Should I be worried if my dog has hives

Dog Hives

What Are Dog Hives?

Hives (also referred to as urticaria) are areas of the skin that appear reddened and raised. Just as with humans, hives can be very itchy for your dog. Theyre a sign that an allergy is causing the immune system to overreact.

Hives can appear very quicklyand disappear just as quickly. The raised red area of the skin is referred to as a wheal, and it can appear anywhere from a few minutes to hours after exposure to an allergen. Wheals can appear anywhere on your dogs body, but theyre usually found on the head, neck, back, stomach, and legs.

In mild cases, the hives will generally disappear within 12-48 hours after contact with the allergen. However, because of the risk that the reaction can worsen to dangerous swelling of your dogs airways or a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, you should seek out treatment any time you see hives on your dog. This is especially true for hives that occur on the face or around the throat, which can lead to dangerous swelling and possible blockage of the airways.

Symptoms of Dog Hives

• Red raised areas of skin called wheals, which can occur anywhere (including mucous membranes) but are most commonly seen on the head, neck, back, abdomen, and legs

• Intense itching

• Excessive drooling if the mouth is swollen

• Swelling (angioedema), which is particularly concerning when it involves the face and respiratory system and can have severe and life-threatening consequences

Causes of Dog Hives

The allergen that causes the hives may be environmental, chemical, or dietary. Any allergen your dog is sensitive can also lead to hives. Common causes include:

Insects bites, chemical contact, and medications are the most common.

How Vets Diagnose Hives

Your vet will closely examine your dog to locate the distinctive wheals associated with hives. Wheals typically have hair on them, and may appear in clusters. Beyond the physical examination, other parts of the diagnosis include:

• Any history you are able to provide; be as thorough as you can in describing allergens your dog might have come into contact with and when and where you first saw the hives

• Your dogs response to treatment

Treatment for Dog Hives

Dogs with hives usually respond quickly to treatment, which may include:

At-home treatments may include:

• Cold compresses over the hives or swollen areas to give relief from itching

• Antihistamines, but only under the supervision of your vet

Management of Dog Hives

Work with your vet to determine the cause of the hives, using both your dogs health history and history of exposure to allergens. Depending on the cause and the frequency, your vet may recommend:

• Allergy testing to confirm environmental allergens

• Immunotherapy treatment to desensitize your dog to specific allergens

• A food trial to find ingredients that cause a reaction and develop specific dietary recommendations

Dog Hives FAQs

Are dog hives an emergency?

Yes. Hives indicate an allergic reaction within the body. Although the hives themselves are mostly just uncomfortable, they could lead to very dangerous complications, including anaphylaxis and death. Its best to treat even mild cases of hives.

What can I give my dog for hives?

It is important to speak to your veterinarian before giving your dog any medication. The vet may recommend certain medications to give your dog now or to have ready for future episodes.

How long do hives last?

Hives can disappear within a few hours or last up to 48 hours.

Can anxiety cause hives in dogs?

Theres a small chance that psychological stress can cause dog hives, but generally, anxiety merely worsens hives that are already present.

Should I take my dog to the vet for hives?

Yes, hives indicate a larger issuean allergic reactionand require treatment to make your dog comfortable and keep the reaction from progressing.

What do hives look like on a dog?

Hives are red, often swollen areas of skin that may be very itchy. They can be anywhere on the body, but youll often spot them on your dogs head, neck, back, stomach, or legs.

What foods cause hives in dogs?

There is no one food that generally causes hives in dogs. However, if your dog is allergic to a particular food or ingredient, that can cause hives for your individual dog.

Hives and Rashes (Urticaria) in Dogs

Hives or skin rashes (urticaria) are localized patches of red, swollen, usually itchy, skin. They often develop and disappear suddenly. Hives are relatively uncommon in dogs. The most frequent causes are insect bites or stings, shampoos, and medications. Other causes include contact with toxic plants or chemicals. Friction, sunlight, heat, exercise, stress, and genetic abnormalities may cause or intensify the rash. Hives may develop after inhaling or consuming allergens. Hives can be seen while a dog is in estrus ("in heat") or seen in puppies with intestinal parasites ("worms").

The wheals (eruptions) appear within a few minutes or hours of exposure to the causative agent. In severe cases, the skin eruptions are preceded by fever, poor appetite, or dullness. They can develop on any part of the body but occur mainly on the back, flanks, neck, eyelids, and legs. In advanced cases, they may be found on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, lining of the eyes, rectum, and vagina.

Often, hives disappear as rapidly as they arise, usually within a few hours. Treatment may not be required. They may return rapidly if exposure to the cause is not eliminated, however. Also, if your dog develops hives after receiving a vaccination or medication, contact your veterinarian immediately to see if treatment is needed. Treatment may include rapid-acting corticosteroids. If hives are chronic, environmental or food allergens should be considered as potential causes. Death does not commonly occur, unless anaphylaxis (a severe allergic event) or swelling of the respiratory tract is present.

Also see professional content regarding urticaria.

Suspicious Lump on Your Dog? Heres When to Tell the Vet.

Two dogs were booked yesterday with the same problem, one after the other.

The reason given in the chart? Client concerned as a lump has got bigger.

But whereas one dog needed no further action, the other dog faces referral to a specialist. Why? Because one lump was a harmless fatty bump, but the other was a potentially serious tumor.

What these dogs had in common were concerned humans. They had both done the right action in bringing their pet to the veterinarian to investigate suspicious lumps on the dogs.

Found a Suspicious Lump on Your Dog

Most people find a suspicious lump on their dog and immediately think ofcancer.

Are all lumps cancer? No!

A lump is a swelling or area of tissue thickening. There are many reasons a dog can get a suspicious lump. For example:

• A cyst: This is a lump filled with fluid that is secreted from the lining of the cyst.
• An abscess: This is a discrete collection of pus, usually the result of a bite or scratch.
• Bruising and thickening: This is a result of a knock or blow.
• Ticks or foreign bodies: A colleague of mine once diagnosed a tumor as a boiled sweet stuck in the dogs fur.

But what if the suspicious lump on your actually is cancer?

Not all lumps are the same.

Theres a spectrum of seriousness that ranges from nothing to worry about to potentially life-threatening. But while its the latter that sticks in the mind, the former are more common.

Cancers are also divided into:

• Benign:The lump grows bigger but wont spread to other parts of the body.
• Malignant: These aggressive lumps have the potential to spread to the organs.

When to Worry About a Suspicious Lump on Your Dog

Get any new lump or any existing lump that changes in some way checked out.

There are certain signs that can tell you that an urgent visit to the vet is for the best.

These include:

• Rapid growth: A suspicious lump on your dog thats growing quickly can cause problems in 2 ways. First, this may be a hint its more aggressive, and second, a large lump is more tricky to remove than a small one.
• Redness: Some more serious lumps on dogs release chemicals that cause tissue reaction and inflammation. If the bump looks sore or bothers the dog, then get it checked out as a matter of urgency.
• An ailing pet: Again, some tumors release chemical factors that affect general health. If the dog lacks energy, is losing weight, has tummy troubles or is drinking a lot, then let the vet know.

Common Questions About Suspicious Lumps on Dogs

What ifI can lift the lump up in the skin, away from the tissues underneath?

This is a good sign, since aggressive lumps often invade the deeper tissues.

But and its a big but some more serious lumps on dogs, such as mast cell tumors, can mimic less harmful ones, so even this sign is no guarantee.

The dog has had the lump for years, and its never changed. Should I worry?

Again, no change is generally considered a good sign because aggressive cancers are just that and will grow quickly.

However, check those lumps and bumps monthly.

• Take a photo, if necessary, so you have a record.
• Better still, photograph the lump next to a ruler so you know the exact size.

If the lump starts to grow, becomes red or changes character, then it is a suspicious lump on your dog and off to the vet it is.

Why You Should Listen to Your Vet About Pathology

I found a lump, and Im in a panic.

I hear this all the time. I also hear a follow-up comment at times that makes me unhappy: Just take it off, and I dont want to know what it is, says the worried client. Oh, boy. Now Ive got some convincing to do.

Most growths that warrant removal also warrant analysis. This analysis is called a biopsy or pathology.

Its important to get a diagnosis on a growth, to give it a name so that we know what we are dealing with, but many people balk at this idea. For the purposes of this article, assume that lump, bump, growth, mass and tumor are interchangeable terms.

What Clients Sometimes Say

If its bad news, Id rather not know.

I hear this a lot when someone declines to send out a biopsy. Well, what if its good news?

• Many growths or tumors can be cured when surgical removal is complete.
• Did you know we use the term tumor even when describing a benign growth, such as a fatty tumor, commonly called a lipoma? Tumor means an abnormal growth of tissue. It is not synonymous with cancer. There can be benign tumors and malignant tumors.
• Some growths might look nasty and have you and your vet concerned, but the diagnosis may paint a more favorable picture.
• If you dont get a diagnosis, you live with worry and concern. An answer stops the What if? syndrome.

If its cancer, I wont put my pet through chemo.

There is so much wrong with this kind of thinking. First of all, recommending chemotherapy following a growth removal is not all that common.

If and thats a big if some sort of drug therapy is recommended following surgery, we usually choose chemo drugs that have low toxicity and are tolerated well. If the drug doesnt agree with the pet, we can always stop the drug, usually without doing lasting harm.

If a biopsy does yield bad news, many people in the I wouldnt do anything drastic camp change their tune when follow-up treatment could mean a longer life or cure for their pet.

No biopsy for my pet its too expensive.

Lab fees can be costly, pathology fees costing upward of $200.

The information obtained, however, can tailor a follow-up treatment plan. Knowing the type and behavior of the tumor your pet had removed helps us make decisions in the future.

Cytology, Biopsy, Pathology

There are a number of ways to get information about a growth, both before and after removal.

Fine Needle Aspirate (FNA)

Basically, a fine needle aspirate is a fancy way of saying we stick a needle in a lump, squirt the contents of the needle on a slide, stain the slide and look at the splat!

Looking at cells like this is called cytology. Hopefully, the splat (aspirate) contains cells that give us a clue about the type of growth were dealing with.

FNAs are quick, easy and inexpensive, but they yield limited information. Many FNAs give us an idea that a growth is probably benign or probably cancerous but tell us little about how that growth will behave or the severity of the cancer.

Biopsy

A biopsy usually refers to a sampling of a growth taken prior to removal of the entire growth and having it analyzed by a veterinary pathologist.

Many biopsies can be done with only a local anesthetic. In an ideal world, it would be great to biopsy every growth and know the diagnosis prior to surgical removal.

The pros of doing a biopsy are many. The biopsy can suggest how much of a pre-surgical work-up should be done and tell the surgeon how conservative or radical to be at the time of surgery.

Certain tumors, for example, due to their aggressive behavior, require a very wide excision to get the best chance at a cure. Having a reliable biopsy in advance prepares the client, surgeon and patient for a basic or more radical surgery.

The cons generally have to do with putting the animal through an additional procedure, the cost and the possibility that the small section of tissue submitted for biopsy may not be representative of the entire mass.

Rarely, excessive bleeding can occur.

Histopathology

Histopathology refers to the preparation and microscopic examination of tissue samples.

Usually, we use the phrase sending out for pathology when we remove an entire mass and send that mass with surgical margins to the pathologist. The tissue (growth, mass, tumor, etc.) is the biopsy sample, and histopathology is the analysis.

Sending an entire mass to the lab for pathology gives us the best diagnosis and tells us if our margins are clear of tumor cells. The pathologist will also comment on the specific character of the cells in the mass, stage the tumor if applicable and often give an opinion about prognosis.

Sending Out the Biopsy

When clients understands the important medical information and prognostic factors that can be learned from pathology, they frequently agree to the added expense.

Occasionally, a client declines the biopsy, even when I strongly recommend it be done. I tell these people on the emotional or financial fence that their pets tumor is fixed in formalin. The sample is not time-sensitive and can go out to the lab next week or next month.

The bottom line: When your vet recommends the pathology, please do it.

The Most Common Lumps and Bumps on Dogs

This isnt meant as an exhaustive list but as an idea of the types of lumps that are most common in dogs.

• Warts: The extra skin tags or lumps of skin are usually harmless but may bleed if caught by a brush or collar.
• Fatty lumps, or lipomas: These are localized fat deposits that are common in older dogs. Again, they are of no significance other than if they grow so large they become a nuisance.
• Mammary cancer: This is more common in older female dogs who are not spayed.
• Mast cell tumors: These can range from those lumps where removing them solves the problem to potentially aggressive lumps that can spread. Theyre common in younger dogs, and surgical removal is the best option.
• Sebaceous cysts: Common in older animals, some cysts are filled with a white, almost toothpaste-like secretion. They are of no concern other than being a nuisance.
• Histiocytomas: Another skin tumor that occurs in young dogs, these ones do eventually subside of their own accord. However, the problem is mast cell tumors can mimic histiocytomas, so removal is the safest option.

These vets provide great information and advice for those who have found suspicious lumps on their dogs:

Final Thoughts on Suspicious Lumps on Dogs

Check your dog regularly for lumps and bumps.

If you find a new lump or an old lump is growing, get them checked by a veterinarian.

Should the lump be something worrisome, early intervention gives the best chances of a good outcome. So dont go into denial, but keep calm, carry on and get your pet checked by a vet.

This pet health content was written by a veterinarian,

Dr. Pippa Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS

, with contributions from another veterinarian,

Dr. Debora Lichtenberg, VMD

. It was last reviewed Aug. 14, 2019.

If you have questions or concerns, call your vet, who is best equipped to ensure the health and well-being of your pet. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See

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