Why does my pitbull have hives
Dog Hives (Urticaria | welts): Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment
What Are Dog Hives (Urticaria)?
Hives, otherwise known as urticaria by medical professionals, are one abnormality you may see. They occur when your dog is allergic to something, such as an insect, medication, or food. Recognizing hives in dogs and understanding the cause is essential to relieving your dogs discomfort and preventing dog hives in the future.
What do dog hives look like?
- Dog hives look like raised bumps on the skin, usually about the size of a nickel.
- Hives are usually red in color; however, you may not notice redness if they are on a very furry part of your dog. In this case, your pets hives may only look like fur-covered bumps. Sometimes, its difficult to see the raised bumps, and you may only feel them when petting your dog.
- Dog hives can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, tongue, neck, legs, chest, abdomen, or back. They can affect just one area of the body or the entire body.
- Dog hives are very itchy. This may be the first thing you notice before seeing or feeling hives on your dogs skin. Your dog will likely be trying to scratch, lick, or bite the areas affected as it will be itchy.
- Hives usually happen very fast within minutes after exposure to whatever caused them.
- You may notice excessive drooling and a swollen/puffy face if the hives affect your dogs throat or mouth.
What causes hives on a dog?
Dog hives are almost always related to exposure to an allergen. Once exposed to an allergen, mast cells in your dogs body release a substance called histamine. Histamine causes blood vessels to dilate, which leads to raised welts on your dogs skin.
The most common allergens causing dog hives include:
- Insect bite or sting, or ingesting an insect (photo recommendation: dog playing with bee)
- Vaccinations
- Acute allergic reactions to medications (chemotherapy, vitamin K, antibiotics)
- Food allergies
- Environmental allergies (grasses, trees, mold, dust mites, etc.)
- Contact allergens such as shampoos, insecticides, cleaning products
- Ingesting or skin exposure to toxic plants
Much less common causes of hives in dogs include prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures (hot or cold), strenuous exercise, parasites, or significant psychological stress.
Insect bites/stings, food, and medications are the most common causes of hives in dogs.
How are dog hives diagnosed?
As a pet parent, it can be worrisome to see these skin rashes, but luckily, for your vet to diagnose your dogs hives. Your vet will use a combination of your history and their physical examination findings.
Its essential to think about anything new your dog may have been exposed to. Did you see them playing with a bee? Were they recently vaccinated? Did they start a new medication or a new food? During the physical exam, your veterinarian will look at your dogs skin to evaluate hives and where the hives are located.
If your veterinarian is having trouble diagnosing your dogs hives or the reason for their hives, they may perform additional diagnostics, such as blood work, skin cytology, skin scrapings, or fecal analysis.
How to treat & get rid of dog hives?
Treatment for hives in dogs can be simple or more extensive, depending on the cause, severity, and duration of the allergic reaction.
To get your dog quick relief from the swelling and itchiness related to hives, your veterinarian will usually administer an injection of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) and a corticosteroid. Once your dog is feeling better and discharged from the hospital, your veterinarian may also recommend that you continue giving your dog Benadryl two to three times a day at home for a couple of days.
To prevent hives from reoccurring, you need to understand what caused them in the first place so that you can avoid the allergen in the future. If there is no apparent cause for your dogs hives (such as insect bite, medication, or vaccinations), it may be more challenging to understand how to prevent hives in the future. Environmental and dietary allergies are two possible causes of hives that may require further diagnostics and treatment.
Environmental allergies
If your dog has recurrent hives or has other signs of allergies, your veterinarian may recommend testing for environmental allergies with serum allergy testing or intradermal allergy testing. With these results, your veterinarian can create a plan to desensitize your dog to these allergies with allergen-specific immunotherapy.
If you determine that you cannot eliminate the allergens in your dogs environment or pursue allergen-specific immunotherapy treatment, your veterinarian may recommend:
- Giving your dog daily antihistamines (such as Benadryl, zyrtec, or hydroxyzine)
- Giving your dog other prescription-strength allergy medications such as apoquel or cytopoint
- Starting daily skin health supplements, such as omega-three fatty acids.
- Frequently bathing your dog with medicated high-quality shampoo
Food allergies
Allergies that stem from food can also cause recurrent episodes of hives in dogs. The most common cause of allergies in dogs include chicken, beef, dairy, and egg 2. Recurrent episodes of hives can also be related to dietary allergies. To diagnose a food allergy, your veterinarian may recommend a diet trial for 6-8 weeks with a prescription food or an over-the-counter diet with a different protein source, like fish or venison. If your dog responds positively to a food trial, you can continue the special diet long term.
Are dog hives dangerous?
Dog hives are rarely life-threatening. However, there are a few less common situations where hives can affect your dogs breathing and become dangerous.
- Hives in the face, neck, or throat can cause severe swelling that impacts breathing, which can become life-threatening.
- The presence of hives anywhere may indicate your dog is having or about to have an anaphylactic reaction, which causes constriction of airways and difficulty breathing. 3 Besides hives, other signs of anaphylaxis include vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, drooling, blue gum color, and collapse.
If you notice that your dog has hives, pay particular attention to how they are breathing and for any other concerning changes in their behavior. If you are concerned your dog may be having severe allergic reactions, take them to the emergency room immediately to rule out a medical emergency.
At-home remedies for dog hives
If possible, take your dog to the veterinarian if you notice they have hives, especially if this is a first-time problem. If your dog chronically or intermittently has hives and the issue has previously been discussed with a veterinarian, some at-home remedies may help relieve the allergic reaction.
- If the hives are not affecting your dogs face, neck, throat, or ability to swallow, you can administer Benadryl by mouth. Always discuss if this is appropriate for your dog with your veterinarian first and receive instructions about dosage and frequency.
- If the hives were caused by a contact allergen (such as grasses/trees or chemicals) or insect bites you can help relieve itchiness by bathing with a gentle oatmeal-based dog shampoo can help your dog feel more comfortable.
- Apply a cold compress to the hives or the most severely affected areas of your dogs skin. Be careful never to apply a cold compress for more than 10 minutes at one time, and always wrap the ice or cold object in a towel before applying it to your dogs skin.
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.
Common Pit Bull Allergies and Treatments
Common pit bull allergies are typically environmental or dog food allergies. If you notice your pit bull breaking out in hives, a rash or skin bumps, this is most likely an allergic reaction.
Common Pit Bull Allergies to Dog Food
If you believe your pit bulls hives or skin bumps are a result from their diet, try switching their dog food to one made for sensitive stomachs.
Avoid dog food with low quality ingredients which may cause the dog food allergy. Do this especially if they appear to be in pain or are having frequent/loose bowel movements.
The best dog food for pit bulls with allergies or sensitive stomachs are limited ingredient dog food, grain-free dog food or hypoallergenic dog food.
It always best to use the highest quality dog food you can afford for your pit bull regardless if a food allergy is present.
Common Pit Bull Skin Allergies
If your pit bull has a skin allergy from something environmental, try this plan of attack.
When your pit bull come in for the day from outdoors, wipe them down. Inspect their skin for ticks, bites, bumps, scratches, anything out of the ordinary.
Dogs naturally have bacteria on them. You would commonly find bacteria in moist areas like their paws, ears, bellies, armpits.
Bugs and microorganisms will attach themselves to these areas. Wiping your dog down with a hypoallergenic wipe will cut down any bacteria growth significantly.
Do some detective work around your home. What does your dog play with? Where do they lay at home? What do you wash their items with?
Have you changed any detergents, shampoos, lotions? Any new plants in or outside the home?
If you can narrow down the culprit, remove it from your dogs environment and see if the allergy clears up. If its difficult to figure out the cause, try the following steps.
Pit bull skin bumps allergy treatment success plan
- Use a Chlorhexidine shampoo. Chlorhexidine Shampoo with 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate is formulated for skin conditions caused by microorganisms and bacteria.
Chlorhexidine Gluconate works to help promote healthy skin and coat. Chlorhexidine Shampoo is effective, yet mild and may even be used for routine shampooing on all dogs.
- Wipe your dog with a damp towel when they come inside for the day. More frequent on hot days.
Its crucial when using a damp towel to dry them completely. Hypoallergenic wipes are quick and easy to use without leaving your dog moist.
- Chlorhexidine spray works very well also between shampooing and when coming in from outdoors. It will rid the bacteria on your pit bulls skin while cleaning and deodorizing.
- Pit bulls can be allergic to insects like mosquitos. Spray your dog with mosquito repellent before heading outside.
- A tick allergy can be a real problem. Be sure to inspect your pit bull for ticks. Pull them off as soon as possible with tweezers, preferably outside.
Common Pit Bull Allergies FAQ
What is the best dog food for pit bulls with common skin allergies?
A grain-free dog food like Taste of the Wild is fantastic and very highly rated.
- Purina pro plan sensitive skin & stomach dog food is a quality dog food with nearly 20,000 positive ratings on Amazon.
What is the best dry dog food for pit bulls with skin allergies?
There are many quality dry dog foods for pit bulls on the market. Which one is the best really depends on the owner and what the pit bull enjoys.
For us, you cannot go wrong with Taste of the Wild. With 15,000+ reviews with over 80% 5 star, its a great choice for many dog owners.
How do you treat dog hives on a pit bull?
- Use a chlorhexidine shampoo. Chlorhexidine Shampoo conditions while it cleans and deodorizes your pit bulls skin.
If your pit bulls hives were due to something environmental, chlorhexidine shampoo will rid your pit bulls skin of the bacteria and alleviate the hive breakout.
- If you dont have time for a full dog shampooing, a great solution is to use a chlorhexidine spray.
Chlorhexidine spray is perfect between baths and is easier than shampooing. It deodorizes and cleanses face folds, wrinkles, paws, underarms and groin.
Chlorhexidine helps relieve hives, skin infections, hot spots, paw licking, allergies, and skin bumps.
Curaseb Medicated Chlorhexidine Spray has a no sting alcohol-free formula that relieves itching and hot Spots. Aloe & vitamin E soothes and nourishes rashes, redness and dry skin irritations.
What is the best allergy treatment for my pit bulls skin bumps?
Pit bull skin bumps differ from hives. Hives are the result of an allergic reaction and skin bumps can be from insect bites, bacterial infections, irritating substances etc.
You would not have to change your dog food if your pit bull has been eating the same dog food for a while. If you recently changed the dog food, that could be the issue.
If you believe your pit bulls skin bumps are the result of something they rubbed against, use an antibacterial shampoo like chlorhexidine shampoo.
A chlorhexidine spray might be the most useful item to have on hand. It is super-convenient for when shampooing is not ideal and is very effective.
This will rid the bacteria on your pit bulls skin. Chlorhexidine shampoo is safe to use for regular shampooing. Dont use any harsh laundry detergents to wash your pit bulls blankets, beds, toys etc.
Why does my pit bull have bumps on his skin?
Your pit bull can have bumps on his skin or dog hives from an allergic reaction to his dog food. The skin bumps can also be a contact allergy from something in the home or outdoors.
Watch an expert and blue pit bull owner identify and treat her pit bulls hives and skin bumps at home.
Are allergies common in Blue Pit Bulls?
Yes. Environmental and skin allergies are common in blue pit bulls. You can read about it here.
Are pit bulls hypoallergenic?
While pit bulls are not considered a hypoallergenic dog breed, their skin and coat is typically short to medium length minimizing shedding and dander.
Read our Pit Bull Dog Food FAQs
