Stop the itching – What you need to know about allergies in dogs

Common allergy symptoms

6 common contact allergens (Source: Petarmor)

What are the symptoms?

Atopic allergies typically result in itchy skin and therefore the most common signs are scratching and chewing of the armpits, between the hind legs and abdomen, the face and the ears. Affected dogs will often lick, or even chew, their feet.

You will observe redness in the affected areas, and the dog’s continual licking and scratching at the site only makes it further inflamed. This can lead to bacterial infections on the skin and the ears. Check your dog’s ears by pulling back the ear flap and looking for redness and discharge.

Typically these symptoms start between 1 and 3 years of age, however onset can occur from as early as 4 months to as late as 7 years of age.

Some of the common allergenic plants are Wandering Jew, Ragweed, Sorrel, Dock, Clover, Kikuyu, Papsalum, Fescue, Privet, Pine Oak, Birch and Couch grass.

The only way to tell which of these your dog is allergic to is to perform allergy testing at the vet.

How can Atopic Dermatits be treated?

Like many allergies, Atopic Dermatitis is a life-long condition that can’t be cured, however it can be managed in a few different ways:

• Anti-itch medications include anti-histamines, corticosteroids, antibiotics (to treat bacterial infections), medicated shampoos, conditioners and skin lotions or creams. Before using medication, always consult your vet for advice on what to use and how to use it, and be mindful of any potential side effects.
• While this isn’t often possible when it comes to environmental allergens, try to remove the source of the allergy as much as you can. Unfortunately, pollens can be carried up to 80km in the air, and dust mites are everywhere. If you can’t avoid the allergen, wipe or wash your dog’s paws to manually to remove allergens after walks and hikes. In addition to this, you can remove the allergenic weeds from your backyard.
• If the symptoms are mild and/or very occasional, you can prevent your dog from scratching by using an Elizabethan collar, socks or t-shirt to reduce the risk of infection.
• Hyposensitation therapy (allergy “vaccine” shots) is the administration of a series of injections by which your dog will gradually become desensitised to the targeted allergens. The effectiveness of this treatment can vary; however, in 75% of pets some relief has been recognised.
• Supplements such as biotin and omega-3 oils have a natural anti-inflammatory effect and may suppress itching and support coat health.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis

What it is?

Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is also called “flea bite hypersensitivity”, and is an allergic reaction to flea saliva. Not many fleas are needed to cause a dog to experience intense itching. It is the most common allergic reaction in dogs, with about 50% of dogs suffer from FAD.

In rare cases, dogs have been found to be allergic to other insects such as mosquitos and midges.

What are the symptoms?

Dogs that are allergic to fleas will chew and bite their backs, back legs, bellies or tails – sometimes even until it bleeds! The skin often becomes red, raw and painful and you may even see little flecks of flea dirt (which is flea poo). Flea bites often lead to hot spots – red, inflamed and/or infected lesions on the skin –  due to the trauma from dogs chewing themselves in trying relieve their intense itching.

Flea dirt or poo (source: https://designerdoginfo.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/controlling-and-treating-fleas-on-your-dog-part-2/)	Dog with so called “Hot Spot” caused by skin trauma from excessive scratching and licking (Source: Rover.com)
Flea bites (Source: West Coast Vets NZ)	Flea bites (Source: West Coast Vets NZ)

How can it be treated?

The most effective method is to be very diligent and use products to kill and prevent fleas from infesting your dog. As fleas are pretty much everywhere, it is almost impossible for your dog not to have fleas unless you are using a good-quality flea control product all year around.

There are many efficient and convenient products available, but it’s always advisable to ask your vet for advice. Your vet may prescribe steroids and antihistamines to break the cycle of itching and scratching. Regular warm baths with medicated anti-itch shampoo and conditioner can also help.

You should also vacuum regularly and wash your pet’s bedding frequently in hot water (>60 degrees celsius).

Be aware of possible flea exposures if you have other dogs visiting (especially if you don’t know whether they are on flea control or not) or if your dog visits places where there are other dogs, such as dog boarding, doggy daycare and dog parks.

Flea prevention all year round is really important, and even more so if your dog has FAD. Once you have a flea infestation on your dog and in your home, it becomes a nightmare and is very difficult to resolve. Make sure all other pets in the household are also treated.

Using a flea comb may help to find out if your dog has fleas, however, fleas are tricky to find as they are good at hiding and running away to escaping the comb. Also, only 5% of fleas actually live on the dog; the remaining 95% ( including the eggs, larvae and pupae) live in the environment (e.g. bedding, parks, carpets, gaps in floorboards and garden).

Click here to learn more more about how to control fleas.