergies
This is probably the most difficult of the common canine allergies to accurately diagnose as the signs are similar to both the other common dog allergies (described above), with severe itching being a prominent symptom together with a skin rash.
Dogs of all ages can develop a food allergy and there is an almost unlimited number and types of food that they can develop allergies against. Some of the foods that can play a role in the more common dog food allergies include beef, pork, fish, milk, eggs, grains, soy products and even dietary additives!
The bottom line is that if they eat it, they can become allergic to it – and so trying to identify the exact food or ingredient that is causing the allergic reaction can be very challenging indeed!
A last word on Common Dog Allergies
While common dog allergies are just that – pretty common, we must remember that ALL allergies in dogs tend to show up as skin problems which can confuse things no end.
Also one needs to remember that a dog can be allergic to more than one thing at the same time.
In fact this is the more common situation in dogs with allergies – once they develop an allergy to one thing, they are more likely to develop other allergies over time.
So the common dog allergies can evolve into something far more complicated than an allergy to a single allergen.
This leads to the situation where often the most common dog allergies actually mask other allergies which can be very frustrating when it comes to trying to treat the dog.
On the plus side however, if you do recognize one of the common dog allergies as being a part of the problem, then removing the cause of that allergy will often reduce the overall allergic effect and your dog will be far more comfortable, even if the other allergies are still present.
Find out more about other common dog allergies and Allergies in Dogs in general.
