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Dogs can suffer from seasonal allergies just like humans, and that includes having fall allergies. Learn about what causes allergies, common allergy triggers in autumn, and what you can do to help your dog.
As many as one in five dogs will suffer from allergies, and most dogs develop them when they’re around one to two years old. Dogs can be allergic to numerous things, including foods, things in the environment, and even parasites like fleas. Allergy symptoms in dogs can be devastating—they get so itchy it can be tough for them to enjoy their favorite activities. Fall allergies are often because of things like pollen and mold, but there are things you can do to help a suffering dog.
What Causes Allergies
Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to a harmless substance and treats it like a dangerous invader. To protect itself, the body produces histamines to neutralize the threat, and this causes the most common allergy symptoms. In dogs, these symptoms include:
- Itchy skin, ears, and paws
- Excessive scratching
- Paw licking
- Hair loss
- Rash
- Skin and ear infections
- Coughing or wheezing
- Watery eyes
Dogs can suffer from skin allergies (most often from flea bites), food allergies, and environmental allergies.
Fall Allergy Triggers in Dogs
Seasonal allergies happen because of things that appear in the environment at certain times of the year. For example, mold is a common trigger of fall allergies because when the leaves fall to the ground and start to decompose, mold grows on them. Other allergy triggers in autumn include:
- Pollen
- Dust mites
- Ragweed
- Sagebrush
- Pigweed
- Goldenrod
- Lamb’s quarters
How to Treat Symptoms
The best way to treat allergies in dogs is with a multi-faceted approach that can include avoiding triggers when possible, steroids, antihistamines, allergy shots, medicated baths, antibiotics for infections, and medications that suppress itchiness and inflammation. Your veterinarian can assess your dog and come up with a treatment plan.
A Natural Way to Fight Fall Allergies
PointPet’s Allergy Plus Calming Formula is made with 13 powerful, active natural ingredients that fight fall allergy symptoms by soothing the skin, helping to maintain normal histamine levels, supporting the immune system and skin health, and promoting calm and relaxation. No matter what your dog is allergic to, the Allergy Plus Calming Formula helps to fight the symptoms of seasonal, skin, and food allergies so that your dog can stop scratching and get back to doing the things they love!
Visit PointPet to learn more about relieving fall allergies in your dog.
The post Understanding Fall Allergies in Dogs appeared first on Animal Wellness Magazine.
