Allergy is one of the most common conditions that affect dogs. Dog allergies are easy to spot when you know what to look for. Please keep in mind that when your dog shows any kind of odd behavior, you should notify your dog’s veterinarian immediately.

Dog allergies can manifest in three ways:

• The most frequent is itching of the skin (localized or generalized).
• The other manifestation is in the respiratory system. Most common symptoms are coughing, sneezing and/or wheezing. In other cases, there is an ocular or nasal discharge.
• The final manifestation is in the digestive system. This may result in vomiting and diarrhea.

There are several types of allergies that can be seen in dogs. All can have common expressions in dogs and each will have some unique characteristics.

• Contact allergy – this is the least common of all types of dog allergy. It is also the easiest problem to solve. Contact allergy usually results when a dog comes in contact with something he is allergic to. It can be from a variety of objects like dog collars, grass in the lawn, or the type of material used on his bed. The most common signs are itching and irritation at the points of contact. Identifying and removing of the material that the dog is allergic to will solve the problem.
• Flea allergy – this is common in dogs. Normally, when a dog is bitten by a flea, the dog will just experience a minor irritation. But when a dog is allergic to flea bites, there will be severe itching. Just one bite and the dog will start scratching and chewing himself. This will eventually lead to the removal of large portions of hair. Oftentimes, there will be open sores or scabs that may lead to a secondary bacterial infection.
• Bacterial allergy – staphylococcus bacteria has many types. Some do not harm dogs, but some can cause severe disease. There are different species of staph bacteria that live on normal dog skin. If your dog’s immune system is normal and his skin is normal, staph bacteria will not cause any problems. On the other hand, some dogs may develop an allergic reaction to this bacterium. When this occurs, the dog will experience hair loss in some areas of his body, and these will look like ringworm. These lesions will then develop into staph infections.
• Inhalant allergy – the inhalant type of allergy is most common type of dog allergy. Inhaled allergens that cause humans to have allergic reactions may also affect dogs. Allergens such as tree pollens, grass pollens, weed pollens, mildew, molds, and house dust mites. Most of these allergens crop up seasonally, but some are around all year long. When humans inhale these allergens, we express it as a respiratory problem, sometimes called “hay fever”. The dog’s reaction, on the other hand, typically creates rigorous itching.
• Food allergy – dogs are not naturally born with food allergies. Food allergies may develop over a period of time. This is due to the response of some protein components found in their food. When a dog develops food allergy, he will express any of the signs previously mentioned, such as severe itching, digestive problems, and/or respiratory troubles.

We now realize that dogs have similar allergies as we humans have. Not necessarily with the same reactions, but still, they can cause disturbances. No discussion of dog health can be complete without a look at dog allergies, which are very common in dogs. Sometimes, we just don’t see or notice them.