Many dogs show allergy symptoms when spring arrives, this is due to the increase in pollen in the environment and the proliferation of plant foliage.
Knowing the causes of spring allergy can help us protect our dog against it or detect symptoms prematurely to avoid affecting it much.
There are even several treatments that we will talk about in Dogsis, some of them with a great degree of effectiveness and no side effect.
Index of contents
- 1 Symptoms of spring allergy
- 2 What to do if our dog has an allergy?
- 3 Treatments for canine allergy in spring
- 4 Does feeding influence?
Symptoms of spring allergy
In spring many things happen that are beyond our power, among which the appearance of different types of pollen and grasses in the air, the growth of many plant species harmful to dogs and even a hormonal alteration in the organism of most of mammals.
All of these seasonal changes can lead to serious allergies, which have similar symptoms:
- Excessive hair loss, caused by the moult that dogs do in spring but also accentuated by possible dermatological allergies.
- Redness of parts of the skin, such as the armpits, legs, ears or even the muzzle.
- Excessive scratching by our dog, caused by the itch that many skin allergies produce. Scratching further increases the redness of the skin and can cause injury.
- Vomiting and / or unjustified diarrhea, suddenly the usual diet seems to feel bad, and it really feels bad because of the spring allergy.
- Cough and sneezing, which can lead us to think that our dog has a cold or suffers from canine pneumoniaHowever, it is due to allergic reasons.
- Redness of the edges of the eyes, eyelids, etc … That can be confused with conjunctivitis or a similar infection, but which is actually caused by an allergy.
What to do if our dog has an allergy?
If we appreciate any of the symptoms or several, we must go to the vet to carry out the corresponding tests and verify that it is a case of stationary allergy and not a disease whose symptoms are similar.
Never, we should try to medicate the dog on our own, since depending on the origin of its allergy or disease, it will require a specific medication that requires a prescription.
There are no home tricks or magic cures, nor food supplements that can cure a spring allergy in dogs, it will be totally necessary to use the medication that the vet sends us.
Treatments for canine allergy in spring
Depending on the type of allergy that our dog has, the vet will prescribe a specific medication, although at general levels it is usually use a medicine called Apoquel or in more generic cases, Prednisone.
However, a new medicine has arrived in the veterinary world and it promises to revolutionize allergic treatments in dogs, due to its great effectiveness and, for the moment, no side effects.
It is Cytopoint, an injectable monoclonar antibody that eliminates allergic symptoms in dogs. A monthly prick will suffice to keep our dog fully protected against strong allergic reactions caused by external factors.
Does feeding influence?
Yes and no, if the allergy has any nutritional origin, obviously it influences, but if we are totally sure that it is caused by external factors such as the arrival of spring, food is not as influential.
However, it is good to clarify that a dog well fed with natural products such as the BARF diet, will always have a stronger and healthier immune system than a dog poorly fed with poor quality commercial feed.
There are food supplements that claim to reduce or eliminate allergic reactions in dogs, but since there is no scientific study to support it, we cannot and do not want to recommend them.