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Common Dog Allergies

This page looks at common dog allergies - dog skin allergies (canine atopic dermatitis), dog flea allergies (flea allergy dermatitis), contact dermatitis, and dog food allergies.

If your dog is constantly scratching, chewing, and licking, chances are he may be suffering from some form of allergy. In recent years, the number of dogs suffering from dog allergies has increased dramatically. At the same time, many dogs have been mis-diagnosed as having allergies when in fact they are suffering from something else. Because of the mis-diagnosis, they have been put on the wrong medication (usually corticosteriods) and sometimes suffer from side effects of such medication.

It is therefore extremely important that we educate ourselves as much as we can about canine allergies. To help you understand more about allergies in dogs, the following pages have been compiled.

On this page, you will find information on the following topics:

Also visit these pages for more information on:

What are "Canine Allergies"?

Allergies in Dogs

Canine allergies are basically symptoms manifested as a result of a dog's immune system working hard to get rid of outside substances. These substances - allergens - can be anything (natural or artificial, organic or inorganic), and they can be found in a lot of places and things, such as food, in our homes, and in the environment. They can cause allergic reactions after being ingested, inhaled or absorbed.

Usually, canine allergies are manifested in three ways. The most common is itching and inflammation of the skin which can either be limited to one area (localized) or all over the body (generalized). Another manifestation involves the respiratory system and may result in coughing, sneezing, and/or wheezing. Nasal and/or eye discharge may also be present. Finally, sometimes dog allergies involve the digestive system, resulting in vomiting or diarrhea.

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Why do Some Dogs Get Allergies While Others Don't?

Allergies in dogs come, first and foremost, from the "inside", rather than from outside allergens. These days dogs are exposed to a lot of allergens. However, not all dogs develop symptoms of allergies. Those who do are often pets with problems from the "inside", for example, dogs with an already weakened immune system, hormonal imbalance, bacterial or fungal infections, or those with emotional stress due to boredom, a lack of exercise, etc. When exposed to outside allergy-causing factors, (such as fleas, poor quality food, environmental toxins, over vaccination), these dogs are more prone to develop symptoms of dog allergies.

If your pet shows dog allergy symptoms, it is very important that you consult your vet and ask that a thorough check-up (skin and blood tests) be carried out to identify the "inside" cause of the allergy. Finding out the inside "root" problem and getting rid of that problem will strengthen the overall health of your dog, making her more resistant against the outside allergens.

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How do Allergy Symptoms Develop?

The hallmark symptoms of common dog allergies include itchiness and inflammation of the skin. These symptoms occur when the dog's allergen-specific IgE antiboides release some chemicals that cause the symptoms. The exact mechanism is rather complex. Here is a simplified explanation:

When a dog is exposed to an allergen (e.g. fleas, pollen), IgE antibodies are formed by the dog's white blood cells. The IgE antibody attaches to a tissue cell called a mast cell. The next time the dog is exposed to the allergen, the allergen attaches to the IgE antibody-mast cell combination. When that happens, the mast cell sort of "explodes" and releases chemicals within the cell and cell membrane. These chemicals include, among others, histamine and various prostaglandins which are responsible for causing the clinical signs of common dog allergies including itching and inflammation.

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What are Some Common Dog Allergies?

Common dog allergies include:

  • Canine Atopic Dermatitis

    Canine atopic dermatitis, or canine atopy, is one of the most common dog allergies. It is a genetic inflammatory condition in which the dog becomes sensitized to environmental allergens such as pollens, molds, house dust mites, weeds, and so on. Many of these allergies occur seasonally, such as ragweed, and pollens. However, others can occur all year round, such as molds, mildew, and house dust mites. Allergies usually occur within 1 to 3 years of a dog being exposed to continual environmental allergens.

    (Visit Canine Atopic Dermatitis for more information.)

  • Dog Flea Allergies

    Flea allergy dermatitis, commonly known as dog flea allergies, used to be one of the most common dog allergies. However, with more flea control products available to dog parents, the incidence of flea allergies in dogs has decreased substantially.

    The cause of flea allergy dermatitis is the saliva of the flea which contains a number of chemicals that can induce an allergic response in dogs.

    (Visit Flea Allergies in Dogs for more information.)

  • Dog Food Allergies

    Compared to canine atopy and flea dermatitis, true food allergies in dogs are rather rare, accounting for less than 10 percent of cases referred to veterinarians.

    Canine food allergies result when a dog develops allergic reactions to one or more ingredients in his food.

    Food allergies are of course non-seasonal and can cause severe and intense itching in dogs. As well, dogs suffering from food allergies do not respond to anti-inflammatory and anti-itching medications such as corticosteroids.

    Feeding an elimination diet is the only way to accurately diagnose food allergies. The purpose of the elimination diet is to ban all protein that the dog has eaten before in order to isolate and identify the allergen.

    (Visit Canine Food Allergies for more information.)

  • Contact Dermatitis

    Contact dermatitis is rare in dogs and is caused by direct skin contact with an allergen. Contact dermatitis usually causes sudden onset of skin reactions such as itching, rashes, and hair loss.

    Common causes of contact dermatitis in dogs include flea collars, soaps, disinfectants, weed killer, fertilizers, and insecticides. Allergic reactions to flea collars can produce a circular area of hair loss and inflammation or redness around the neck. Soaps and gardening chemicals can cause allergic reactions on the stomach, groin area, and armpits of the dog. Sometimes, lesions of the mouth can also occur if the dog licks the affected areas.



References

Messonnier, S., The Allergy Solution for Dogs (Three Rivers Press, 2000).
Pitcairn and Pitcairn, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (Rodale, 2005).

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