Pets commonly have allergies, but their signs are different from humans’ signs. By answering some frequently asked questions about pet allergies, our team at Caldwell Animal Hospital wants to help you be prepared if your pet shows allergy signs.

Question: What are common pet allergies?

Answer: Pets can be allergic to anything, but they are most commonly allergic to fleas, environmental allergens, and food ingredients. Many pet owners are concerned that their pet’s food is causing the allergic signs, but food allergies actually affect only about 0.2% of dogs and 0.1% of cats, and flea and environmental allergies are much more common.

Q: What signs do allergic pets exhibit?

A: Most allergy-affected pets have excessively itchy skin, and signs include obsessive scratching, chewing, licking, and rubbing. Secondary skin and ear infections are common, and pets with food allergies may exhibit gastrointestinal signs (e.g., diarrhea, chronic gas). Skin lesions and hair loss may also occur on any body area, depending on the allergy type. Other signs include:

  • Flea allergy — Pets typically have skin lesions and hair loss at their tail base, and on their neck and face.
  • Environmental allergy — Lesions typically occur in areas such as your pet’s ears, feet, abdomen, muzzle, armpits, groin, and around their eyes.
  • Food allergy — In dogs, skin lesions typically are seen in areas such as their ears and paws, while cats often have skin lesions on their head and neck.

Q: How are pet allergies diagnosed?

A: Since allergy types often cause similar signs, diagnosing the cause of your pet’s allergy can be difficult, and usually requires several steps, including:

  • Checking for fleas — If your veterinarian finds a flea on your pet when they are scratching excessively, they will strongly suspect a flea allergy. Fleas are small, brown, wingless insects that can be easily spotted moving in your pet’s coat. However, many pets are obsessive about grooming away fleas, and finding a flea may be difficult. Flea dirt (i.e., small black flecks) on your pet or in their bedding should make you suspect your pet has a flea allergy.  
  • Diagnosing atopy — If your pet is flea-free, your veterinarian may treat their clinical signs with medications. If their signs improve, your veterinarian may suspect an environmental allergy (i.e., atopy).
  • Performing a dietary elimination trial — If your pet is flea-free, and they don’t respond to empirical treatment for environmental allergies, your veterinarian is likely to place your pet on a six- to eight-week dietary elimination trial to rule out a food allergy. The novel diet will include ingredients your pet has never eaten. 
  • Trying a hydrolyzed diet — Your veterinarian may recommend placing your pet on a hydrolyzed diet, in which the protein is broken down to a small size, and the immune system can no longer recognize the ingredient as a threat. 
  • Returning to their original diet — If your pet’s signs resolve, your veterinarian will challenge your pet with their original diet. If your pet’s allergy signs return, your veterinarian will diagnose a food allergy and then determine the problem ingredient. They will put your pet on the trial diet until their signs resolve, and then challenge your pet with each ingredient from their original diet until they identify the offending ingredient. 

Q: Can my pet undergo allergy testing?

A: Allergy testing can be used to determine your pet’s allergy cause, so specific hyposensitization therapy can be created. Intradermal skin tests or blood tests determine which environmental allergens are causing your pet’s reaction. Veterinary professionals use these results to create hyposensitization medication that your pet receives in gradually increasing doses to desensitize them to the allergen. This method is successful in up to 75% of pets.

Q: How are pet allergies treated?

A: Treatment depends on what is causing the pet’s allergy.

  • Flea allergy — Treatment involves removing all fleas from your pet’s coat and environment (i.e., by bathing, flea combing, eradicating fleas from your home and yard, and providing year-round flea prevention medication). 
  • Environmental allergy — Hyposensitization therapy is the gold standard for atopic pet treatment. Other medications may control acute allergic flares and manage pets until the hyposensitization reaches full effect. These include:
  • Steroids — These medications can control acute skin inflammation, but can be dangerous when used long-term, so should be administered at the lowest dose possible, and then gradually tapered off and discontinued.
  • Anti-itch medications — Several medications can help relieve your pet’s excessive itchiness.
  • Regular bathing — Bathing helps remove allergens from your pet’s skin, decreasing the inflammation.
  • Supplements — Omega-3 fatty acid supplements improve skin health and decrease signs.
  • Food allergy — Medications can control a flare, but the best way to prevent signs is to never feed your pet the reaction-causing ingredient. 

Your allergic pet can feel extreme distress from excessive itchiness. Work with our veterinary professionals to identify the culprit, and relieve your pet’s suffering. If your pet is exhibiting allergy signs, contact our team at Caldwell Animal Hospital, so we can help alleviate their discomfort.