It’s allergy season again! For us humans, this includes a variety of irritating things such as runny noses, sneezing, skin problems, and so many more. But what about the allergies that our pets are prone to? Did you know that dogs can get environmental allergies also?

*If you think your dog has an allergic condition, it’s important to get an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as you can.

Environmental Allergies

Just like a person, your dog can also be allergic to a variety of irritants in the environment. These can be outdoor allergens like ragweed, grasses and pollens, as well as indoor irritants like mold, dust mites, cleaning chemicals and even fabrics like wool or cotton.

If your dog is allergic to something inside your home, he’ll have symptoms like sneezing or itching all year. If he’s reacting is to something outdoors, it could very well be a seasonal problem.

Here are ways to help your dog feel better:

1. Clean Up! 

We don’t like putting our children in toxic environments, so why should we put our pets in them too? Keeping a clean environment can do wonders in helping your pet feel better. Clean up your pet’s indoor air environment. Don’t allow smoking around your pet. Switch to non-toxic cleaning products. Consider investing in an air purifier to control dust mites.

2. Make sure your pet is drinking some high class water. Seriously!

As human beings, we are so picky about our filtered, flavoured, and branded water. We’re not telling you to buy a carton of Fiji Water, but just make sure your pet is getting the good stuff. Allergens can come from anywhere. Make sure your dog’s drinking water is high quality and doesn’t contain fluoride, heavy metals or other contaminants. Simply use a filter and see if any of his or her conditions improve.

3. Too much medication can hurt

Just as you would not overmedicate yourself or your family, don’t over-drug or over-vaccinate your dog. Vaccines boost your pet’s immune system and too many can actually cause damage.  An over-reactive immune system sets the stage for allergic conditions. Antibiotics wipe out good bacteria right along with the bad guys. Most of your dog’s  immune system is in his GI tract and the right balance of gut bacteria is critical for his health.

4. The Simple Bath

Take a bath! If your pet has irritated skin, bathing will rinse the allergens away and make her feel better immediately. Don’t be shy about how often you bathe your pet, especially if she suffers from allergies that itch and irritate her skin. If you suspect something outdoors is irritating your dog, in between baths, do foot soaks. Chances are the allergen is coming inside on your pet’s feet. She can’t escape it, and she’s spreading it around indoors to every room she visits.

5. Do an analysis

If you’ve been paying attention to your pet, you’ll have a pretty good idea of when they have certain reactions, including time or day, their location, and what they’ve eaten before an allergic reaction. Your veterinarian will want to know this information if you end up bringing your dog in for a check-up.

If you haven’t been keeping track, now would be a good time to start. By analyzing your pet’s lifestyle, you’ll be able to eliminate the things that are causing the allergy leading to a happier and healthier best friend.

Thanks for the read! Next week we’ll be continuing this three-part series on pet allergies by going in depth about Fleas!

Have your pets had any environmental allergy problems ? What have you done to fix the problem? Let us know by commenting below.