Just like humans, pets are also susceptible to allergies. It is a condition where the immune system shows hypersensitivity to a foreign particle entering the body. The allergens can range from plants and foods to insects, dust particles, and several environmental factors. When the allergen enters the pet’s body, the defense system mounts an exaggerated attack on these substances. This post details the different allergic reactions observed in various pets.
Allergy in pets
Most pet parents may have seen their pets (dogs, cats, and rabbits) getting itchy and irritated several times. They might be experiencing symptoms of allergy. Allergy in pets can manifest in many ways. The symptoms can be observed on their skin, eyes, ears, and anal glands.
Depending on the cause of the allergy in pets, the condition can be of three types:
- Flea allergy
- Food allergy
- Environmental allergy
Let’s check in detail the allergy type
Flea allergy
Flea allergy is the most common type observed in dogs, cats, and rabbits. It is caused by the body’s exaggerated inflammatory response to the insect’s sting, especially the saliva. When these organisms bite the pets to draw blood, the fluid from their mouthparts gets into the skin of the companions. Some common insects that can cause allergies in cats, dogs, and rabbits are ticks, spiders, fleas, mosquitoes, bees, ants, wasps, etc.
A pet with flea allergy dermatitis will show the following symptoms.
- Severe itching and body scratching
- Loss of hair
- Oopen sores
- Scabs on the skin
- Secondary bacterial infection at the area of scabs
Preventive methods
- Preventing insect bites
- Using flea control products
Food allergy
Food allergies in cats, dogs, and rabbits are caused by the immune system’s reactions to allergens in food with proteins, carbohydrates, and food additives. Allergy is commonly observed for proteins present in certain foodstuffs like beef, pork, chicken, egg, soy, corn, wheat, etc. The condition is often manifested on the skin. Some of the symptoms of this allergy in pets are:
- Itching
- Disorders associated with digestion
- Respiratory difficulty
- Hair loss
- Scab formation
- Diarrhea
- Unhealthy coat
Treatment
Since food allergies do not respond well to treatment or other therapies, the only remedy is to identify and avoid the allergen. To find out the offending component in food, an elimination meal plan test can be done. In this method, a hypoallergenic meal routine suggested by the veterinary doctor is to be followed for eight to twelve weeks. During this period, your pet must only be fed with the special meal and should strictly avoid any other foodstuff that is not on the plan. If you observe an improvement in the clinical symptoms in your pet, inform the veterinarian. The doctor will guide you with further proceedings.
Environmental allergy
Environmental allergy is also known as contact allergy or atopy. Many substances found in the environment can cause severe allergic reactions in pets. The elements that can irritate the immune system of your companions include pesticides, certain grass, pollen, molds, mildew, dust mites, hay dust, clothing materials like wool or synthetics used in bedding, cleaning products, air fresheners, etc. Some environmental allergies are seasonal, like pollen allergy, and others may persist throughout the year.
Symptoms of environmental allergy in pets include the following.
- Red eyes
- Runny nose
- Rubbing the face with paws or on ground
- Itching all over the body
The treatment options for this pet allergy can include Immunosuppressive therapy. This treatment method uses immunosuppressant chemicals, which target the immune cells and render them inactive.
