Are you dogs eyes streaming? Is your dog licking its paws? Are they itching with red sores?

Any of these symptoms are associated with allergies in your pets.  The summer season and the rising pollen count could mean that your pet is suffering with ‘hay fever’. 

Here at Chichester Scamps and Champs we love our Job! Especially in the summer months.  Our Dog walking service in Chichester is always looking at where we can walk your pooches.  However, in the spring and summer months we try to avoid rapeseed fields, long grass and forests as this can exacerbate allergies in your pets.

Instead, we try to stick to the beach, it is the summer after all!  We also recommend walking your dog in the morning or evening if possible.

Treating the allergy:

Hay fever or allergies in your pets can treated with medication, but we can also do a few things to maybe stop the effects before they begin.

Dog Hay fever is more commonly known as ‘Atopy’. The classic symptoms include:

• Itchy skin, especially the paws, armpits, and groin.
• Seasonal itch: The dog is fine over the winter, but life becomes a misery in the summer.
• Thickened, greasy skin: This is a complication of the obsessive licking and scratching.
• Rust coloured paws: This is saliva staining from all that licking with any itchy dog.

Causes of itchiness include:

• Atopy, allergens may be inhaled or absorbed through the skin Parasites.
• Fleas, mange mites, lice, and ticks are all common causes of itchiness.
• Yeast overgrowth, a heavy bloom of yeast on the skin’s surface causes an intense itch (the doggie equivalent of athlete’s foot.)
• Bacterial infections, these are also itch-inducing.

How Do I Treat My Dog’s Hay Fever?

• Bathing: This washes allergens from the fur and reduces their triggering effect
• Essential Fatty Acid supplements: This conditions the skin and makes it a better barrier.
• Staying indoors: Reduces exposure to allergens Antihistamines: Sadly, the results are often disappointing in dogs.
• Staying out of certain fields and maybe during some months walk somewhere else.

We hope that you have found this helpful.  These allergies are not only common in dogs but can appear in your cat or your smaller animals.  If you currently use our cat sitting service in Chichester or our pet sitting service, please let us know if we can help.

There are a number of local vets that will assist you if you are worried about your pet. Please find the links below.

Vets4Pets Chichester   Pet Doctors Chichester  Sanctuary Vets  Waterlooville Vets4Pets

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