Does your dog suffer from seasonal dog allergies? Are you suddenly avoiding sitting to close to your favorite pup for fear of being sneezed and slobbered on? Our dog Maddie that we adopted last fall has developed seasonal allergies and when she starts with one of her sneezing fits, everyone runs for cover! Poor girl...
It's actually quite common for dogs to have seasonal allergies just like we do. When spring rolls around, dogs often begin spending more time outdoors than they do in the winter. This exposes them to the normal allergy causing culprits such as pollen and grasses and with this exposure comes the typical symptoms we all can experience.
It is actually normal for a dog to sneeze occasionally the same as a human. So occasional sneezing is nothing to be concerned about but if your dog is having recurrent sneezing, it's time to do some evaluation of their symptoms.
Begin by allowing them access to fresh drink of water. This alone can clean out the nasal passage of various irritants. After allowing them a little bit of time to get a thorough drink, give them a few minutes to allow time for their sneezing to stop. If after a reasonable amount of time, the sneezing does not stop, it's time to do a more careful assessment.
This is where you'll need to examine your dog's physical symptoms.
- First, check their nose. Is there nasal discharge? If so, is it clear or does it have a yellow or green color to it? Clear discharge is OK but a colored discharge likely indicates an infection. If this is the case, it's time for a visit to the vet.
- Check their eyes next for both drainage and clearness. Are their eyes watering and have lots of "crusties" in the corner?
- Check their face for swelling or for one side being larger than the other. This can definitely be a symptom of allergies or an insect bite or sting.
- Check their breathing. Are they taking nice clear breaths and exhaling evenly or does it sound raspy or even blocked on one side? This could indicate a potential blockage or swelling inside the naval cavity. If any of these symptoms are severe or beyond what appears to be normal seasonal allergies, you should make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately. If you are unsure, call your vet to get more information and advice.
What You Can Do For Your Dog's Seasonal Allergies
If your dog has seasonal allergies, they are likely reacting to pollens and grasses that are quickly growing this time of year. Sometimes these allergies can pass quickly as a particular plant comes and goes but if they continue, you can give your dog relief with regular antihistamines. Some of the most popular human antihistamines that can be used are:
Common antihistamines for dogs include:
- Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
- Atarax/Vistaryl (hydroxyzine)
- Chlortrimeton (chlorpheniramine)
- Tavist (clemastine)
- Periactin (cyproheptadine)
- Temaril (trimeprazine)
Antihistamines work by blocking the histamine from the receptors. This prevents the allergy symptoms from happening. It is noteworthy to mention that antihistamines work the best when given before your dog exhibits symptoms.
It's very important to check with your veterinarian for specific dosages for your individual dog. As with humans, dogs can experience side effects from antihistamines too. For example, your dog may become drowsy with the medication, in which case it's important that you keep them in where you can monitor them. Allowing a medicated, drowsy dog to run can be dangerous. The potential for a fight with another dog or even wandering into the street in front of a car could be deadly in that state.
When you are assessing your dog's symptoms, be sure to consider the following as potential causes. If your dog spends part of their day outside, then consider the things your dog may have come in contact with. Most dogs are highly curious and will spend a good portion of their outdoor time checking out new and interesting items.
This can include flowers, plants and even bees or wasp. Unfortunately, all of this sniffing and smelling can lead to a blockage of their nasal passages, inflammation, swelling, pain and of course sneezing. If your dog continues to suffer and sneeze or if their sneezing produced a bloody discharge, the blockage can be serious and you should seek veterinarian treatment immediately.
When you examined your dog, did you find any swelling or evidence of bites or stings? I want to mention for those that live in areas with snakes and especially rattle snakes, it's quite common for an over curious dog to get just a little too close and be a little too slow to avoid a strike. This happens all of the time in the area we live.
Generally though, you will know immediately something is wrong. The swelling will be fast and severe. Get your dog to a veterinarian immediately for treatment. Our veterinarian recommends keeping Dexamethasone (a potent synthetic member steroid drugs. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppresant. It's about 20-30 times more potent that hydro-cortisone and 4-5 times of prednisone.) on hand for immediate treatment until you can get them to the vet - which in our case is an hour away one way. Remember, always check with your veterinarian before administering any medication to your dog.
Finally, if their breathing seems to be labored in anyway or they are just having difficulty in breathing through their air passage, seek your veterinarian's help immediately. Also, once you have treated your dog with medication, if you do not see improvement, it's time to contact the veterinarian.
It's important to remember that dog's can have potential allergies for a variety of things that can cause sneezing and itching and various other allergy symptoms. The problem isn't always environmental and can sometimes be a skin condition or an allergy to their dog food for example. So make sure to take into consideration all of your dog's issues before choosing a treatment option.
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