Spotting the Symptoms of Dog Allergies

Just like humans, dogs can suffer from allergies too. The problem is that our dogs can't tell us when they aren't feeling too good, or are itching like crazy, so it is up to us to spot any possible symptoms of dog allergies and act accordingly.

There seem to be five main allergies that commonly occur in dogs, food, fleas, bacteria, contact, and atopy allergies. While they do share some common symptoms, making it sometimes difficult to identify what sort of allergy your dog is suffering from, there are some symptoms that are unique to each allergy. If you do suspect your dog has an allergy, the best course of action is to take it to the vet for a proper diagnosis and any treatment that may be necessary. However, for the purposes of spotting that you dog may not be 100%, here are some of the symptoms you may notice.

If your dog is suffering from a food allergy then it may show signs of hair loss, skin irritation and excessive itching. It may also suffer from loose bowel movements, and occaisionally throw up. If you suspect your dog is suffering from a food allergy, then try it on dry dog food for a few days, remembering to give it plenty of water to go with it. Food allergies can build up over time, so it might not necessarily be the first thing you think of if your dog has been eating the same food for a while and has seemed fine.

Flea allergies will cause your dog to scratch and even chew at irritated areas. It's skin will be red and sore, as it is the saliva of fleas that triggers the allergy. Bathing your dog in cool water with a specially formulated flea shampoo should solve the problem, but be sure to keep an eye on any severly irritated skin patches as they may need antibiotics.

Bacteria allergies will present red blotches with hair loss and sometimes pus patches. Bacteria allergies tend to be a sign of another problem, such as a parasite or hormone disorder so it is important to take your dog to the vet for blood tests to identify the underlying cause.

Contact allergies look pretty much the same as flea and bacteria allergies, which is one of the reasons it is always important to take your dog to the vet if you suspect an allergy. Contact allergy can be caused by anything such as bedding, plants or even carpets.

Atopy allergies start off with itching, biting, hair loss and face rubbing. Sometimes there are small red pimple like bumps on skin as well. Atopy allergies are ususally triggered by fleas, but can be a reaction to household chemicals or airborne products commonly found in the home.

It may be that your dog is suffering from a different kind of allergy that those listed above, but hopefully this will give you some guidelines on how to spot the symptoms of common dog allergies before they develop into something more serious.