Does My Dog Have Allergies? Signs and Treatments

If you’re lucky enough to own a dog, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen them scratching, licking, and pawing at themselves. While each of these things is completely normal on occasion and in moderation, it can be concerning if you see them doing it more often than usual. Immediately, your mind goes to the worst possible scenarios of diseases, ticks, and parasites. 

While each of these things is a possibility, it’s more likely that your dog is having an allergic reaction. I know. You’re probably thinking that dogs are tough, durable animals and there’s no way they can be allergic to something. Unfortunately, this type of thinking couldn’t be further from the truth and could put your dog's health in jeopardy if you don’t change it. 

1. Do Dogs Have Allergies? 
2. Different Types of Dog Allergies
3. Signs and Symptoms That Your Dog has Allergies 
4. Testing for Dog Allergies 
5. Treatment Options for Dog Allergies 
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Do Dogs Have Allergies? 

Not only can dogs have allergies, but they’re actually just as likely if not more so to have allergies than humans. Dog allergies are slightly different from human allergies, but they affect your furry friend in very similar ways. They experience discomfort, itchiness, pain, rashes, and all the typical signs of having an allergy. However, because of their fur and inability to articulate what they’re going through, it’s tough to know if your dog has an allergy or some other issue. 

Different Types of Dog Allergies 

In general, there are three different types of allergies that dogs can have. 

Skin 

Skin allergies, also known as allergic or atopic dermatitis, are the most common type of allergies in dogs. In most cases, your dog will have an allergic reaction because of a flea, tick, mosquito, or other type of insect bite. It’s possible for dogs to be allergic to the saliva of these insects.

However, skin allergies can also result from something that your dog comes in contact with or something they’ve eaten. 

Food

Right after skin allergies, food allergies are the second most common type of dog allergy. Contrary to what you may think, not all dogs have stomachs of steel and can eat anything you put in front of them. Depending on the type of dog food that you have, your dog might be allergic to one or more of the ingredients. 

The tricky part about food allergies is that the most prevalent symptoms will appear on the skin and fur of your dog. For that reason, it’s easy to assume that something other than food is responsible for the allergy. However, this isn’t always the case, and it can definitely be because of something in their food. 

Environment

Environmental allergies are some of the most common types of allergies in humans and dogs alike. Whether it’s pollen, dust mites, moldy spores, or anything else floating around in the air, there’s a chance that your dog is allergic to it. 

Signs and Symptoms That Your Dog has Allergies 

Regardless of the type of allergy that your dog has, the signs and symptoms are often the same. The most prevalent sign that your dog has allergies is that it’ll scratch or lick itself profusely. However, here are a few of the other common signs of a dog allergy. 

• Patchy skin 
• Missing sections of fur 
• Rash or redness on the skin 
• Excessive licking of the paws 
• Swelling of the lips, face, paws, or ears 
• Running nose 
• Itchy, runny eyes 
• Rubbing of the face
• Sneezing 
• Coughing 

These are a lot of signs to watch out for, but it’s important that you do so. Otherwise, your dog will live their entire life in discomfort because of an undiagnosed allergy. 

Testing for Dog Allergies 

As with humans, there are several different ways to definitively test for allergies in dogs. For the sake of time, however, we’ll look at the two most common, conclusive, and least invasive. 

Process of Elimination 

If you think that you have an allergy but don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars running tests, it’s common to try a process of elimination. Slowly but surely, you eliminate different things from your diet, try different soaps and lotions, and eliminate things from the air around you. If you notice your symptoms getting better after eliminating a certain thing, there’s a good chance that it was the cause of your allergy. 

The same holds true with dogs. By using a process of elimination, there’s a good chance that you can peg down what’s ailing your pooch. 

Blood Tests 

If you want to use a more definitive and quicker form of testing, you can also take your dog to a vet for blood tests. Blood draws for dogs are quick and mostly painless, and there’s a good chance they won’t feel a thing. Your vet will then run your dog’s blood through a series of tests to determine if there’s an allergy, and what’s causing it. 

Treatment Options for Dog Allergies 

When it comes to treating dogs with allergies, the process is very similar to how humans are treated for allergies. However, before you can start the treatment process, you must take note of your dogs' discomfort and take them to your local vet or animal hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment. 

1. Your dog may need steroid creams and injections to treat the symptoms of its allergy. 
2. You should start using special, medication soaps and shampoos when you bathe your dog. 
3. Rubbing special lotions and oils on your dogs' fur will help them regrow fur faster and relieve symptoms of itching. 
4. Allergy medications prescribed by your vet will be very effective at helping your dog in its recovery. 

If you’re lucky enough to have GoodCharlie Energy as your retail electric provider, dog allergies won’t seem as daunting. Thanks to 24/7 emergency video vet access courtesy of GoodCharlie, you can call on a professional veterinarian for their telehealth opinion. If they deem that a vet visit is necessary, you can dip into your $750 pet emergency fund that GoodCharlie Energy provides, and pay for any testing and treatment they need. 

You may not have thought that your electricity provider would play a role in your dog’s health, but it does when you choose GoodCharlie Energy.