Can Dogs Have Allergies?

If you’ve never encountered a dog with allergies, consider yourself lucky. Many dogs suffer from allergies to environmental allergens, fleas, or certain foods. Dogs with allergies may exhibit a wide range of symptoms, with the most common signs related to itchy skin.

There are many other conditions that also cause itchy skin, and dogs with allergies are also more likely to develop secondary problems like bacterial or yeast infections. It is important to work closely with your vet to determine if your dog has allergies and craft a targeted treatment plan to bring them long lasting relief.

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Allergies in dogs

Your dog may have allergies if they have chronically itchy skin that never seems to completely resolve. Signs of itchy skin include frequently licking or chewing at their paws and hind end. They may also rub their face and ears on the furniture or floor trying to soothe their itch. Some dogs will also scoot their butts along the ground

. Dogs with allergies may also have frequent, recurrent infections including skin infections, ear infections, or anal gland infections and impactions. Allergies can be caused by environmental or food allergens. It can be very challenging to determine the culprit of your dog’s allergies based on their symptoms alone, as both kinds of allergies can have nearly identical symptoms. Sometimes, there are unique signs that may increase your suspicion of one or the other, but most times you will need your vet’s help and specific allergy tests for dogs to help determine the cause of your dog’s allergies.  

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Can dogs have seasonal allergies?

Seasonal allergies, or environmental allergies, are common in dogs. The most frequent sign of seasonal allergies is itchy skin. While some dogs may show signs like watery eyes or sneezing, this is not nearly as common as it is in humans. Seasonal allergies tend to occur at specific times of year, coinciding with when certain grasses, pollens, or other plant materials are blooming.

If your dog seems to have flare-ups of their signs during certain seasons, this is a clue that they may have environmental allergies. However, some dogs with environmental allergies can have allergies year-round. This is especially common in places that don’t have major changes in seasons and tend to have the same plants growing year-round, or when dogs are allergic to indoor allergens, like dust.

It is more challenging to distinguish environmental allergies from food allergies when dogs are exposed to their environmental allergens year-round. The most definitive way to determine if your dog has environmental allergies is to have a veterinary dermatologist do specific dog allergy testing. This involves injecting microscopic amounts of specific allergens under your dog’s skin to monitor for signs of a reaction.

Based on the results of this kind of testing, a veterinarian can determine what your dog is allergic to, and can formulate immunotherapy injections specifically for your dog. Immunotherapy is a way to gradually desensitize your dog to their allergens and over time, it can relieve their symptoms. This is a long-term treatment and can take up to a year to have an effect. In the short term, your dog may need medications like antihistamines and even immunosuppressive medications to relieve their symptoms. It is important to note that other forms of allergy testing, including blood tests and saliva swabs are not reliable and are not recommended as a way to accurately diagnose allergies in dogs.  

Can dogs have food allergies?

Dogs can also develop food allergies, however, they are less common than environmental allergies. Food allergies also cause itchy skin, just like environmental allergies. Some dogs with food allergies will also have digestive problems like vomiting, diarrhea, or weight loss. If your dog’s only symptom is a digestive problem though, it is more likely that there is another cause for it, so be sure to see your vet any time your dog is experiencing gastrointestinal problems.

You’ll want to rule out more common causes of digestive problems like parasites, infections, pancreatitis, or eating things they shouldn’t, before considering food allergies as the cause. If your dog seems to have signs of itchy skin year-round, you may want to consult a vet regarding the possibility of a food allergy. The gold standard for testing for food allergies is a diet trial, where a dog is put on a very limited ingredient diet to eliminate possible allergens. This typically requires a prescription hypoallergenic diet. While there are over-the-counter diets that claim to be “limited ingredient” or hypoallergenic, these diets are often prepared on the same equipment as other diets, leading to cross-contamination.

If a diet trial is not performed properly or contains contaminants, it can be impossible to truly know if it worked, and whether or not a dog actually has a food allergy. If the food trial is successful, meaning that a dog’s signs resolve on the special diet, they will need to continue to eat a hypoallergenic diet for life. It is important to ensure that their long-term diet is complete and balanced to provide all of the nutrients their body needs and to avoid any deficiencies.

While home-cooked recipes are sometimes used for the initial diet trial, most of these diets are not balanced and should not be used long-term. Check with your vet if you are unsure whether your dog’s diet is healthy for them to continue. Dogs on a special hypoallergenic diet also cannot have table scraps or treats that will interfere with their special diet. You can consult with your vet to find a list of safe treats or table foods that won’t cause a flare up while still allowing you to pamper your pup.   

Are skin allergies in dogs common? 

If you’ve read this far, you now know that nearly all dog allergies result in skin allergies. Itchy skin is the most common sign of allergies in dogs regardless of the cause. Now, you may be thoroughly confused; Is it a food allergy? Is it environmental allergies? Is it both? Fear not, there is a methodical way that vets sort out what is the most likely cause for your pup’s allergies. The important takeaway is that it is really important to work with your vet and take a step-wise approach to getting a diagnosis.

Clues, like whether your dog’s signs occur seasonally, versus year-round are a good starting point. It is also important to eliminate other complicating factors like fleas and secondary infections. All dogs are itchy when they have fleas, and some dogs even have hypersensitivity reactions to flea saliva, creating a more severe allergic reaction. Therefore, if you have an itchy dog, it is crucial that they are on year-round flea preventatives, no matter the season. This eliminates one of the most common culprits for itchiness and will allow your vet to focus on other possibilities.

Additionally, if your dog has been itchy for a while, all of the inflammation and scratching at their skin can damage the normal skin barriers that keep their skin strong and healthy. These dogs often develop secondary problems like skin infections as a result. Your vet will need to treat these secondary problems to bring your dog relief as well as to calm their skin down enough to do allergy testing and other diagnostics.

It can take time to uncover what your dog is allergic to, and sometimes, you may never identify their exact allergies. Treatments may also need to be tweaked over time to find the best combinations to bring your dog maximum relief. Be sure to keep up with your vet’s recommendations and rechecks and be prepared that this is not going to be cured in one visit. It may take a lot of trouble-shooting. Even when a dog’s allergies are well-controlled, they may have occasional flare-ups. This is also a good reminder to invest in pet insurance or an emergency pet fund so that you are not caught off guard by the expenses that come with your dog’s long-term care.  

When to seek expert help

Allergies in dogs are a complex problem, and it takes specialized tests and treatments to make accurate diagnoses and provide effective treatment. Therefore, it is very important to seek veterinary help if you have a chronically itchy dog and you suspect an allergy. Many times, there may also be other complicating factors, like skin allergies or ear infections that are exacerbating your dog’s discomfort, requiring medical treatment as well. Allergies can be frustrating to manage, especially in the early stages when you are trying to sort out what your dog is allergic to, and which treatments are most effective for them.

Stick with it, and work closely with your vet to try different solutions. If you feel like you’ve exhausted the options your local vet can offer, consider consulting with a veterinary dermatologist. While this may feel like an added expense, a veterinary dermatologist has more tools to effectively treat allergies and this may actually save you money in the long run. The good news is that there are many effective treatments available for allergies and once you find the right combo for your dog, you’ll be so glad you persevered and they are back to their wiggly, happy, itch-free selves.  

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Bottom line

• Allergies in dogs can be confusing as the signs of both food allergies and environmental allergies can be similar.

• Itchy skin is the most common sign of allergies in dogs and it may result in secondary problems, like ear infections, skin infections or anal gland problems.

• Be sure to work closely with your vet to make an accurate diagnosis of allergies and seek out the most effective treatments for your dog.

References

• Beers, Hannah. “Allergy shots may bring relief to itchy dogs.” University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, 17 November 2017. 

• Brooks, Wendy. “Atopic dermatitis in dogs and cats.” Veterinary Partner, 15 December 2023. 

• Craig, JM. “Food intolerance in dogs and cats.” Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol. 60, no. 2, February 2019, pp. 77-85.

• Picco, F, et al. “A prospective study on canine atopic dermatitis and food-induced allergic dermatitis in Switzerland.” Veterinary Dermatology, vol. 19, no. 3, June 2008, pp. 150-155. 

• Pucheu-Haston, Cherie. “Cutaneous Food allergy in animals.” Merck Veterinary Manual, September 2024. 

• “What every pet owner should know about food allergies.” Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Clinical Nutrition Team, Petfoodology, 17 January 2017.