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About five years ago, Gale Friedman noticed her Person Russell Terrier constantly licking his legs, which seemed very uncomfortable.
“Poor dog. I’ll put baby socks on his feet so he won’t lick or bit them,” said Friedman of Oak Brook, Illinois. “I was constantly changing my socks and washing my feet a lot. Nothing went well.”
Her dog companion, Mr. Friedman, was allergic to him.
It’s a common and tricky problem with pets – caused by a variety of things like pollen, dust, mold, chemicals, food, etc., but veterinarians say there are several ways to relieve their suffering.
What allergies do dogs and cats get?
Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to foreign bodies. Cats and dogs respond to many of the same things people do, just like pests like fleas.
Recent statistics on how many pets are allergic to them are inconclusive, but research suggests that the problems are on the rise.
“We’ve seen a lot of experience in the world,” said Dr. Karen Woodard, medical director at Thrive Pet Healthcare-Elmhurst in Illinois.
Approximately 90% of allergic pets respond to environmental triggers, with the rest being food allergies alone.
Particularly vulnerable breeds include various types of terriers, boxers and bulldogs. In cats, it is Persian, Siamese, Himalayans.
Pets are allergic to other animals, from dogs to dogs, dogs, cats, and other species.
“It’s possible that they’ll have an allergy to us, just like we do,” said Dr. Antria Elliot Schick of Scottsdale, Arizona, former president of the American College of Veterinary and Dermatology.
How can you tell if your pet has an allergy?
Allergic cats and dogs are less likely to sneeze or cough than humans. More often, they will injure themselves and lick them, shake their heads and develop ear infections.
Woodard said her teddy in Yorkie mix had classic signs – scratching around his shoulders, allowing him to get rashes and ear infections as a 6-month-old puppy. She lived in the south at the time and he tested positive for allergies to various trees and grass there.
A common indication of allergies in her cat patients is “too grooming.” “Cats should not pull their hair while grooming. So, even if the skin underneath the cat looks normal, if the cat starts to see an ald patch, it can be a sign of allergies.”
Often, food allergies to chicken, beef, lamb, or other protein sources often appear on the skin, but pets can also vomit and diarrhea.
In rare cases, pets can develop a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction, possibly after being bitten by an insect. However, most allergies are simply miserable for animals.
“It breaks my heart because I don’t only have socks to the poor Mr. Friedman (the poor Mr. humiliating to him, but sometimes I have to wear a cone of shame,” Gale Friedman said. “And that’s not fair because he can’t move around properly and sleep properly. It’s awful.”
It’s once again the season of allergies and you may always reach the tissue box. Below are five ways to prevent allergenic scents this year:
How can I help my pet?
The first step is to get a diagnosis from your veterinarian. This could include an allergy test, or, in the case of food allergies, an “elimination diet,” in which your pet feeds limited ingredients that he has not previously eaten.
If the allergy culprit is the environment, there are drugs that block chemical signals related to itching, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and new oral and injectable drugs for dogs. Food allergies can be treated with special diets, such as “hydrolyzed” foods, in which proteins are chemically broken down into small fragments.
All of this can be expensive. Friedman estimates he spent about $10,000 on testing, medication and care for another allergic dog.
However, veterinarians say there are ways to help pets at home by cleaning bedding frequently, wiping fur with wet towels and giving them a bath.
Outdoors, “They act mostly like Swifer, they take allergens to their skin, which is actually a problem,” Chic said. “We say that you’ll bathe your dog at least once a week if you have an allergy.”
After she tried almost everything, Friedman’s dog is still suffering from allergies. But they’re doing better.
“We’ll continue experimenting until something is found that will stop completely,” she said. “All you can do is try it.”
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The Associated Press School of Health Sciences is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institution’s Science and Education Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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