Health experts are already warning that fall allergies — not just springtime itchy eyes and coughing — present their own problems. But your pets can be heavily impacted too.
According to veterinarian Katy Nelson, while pets can sneezy and stuffy, most of the time, allergy symptoms manifest through your dog or cat’s skin.
“We’re seeing ear infections, we’re seeing loss of hair around the face or the ears or under the arms; chewing, biting, licking their feet — all of that can be signs of seasonal allergies for our pets,” Nelson told WTOP.
In the spring, pets are typically allergic to flowers and tree pollens. In the fall, allergies are typically due to weed pollens, like ragweed.
“If they have the spring allergies, I’d say they’re probably more likely to have the fall allergies as well,” Nelson said. “Typically, yes, the treatments can be very similar. That includes antihistamines, of course we all think of that, but for our pets, avoiding these things can be very handy.”
Consider keeping your animals inside during the peak pollen times, like the afternoon. And baby wipes can help clean their coats of pollen when they come back from outside time.
You can also get your pet tested for allergies.
“Just the same way we get tested as well, the little skin prick that we get tested with, we can do that with our pets as well,” Nelson said. “Veterinary dermatologists typically will do that.”
There are also blood tests, but Nelson warns that though they might be a good place to start, they’re not necessarily the best for a diagnosis.
Remember that fleas and ticks are still in full force, so do not discontinue your preventive medications.
“Those fleas and ticks aren’t going to just miraculously disappear because of the date on the calendar,” Nelson said.
If you want to go beyond antihistamines, there’s also hyposensitization therapies, immune modifiers and stronger antihistamines. Consult your vet.
