Seasonal Allergy in Dogs

Many dogs show allergy symptoms when spring arrives, due to the rise in airborne particles. Dogs are thought to be genetically predisposed to becoming sensitized to environmental allergens.

Understanding spring allergy can help us protect our dog against it, or catch symptoms early to keep them from affecting it too much. There are several treatments we'll cover at Soyunperro, most of them highly effective.

How Does the Allergic Process Happen?

Just like people, dogs can be allergic to different substances, including airborne plant particles or substances in food. These are called allergens. They're classified as:

1. Indoor allergens: including dust mites, molds, and fleas.
2. Outdoor allergens: including pollens from grasses, weeds, and trees most common in our area.

When these are inhaled or absorbed through the skin, respiratory tract, or gastrointestinal tract, they stimulate the immune system and trigger histamine release. This causes inflammation, whose signs include skin redness (erythema), swelling (edema), and itching (pruritus).

Predisposition in Dogs

Both males and females can develop it, and some breeds are predisposed, though not exclusively. These are: Shar-Pei, Wire Fox Terrier, Golden Retriever, Dalmatian, Boxer, Boston Terrier, Labrador, Lhasa Apso, Scottish Terrier, Shih Tzu, and West Highland White Terrier.

It typically starts appearing between 6 months and 3 years of age. Signs are usually seasonal, but can show up year-round.

Symptoms of Spring Allergy

In spring, different types of pollen and grasses appear in the air, many plant species grow and bloom, and there's even a hormonal shift in most mammals' bodies.

Signs are usually seasonal, but can show up year-round. These seasonal changes can cause a number of symptoms:

• Pruritus (or itching) is the most typical sign.
• Asymmetrical, patchy hair loss, made worse by scratching.
• Skin redness in areas such as the armpits, limbs, ears, abdomen, or even the muzzle.
• Excessive scratching caused by the itching. Scratching further increases skin redness and can cause wounds and flaking.
• Unexplained vomiting and/or diarrhea. The usual food suddenly seems to disagree with the dog.
• Coughing and sneezing, since the allergy can lead to rhinitis.
• Redness around the eyes, eyelids, etc.

Diagnosing the Allergy

If we notice one or more of these symptoms, we should see the vet so they can run the appropriate tests and confirm whether it's a case of allergy.

The vet, after taking a good history and performing a general physical exam, will form an initial idea of what's affecting our pet. They may ask about our dog's external deworming, since allergic processes can sometimes be confused with external parasites. If it's a food allergy, this will be ruled out through a hypoallergenic elimination diet (hydrolyzed protein).

An allergen panel can also be run. This is based on determining specific IgE levels against 24 allergens. It allows identifying the allergens involved in atopic dermatitis. It incorporates a combination of new monoclonal antibodies that recognize up to 3 different IgE epitopes. This panel covers the most common allergens among pollens, mites, molds… If it comes back positive, a more specific follow-up panel can be run.

Treatments for Canine Allergy

Depending on the type of allergy our dog has, the vet will prescribe a specific medication, although oclacitinib is generally used to relieve itching. Depending on the case, corticosteroids may or may not be used.

Instead of oclacitinib, lokivetmab, or Cytopoint, an injectable monoclonal antibody, can be used, which eliminates allergic or atopic dermatitis symptoms in dogs. A single monthly injection is enough to keep our dog protected against strong allergic reactions caused by external factors. The dose depends on weight.

We should never medicate the dog on our own, since, depending on the source of the allergy or disease, specific prescription medication will be needed. There are no home tricks, magic remedies, or dietary supplements that can cure spring allergy in dogs — it's absolutely necessary to use the medication prescribed by the vet. That said, alternative medicine, such as traditional Chinese medicine, can always be considered, being just as valid an approach as Western medicine.

Does Diet Play a Role?

It might, and it might not. If the allergy is food-based, obviously it plays a role, but if we're completely sure it's caused by external factors such as the arrival of spring, diet isn't relevant.

Among pets, food allergies are less common than airborne allergies. Any breed can develop food allergies, but there may be a higher risk in Labrador Retrievers, West Highland White Terriers, and Cocker Spaniels.

Signs of food allergy are similar to airborne allergies, except there's little variation in itch intensity from one season to the next. Age of onset varies. The distribution and intensity of itching varies between animals.

That said, it's worth clarifying that a dog well fed with quality kibble or natural food will always have a more developed, healthier immune system than a dog poorly fed with low-quality commercial kibble.