Just like humans, dogs can also develop allergies. It is often not so easy to find out what the dog is allergic to.
An allergy is an excessive activity of the immune system. A harmless substance, the allergen, provokes a strong defensive reaction in the form of inflammation. In humans, this can lead to hay fever and watery eyes, but also to itching and reddening of the skin or digestive disorders, depending on which part of the body is affected.
The situation is very similar in dogs: contact with the allergen, whether in the air we breathe, through skin contact or in food, leads to a strong immunological defense reaction. In our four-legged friends, the skin is primarily affected. The dogs show itching and scratch themselves sore or lick themselves bald. Some dogs also show chronic digestive disorders, which can be recognized as diarrhoea, vomiting, flatulence and loss of appetite. If the respiratory tract is affected, this leads to sniffles, watery eyes, coughing and asthma.
The most common allergen in dogs is flea saliva. A single flea bite is often enough to cause the animal to suffer from itching for weeks. However, pollen and grass, house dust, mold spores, food or medication are also possible allergens. There are also contact allergies, e.g. in areas with little hair and which come into contact with carpets, plastics or cleaning agents.
The treatment of an allergy usually consists of dogs avoiding the allergen in question. However, this requires an accurate diagnosis. It is often difficult and time-consuming to identify the allergen in question. In addition, it must first be ensured that it is actually an allergy, as many other diseases can cause similar symptoms.
Unfortunately, there is no simple and reliable allergy test. It is important to carry out a careful examination to rule out many other illnesses. If the suspicion of an allergy is confirmed, a systematic attempt should be made to track down the triggering allergen, e.g. flea bites or flea droppings in the case of a flea saliva allergy. Pollen and grasses can be identified by a skin test. If the allergen comes from the food, a so-called exclusion feeding is the only way to confirm the diagnosis.
Patience is often required: depending on the severity of the allergy, it can sometimes take many weeks for the symptoms to subside and the diagnosis to be confirmed. As a dog owner, you should never give up too soon: In persistent cases of food allergies, it can take up to 12 weeks before the dog responds to treatment.
However, once the allergen has been found, the animal has a good chance of a complete cure if the food allergen is avoidedin future by following a special diet. In the case of grasses and pollen, an attempt can then be made to help the animal with desensitization . And flea bites can be prevented with flea repellents from the vet.