As is the case with humans, allergies in pets are caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. The three main causes of allergies are:

Flea Allergy: A common allergen is flea saliva, which comes into contact with your pet when a flea bites it to consume blood. This can often lead to a condition known as flea allergy dermatitis, causing itching and skin irritation.

Environmental Allergy: These allergens include pollen (from trees, grasses, or weeds), dust mites, mould spores, or other inhaled allergens. The list of potential environmental allergens is very long, and varies depending on your surroundings.

Food Allergy: With relation to pet food supplies, the most frequent allergy culprit is protein, usually beef or chicken. However, pets can also be allergic to carbohydrates, preservatives and certain food dyes, in the same way that humans can be.

Allergies in pets can often lead to itching, hair loss, and various skin problems such as dermatitis which often affects the face, paws, and lower belly. Allergies also often leads to problems such as infections, asthma and other respiratory problems. Unfortunately, because pets will then often scratch and lick areas of discomfort, they can then pick up secondary infections when bacteria and saliva come into contact with irritated skin.

During an allergy appointment with one of our expert vets, we will discuss your pet’s diet and medical history. Generally speaking, the first step is to make sure the possibility of flea allergy has been eliminated. To do this, we will check if your pet has effective flea control. You may notice that your pet only suffers from allergies in certain environment or times of the year, which is likely to indicate that an environmental allergen is the reason. For environmental allergies, we may prescribe medications to help keep them comfortable and prevent secondary infections. If it appears that your pet may be suffering from food allergies, we will oversee a food elimination diet so we can determine the exact allergens affecting your pet, and then devise an effective treatment plan.

Unfortunately, allergies are quite common in all breeds of both cats and dogs. Most allergies appear after the pet is six months of age, with the majority of affected pets over the age of one or two. It is important to note that allergies can develop and change throughout your pet’s life. Therefore, things that may not have led to issues in the past, could cause allergy symptoms in the future.

Allergies can cause real discomfort for pets, causing infections, cracked skin, itching, and hair loss. While it is not possible to cure allergies altogether, our veterinarian experts can help you diagnose and treat allergies, so as to ensure these problems are managed and reduced from occurring in the future.