Just like humans, pets can have allergies. Often, symptoms that pet owners notice in their pets can be attributed to an allergic reaction. It’s helpful to understand that an allergy is the body’s response to something that it deems harmful; sometimes even when it isn’t. Common triggers for pet allergies include pollen, grooming product ingredients, pet food ingredients, household items, and more. When allergy triggers like this are encountered by your pet, histamines are produced, as well as excess white blood cells. This reaction in your pet’s body is what presents as allergy symptoms.
Common Pet Allergy Symptoms
As a pet owner, you’re on the frontline of defense, able to identify pet allergy symptoms in your pet. Just by being aware and knowledgeable about what to look for, you can help ensure that your pet gets expedient care from our team at Branch's Veterinary Clinic of Tifton for the allergy. Here are some of the most common pet allergy symptoms to be aware of:
- Chronic bouts of sneezing
- Scratching of the ears
- Scratching the body
- Runny nose
- Fluid excretion from the eyes
- Lethargy
- Food avoidance
- Skin rash
- Spots of fur loss/bald patches
- Mood changes
- Wheezing
Many of these symptoms are quite worrying for a pet owner to witness, but we have many treatment options for pet allergies, including special pet dermatology treatment. The sooner you bring your pet in for allergy testing, the sooner the treatment can start working.
Dangers of Pet Allergies
Although pets are similar to humans in terms of having allergies, they don’t have the same ability to let you know what’s causing the problem. Therefore, you could inadvertently be subjecting your pet to an allergen on a daily basis without realizing it. Another danger of allergies is internal reactions. Not every symptom is visible on the outside.
The allergen may be causing internal damage to your pet’s biological system, such as the intestines, stomach lining, esophagus, etc. Many pet allergies—particularly those that are related to diet—cause diarrhea, which is not only uncomfortable and messy but can quickly cause dehydration. In turn, dehydration can cause an array of complications that put your pet’s health in jeopardy.
We Can Help With Pet Allergies
Visit our team at Branch's Veterinary Clinic of Tifton. Let us know what symptoms your pet has been displaying. Using that information, plus diagnostic pet allergy testing that we have available, we can determine what the cause of the allergy may be. Based on the assessment, we can offer recommendations for changes in the home, treatment options, and follow-up care.
Don’t assume that your pet’s allergies will go away with the changing season because often they don’t. Instead, bring your pet in for allergy testing and treatment. It’s a simple matter that will help your dog return to his comfort zone and give you peace of mind that your dog is as healthy as possible. Call our team today at (229) 382-6055 to learn more or to schedule an appointment.
