How do you stop hives from dog allergies
Am I allergic to my dog?
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People who are allergic to dogs may experience a rash, hives, or watery eyes when exposed to dog saliva or dog dander.
In many cases, symptoms of a dog allergy are mild, and a person may still be able to live with a dog if they can manage their symptoms. Some home remedies can reduce symptoms. However, the only truly effective way to eliminate dog allergies is to avoid exposure to dogs.
In this article, we look at symptoms of allergic reactions to dogs and ways to manage them, including home remedies and medical treatments.
Specific symptoms and when they occur depend on the severity of the allergy. People who have severe allergic reactions to dogs may experience symptoms soon after exposure, while those with more minor allergies may take longer to develop symptoms.
Symptoms include:
- a skin rash that is red or consists of small, red, raised bumps called hives
- nasal congestion
- a runny nose and sneezing
- itchy, red, and watering eyes
- coughing
- wheezing
- tightness in the chest and shortness of breath
If a person lives with a dog, it is difficult to make the environment allergen-free. Dog dander (dead skin cells) can linger in the air for a long time and can stick to household items, such as curtains, furniture, bedding, and carpets.
Hypoallergenic breeds of dogs shed less than others so they may be less likely to cause allergic reactions. However, some
The only sure way to eliminate dog allergies is by avoiding contact with dogs. However, if a person does spend time with dogs, the following home remedies may help them to manage symptoms:
- Using a saline sinus rinse. Rinse the nostrils using a mixture made of 3 teaspoons of salt (iodine free), 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 8 ounces of warm water. Use an ear dropper to put the solution into the nostril or purchase a sinus rinsing device from a pharmacy or online.
- Plant supplements. Taking certain plant supplements, such as those containing rosmarinic acid, may reduce allergy symptoms according to a 2014 study.
Lifestyle tips that can reduce the impact of dog allergies include:
- avoiding touching eyes or face after contact with dogs
- washing hands with soap after contact with dogs
- avoiding close contact with dogs, such as hugging or kissing them
- using a vacuum cleaner designed to trap and contain airborne allergens
- cleaning the house, washing the bedding weekly, and keeping the house tidy
- cleaning more often during winter months
- restricting dogs to specific rooms or spaces
- keeping dogs out of the bedroom and off furniture
- bathing dogs every 1 to 2 weeks
- wearing a dust mask and gloves while cleaning or in areas with dogs
- brushing and cleaning dogs outdoors when possible
If anyone is considering bringing a dog into their home, they should do an allergy test or undertake a trial period before committing to this.
There are over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications available that can help reduce or resolve the symptoms for people who are allergic to dogs.
OTC remedies for dog allergies include:
Antihistamines
Antihistamine medications block histamine, a compound that helps initiate local immune responses and cause allergy symptoms. Popular OTC brands for long-term exposure may contain loratadine, cetirizine hydrochloride, or fexofenadine hydrochloride.
Antihistamines can be bought online or obtained on prescription from a doctor.
Nasal decongestants and nasal corticosteroids
These medications help reverse the inflammation caused by immune responses and relieve nasal congestion. Some nasal corticosteroids are now available without a prescription and can be purchased online.
Immunotherapy
An allergist (a specialist in diagnosing allergies) may treat severe or chronic allergy symptoms using immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots.
Immunotherapy involves injecting allergens into a person in gradually increasing amounts. These allergy shots help a person to build a tolerance to allergens. It usually takes several sessions over several months to complete immunotherapy.
Other treatments
Many people with pet allergies also have asthma, and exposure to the pet allergens can cause asthmatic episodes or worsen a persons symptoms. In these situations, a doctor may prescribe inhalable corticosteroids or bronchodilators that help keep the airways open.
Dogs produce a variety of proteins that cause allergies in some people. The highest concentrations of these proteins are in dog saliva, with lower amounts found in dander and urine.
Dander tends to build up on hair follicles, so dog hair usually carries a large number of allergens.
If a doctor thinks that a person may be allergic to dogs, they will refer them to an allergist.
In most cases, an allergist will use a skin-prick test to diagnose allergies.
During a skin-prick test, an allergist will put a droplet containing a tiny amount of dog proteins onto the skin. They will then make a small prick in the skin, allowing the mixture to enter the body.
Most people who are allergic to the mixture will have a response within 15 to 30 minutes.
Sometimes, an allergist will decide that an individual who thinks they are allergic to dogs is actually responding to other allergens commonly found on dogs or dog hair, such as dust or pollen.
People who are allergic to dogs can get relief from symptoms by avoiding dogs and places where there are dogs. Many people choose to manage their symptoms by making lifestyle adjustments, such as more frequent housecleaning, but this can be extremely challenging.
OTC medications, such as antihistamines and nasal decongestants, can also help a person reduce or manage their allergy symptoms.
People with more severe or chronic dog allergies should speak with a doctor about prescription medications and therapies that can help manage symptoms.
Common allergies in dogs and puppies
You want your dog to feel comfortable and happy. So it can be upsetting to see them itching, biting their skin or showing other signs of a potential allergy.
Many things can cause allergies in dogs. These can range from environmental allergens such as pollen to flea saliva, and some dogs might even suffer allergic reactions to insect stings and certain household products.
If your dog is showing signs of a possible allergy, its important to seek advice from a vet as soon as possible.
Theyll be able to investigate for other causes or secondary problems such as mites, and bacterial or fungal infections.
The sooner you get help, the faster your dog can get treatment, and feel comfortable and happy again.
Skin allergies in dogs
Treatment
No one size fits all, and every dog with a skin allergy needs a slightly different treatment plan. However, its likely that your vet will suggest some or all of the following:
Avoid your dogs triggers
If you know what your dog is allergic to, its best to try to avoid those factors as much as possible. However, even if you dont know what your dog is allergic to, there are still many things that you can do to reduce the chance of them flaring up:
- Regularly de-flea them (as well as other pets and your home).
- Avoid walking them when the pollen count is high.
- Avoid walking them in long grass (or rinse them off well afterwards).
- Avoid sprays, aerosols, perfumes, and air fresheners in the household.
- Vacuum and dust regularly.
- Feed them a diet specially designed for sensitive skin (recommended by your vet).
Anti-itch medication
There are certain medications that can be used to reduce itchiness, such as:
- Steroid tablets and spray (such as Prednisolone tablets, Medrone tablets and Cortavance spray).
- Lokivetmab injection (Cytopoint)
- Oclacitinib tablets (Apoquel)
The exact drug your vet prescribes will depend on your dogs symptoms, how long they need to be treated for, and your budget.
Supplements, shampoos and antihistamines
Most dogs with skin allergies benefit from the following:
- A skin supplement containing essential fatty acids
- A topical emollient shampoo (skin calming)
- Daily antihistamines
Its important to be aware that these treatments are often useful when used alongside other treatments (and can reduce the amount of other medications that are needed), but are unlikely to control the problem on their own.
Immunotherapy
If your dog has been allergy tested, it may be possible to desensitise them to their triggers with immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves injecting your dog with a tiny amount of what they are allergic to, to get their body used to it. The injections work slowly over time, and usually need to be given for a few years (sometimes for life). Unfortunately, immunotherapy doesnt work for every dog, and in many cases, medication is still needed to reduce symptoms. Its also not possible to use immunotherapy for all types of allergy.
Other treatments
Dog Allergies: What You Need to Know
Allergies are quite common in dogs of all breeds and backgrounds. They occur when a dogs immune system has a hyper-reaction to a foreign substance, such as pollen, flea saliva, vaccines, spider bites, bee stings, or even certain foods that normally would cause little or no reaction in most dogs.
We suspect certain dog allergies, such as atopy or allergies to pollens and plants, are primarily hereditary in basis. Most of these dogs begin to show allergic signs between 1-3 years of age, often after they have previously been exposed to the underlying cause. While most allergies cant be cured, the goal is to manage them with treatments that can help relieve or control a dogs allergic symptoms.
Signs That Your Pet Might Have Dog Allergies
The signs of allergies vary depending on the type of allergic reaction a dog is experiencing and can vary from dog to dog. Most allergic signs in are dermatologic, which can range from itching and inflammation of the skin, feet and ears, to hives and possibly swelling of the face. Some allergic dogs can have clear watery eyes and nose, as well as sneezing.
Gastrointestinal signs can also occur such as vomiting and/or diarrhea with or without blood. In rarer cases, a much more severe and different allergic reaction called an anaphylactic reaction can occur. This is an immediate type of hypersensitivity and leads to a potentially life-threatening situation where a dog can acutely collapse due to shock and a severe drop in blood pressure.
Types Of Allergies Your Dog Might Have
There are several common types of allergies in dogs, including:
- Fleas: Reaction to the protein in flea saliva, not the actual fleas. Therefore, a dog with only one flea can still have an extensive systemic allergic reaction due to their bodys reaction to just that one fleas saliva.
- Canine Atopic Dermatitis: Also known as atopy or atopic dermatitis (AD), this is a very common canine allergy. This is usually an inherited predisposition to develop allergic symptoms after exposure to relatively common substances or allergens in the air such as pollens, grasses, weeds, molds, or fungi. Common signs of atopy are itching and inflammation in a dog often seen in the underarms, groin, face and feet. Atopy is often seasonal.
- Food Allergies: Allergies to food can manifest with a chronic skin condition such as flaky, itching skin, chronic licking or biting of the paws, or chronic ear infections (often with secondary opportunistic bacterial or yeast infections). Dogs can develop allergies to a food or substance over a period of time, even if they may have had no previous issues with that food substance or protein.
- Contact Allergies: Contact allergies are found when a dog has direct contact with a caustic surface or chemical, causing severe irritation to the skin. Household cleaners, carpet cleaners, fertilizers, topical medication, and essential oils may all potentially cause a contact allergy.
- Bacterial Hypersensitivity: Bacterial hypersensitivity occurs when a dogs immune system overreacts to the normal bacterial flora on their skin. This often occurs when other health conditions are present, such as hypothyroidism, inhalant allergy, and/or flea allergy.
Diagnosis And Treatment of Your Dogs Allergies
The best method of controlling allergies is to know what the allergen is and to avoid it or control it. Your veterinarian can perform an extensive examination with history to try to help determine the most likely cause and formulate a practical treatment plan. The gold standard for diagnosing allergies in dogs is immunotherapy or allergy testing to determine the actual cause of the allergic response and to tailor an allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT).
There are several options for treating your dogs allergies, including:
- Flea Prevention: Flea prevention is obvious, relatively easy, and will help dogs who suffer from allergies to fleas. Flea eradication through an extensive anti-parasitic protocol may be necessary to improve the allergy sufferer.
- Antihistamines: This treatment is generally inexpensive and safe with few side effects, but different types can have variable effects and dont work on all dogs.
- Medications: Cortisone products have been commonly used in the past with good effects on allergy sufferers, but these types of medications are not without side effects, so they need to be used judiciously and only for shorter periods of time. Newer medications such as cyclosporines (Atopica), Apoquel (an immunomodulatory), and Cytopoint (an immunotherapeutic) are currently being used extensively by clinicians with good results to minimalize the severe itching response the dog gets from allergies.
- Dietary Changes/Hypoallergenic Diets: Dairy, beef, and wheat can be responsible for up to 80% of food allergies in dogs. Hypoallergenic diets utilize one novel protein (or only one new protein in a diet) as the protein source. Most pets with food allergies respond well when switched to a store-bought hypoallergenic diet, but occasionally an animal suffers from such extreme allergies that a homemade diet is the only option. In this case, the diet should be customized with the aid of a veterinarian, veterinary dermatologist, or veterinary nutritionist.
- Environmental and External Aids: Air purifiers can help reduce certain molds. Dust and pollens are best controlled by using an air cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Air conditioning can also reduce circulating amounts of airborne allergens because windows are then kept closed.
- Medicated Baths and Supplements: Many medicated dog shampoos have compounds in them that are aimed at soothing the injured skin and skin barrier and calming inflammation. In addition, frequent bathing (weekly to every other week) can remove allergens from the coat, which may contribute to skin allergy flare-ups. These shampoos are often prescribed by your veterinarian, and directions for use should always be read completely and followed explicitly.
- Supplements: Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acid supplements can be considered by your veterinarian. These fatty acids are naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative agents.
- Antibiotics and Antifungal Medications: Antibiotics are frequently needed to treat secondary skin infections. Anti-fungal medications are frequently needed to treat secondary yeast infections.
Each possible allergy treatment has its advantages and drawbacks. Finding the source of your dogs allergy and discussing a specific treatment plan with your veterinarian is recommended.
