‘Tis the season for sneezing and itching, which also makes it the season for antihistamines, decongestant, and lots of tissues. Fun fact: San Antonio is one of the worst places in the United States for people who suffer with allergies. According to a 2021 study from the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA), San Antonio ranks number 14 among the 100 worst cities for allergies. There are more than 50 million people in the United States who deal with nasal allergies, and about half of those people have seasonal pollen allergies. I’m one of them, and I bet most of you reading this are too! But, what about seasonal allergies in dogs?
While coping with my own allergies, I had to wonder about my dog, June. On the days where I couldn’t not stop sneezing, I noticed that June was itchy and her eyes watery. It was never bad enough to cause secondary problems like goopy eyes or hot spots, but I nevertheless felt like June had to be just as uncomfortable as I was. Was it possible that my dog also suffered at the hands of ragweed, oak, and cedar?
Reaching out to the Canine Health Nut
To get some answers, I reached out to one of my favorite dog Instagrammers, @thecaninehealthnut, to ask about this exact topic. Nikki is a Registered Veterinarian Technician—a bit like a “dog nurse” if you will—who lives in San Diego with her husband, twin toddlers, and her two rescue pups, Ranger and Ash. Not only does she have an amazing blog that covers a variety of topics related to canine health, nutrition, and wellness, but she also shares a wealth of information on Instagram. My favorite thing about Nikki is that she strives to offer a balanced approach to this information. She takes dense, complex scientific studies and breaks them down into a digestible (no pun intended) format: this was the set up, these were the results, this is where more information is needed.
This is what Nikki had to say:
1. Can dogs suffer from seasonal allergies like people do? How common is it for a dog to have seasonal allergies?
“Yes – dogs can suffer from seasonal/environmental allergies just like people do. Dogs can be allergic to grass, pollen, even things like dust and storage mites! According to veterinary hospital surveys, about 15% of all dogs suffer from seasonal or environmental allergies, and about 0.2% of dogs suffer from food allergies.”
Whoa—15% of dogs suffer from seasonal allergies! Percentage-wise, that is the exact same for humans living in the United States: a little more than 15% of the U.S. population suffers from nasal allergies, based on the numbers provided by AAFA.
2. What are some common symptoms of seasonal allergies in dogs?
“The most common symptoms of seasonal allergies are going to be itching – this can be anywhere from the face, to ears, feet, abdomen, or even along the back. Usually, the itching is associated with where your dog comes in contact with the allergen – for example, if your dog walks through the grass, their feet might be itchy; but, if your dog rolls in the grass, you might have a dog that is itchy all over. It’s also very common for secondary infections to be seen with itching. This is because itching traumatizes the skin, and the allergies weaken the skin barrier, making it much easier for things like bacteria or yeast to take hold.
Less common symptoms of seasonal allergies in dogs can include watery-red eyes, coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge and even gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting or loose stools. Watery eyes and coughing may occur with aerosolized allergens, and gastrointestinal signs can occur if a dog ingests an environmental allergen (e.g. your grass-allergic dog eats grass).
Typically seasonal allergens will ‘come and go’ as plants flower or shed into the environment, however, depending on the plant or what your dog is allergic to in the environment (e.g. dust and/or dander), they may occur year-round.”
3. How can dog owners alleviate those symptoms so their dog feels better?
“The first thing to do, of course, is to speak to your veterinarian. It’s important to rule out other causes of disease other than allergies prior to trying any treatment or management strategy at home. There are MANY diseases that can cause itching– external parasites being the most common, but less commonly hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, and even certain types of cancers. You never want to accidentally cause harm because you did not get an accurate diagnosis to start.
Also, depending on the severity of symptoms, at home therapies might not be effective. In deep skin infections, topical therapies often cannot penetrate deep enough to actually treat the condition, thus systemic therapies must be used. If you have a dog that seems to have itchy skin, bathing with a fragrance-free hydrating shampoo and using a fragrance-free conditioner afterward to moisturize the skin may beneficial.”
In my own research, I also found that diet and nutrition play key roles in supporting your pup’s immune system, which can go a long way in battling environmental allergies. Supplements like salmon oil and brewer’s yeast can promote a healthy skin and coat, which can reduce problems like shedding and itching.
4. How can you tell if your dog has seasonal allergies versus a food allergy?
“The only way to really KNOW if it’s a food or environmental allergy is by doing a food elimination trial under the supervision of your veterinarian. Sometimes the seasonality of the itching can give you a ‘clue’ as to which it might be, but if you are offering a variety of treats, or rotating foods, it will probably be impossible to know without a true food elimination trial.
Serological – meaning blood or saliva testing – is known for being very inaccurate in testing for food allergies. Multiple research studies have shown that testing for food allergies is JUST as likely to give you a false negative as a false positive – meaning you have no way of knowing if a positive result is actually accurate. Instead, food trial choices are done based on a thorough diet history.
After a food trial has occurred, whatever itching is left is considered to be associated with an environmental allergy. At that point, a discussion can be had to determine if further allergy testing should be done in order to see what the dog is actually allergic to, and pursue treatment and/or management strategies.”
5. What are some of your top tips for managing a dog’s seasonal allergies?
“The first thing I want to mention is that you do have two choices—you can either manage your dog’s allergies, or you can use immunotherapy to try to treat/cure your dog’s allergies. Immunotherapy is typically done through a boarded veterinary dermatologist where they test your dog for what environmental allergies they have. Then, they create a special ‘antigen’ for your dog that is composed of TINY amounts of your dog’s allergens. This is either given in injectable or oral form on a regular basis. Basically what it does is desensitize your dog to the allergens. This is the ONLY potentially curative treatment for allergies, and it works very well. About 80% of dogs see a significant reduction in allergic symptoms after a year.
If for whatever reason you choose not to pursue immunotherapy there are many ways to manage seasonal allergies. One is to limit allergen exposure. This can be done by bathing your dog frequently, wiping them down with water daily or even twice daily, and by avoiding high allergen areas. I know for my own personal dog, I try to do weekly baths and wipe down his feet daily with water. I even have a medicated shampoo on hand to help if needed.
Supplements like fish oil and probiotics all strengthen the skin barrier. We have research that shows adding in Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of combined EPA & DHA can be helpful for the management of allergies. This can be done by changing to a therapeutic prescription diet, switching to a fish-based diet and adding on additional fish oil, or by adding on fish oil to a regular diet. We also have research that suggests that probiotics may be helpful to strengthen the skin barrier. When considering if supplements are a good choice for your pet, speak to your veterinarian. Every pet is different, and not all pets will do well with all supplements.
Making sure you are feeding a diet that is complete and balanced and meets all your dog’s nutritional needs is also extremely important. Vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and essential amino acids all play a role in overall skin health and function. Finally, we have many different medications available to manage allergies in dogs. Your dog’s individual situation will determine what medications are going to be advised.
If you do have a dog with allergies I’d highly suggest speaking with a board-certified veterinary dermatologist to help you manage the situation. They will have the most knowledge to help you with this situation and will know exactly what options are available. Another great option is a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to help create a diet that is specially formulated to assist with your dog’s allergies and management. Lastly, an additional option to help with possible herbal and alternative therapies would be to speak with an integrative veterinarian.”
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