How to Identify Dog Allergy Symptoms

If you own a dog, you must be aware about the common dog allergies. Since, most of the dog allergies have identical symptoms; you might get confused if you do not have complete knowledge. Itching, redness and scratching are some of the common drug allergies and each of them is characterized by different symptoms. If you are aware about the specific symptoms of different dog allergies, you can easily recognize the cause of the allergy.

Causes of Dog Allergies

There are different factors capable of initiating dog allergy. The most common cause of dog allergy is the type of food given. Some dogs might be allergic to particular ingredients of the food. For instance ingredients like corn, wheat, chicken and beef are responsible for a specific type of allergy called canine food allergy. Most of the cheap brands of dog food contain these ingredients and thus you should always go for trusted brands while purchasing dog food. Chemicals, pollution or any other allergic substance may cause dog allergies as well.

Symptoms of Dog Allergies

Let us now talk about the symptoms of dog allergies. If you are aware about the symptoms, you can recognize the allergy in initial stages that can further result in efficient treatment. Itching and redness are the symptoms that appear initially. Itching will force your dog to scratch a particular area of his body that further results in redness and inflammation. Thus if you notice unusual scratching or continuous scratching at a particular spot, it might be a sign of dog skin allergies or flea allergies. Usually the enhanced scratching is observed in parts like paws, face and abdomen. If you notice the see the dog scratching the chest area, it should be treated as a sign of atopic allergy. Similarly, enhanced scratching near arm pits is due to contact allergies. Contact allergens include pollens, hairs, detergents and dust mites.

Food allergies in dogs are quite easier to recognize. In addition to the above mentioned general symptoms, you will notice changes in the eating habits of the dog. Additionally, vomiting and loose stools may occur due to food allergies. A simple technique to avoid food allergy is to stay away from cheap unhygienic dog foods. If the food allergy has occurred in your dog, you should replace the usual diet with organic food and contact a veterinary doctor.Hay fever is another common dog allergy caused by pollens. Running eyes and increased paw licking are symptom associated with hay fever in dogs. Thus, if you notice frequent watering in the eyes of your dog or increased paw licking, you should become alert. It might be due to hay fever and thus you consult a vet immediately.

Thus we can say that a careful examination of the behavior of your dog can give clues regarding the type of allergy present. Every dog allergy has its own specific symptoms and you must be able to recognize these symptoms as soon as you can. I hope this post helped you to understand the different dog allergy symptoms.