Signs Your Pet Has Allergies

A common pet health issue we can help treat at our Rowland Heights, CA, area animal hospital, Walnut Valley Animal Hospital, is allergies. Pets, just like us, can experience allergic reactions to an array of irritants that include environmental, seasonal, and foodborne irritants. How those allergies can manifest in your pet can happen in a variety of ways. Some of the common signs your pet has allergies might include the following:

Common Signs Your Pet Has Allergies

Here are some signs that your pet may have pet allergies:

• Persistent and excessive itching and scratching: Excessive itching is a telltale sign that there is some skin issue with your pet. Scratching may be because of fleas but if you're not seeing these, then another cause can be allergies. It can be important to seek help for such excessive itching as, if left unresolved, persistent scratching can lead to inflamed, reddened skin that's prone to infections.
• Ear problems: If your pet is constantly shaking his head or scratching his ears, then he may be experiencing ear infections that are caused by an allergic reaction.
• Watery eyes and sneezing: Just as with humans, pets can experience allergies such as itchy, watery eyes and lots of sneezing. You might even notice some nasal discharge set on by an allergic reaction.
• Breathing issues: Wheezing, coughing, and other labored or problematic breathing can be the result of your pet coming into contact with an allergen.
• Gastrointestinal distress:  Gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhea can result from a pet's food allergies. These symptoms can lead to life-threatening dehydration and so it's important to contact a vet if you're seeing vomiting or diarrhea that happens frequently.
• Behavioral changes: Some pets might have an allergic reaction that is more hidden, like abdominal pain, that doesn't have quite as obvious physical signs like sneezing or inflamed skin. Pets can’t talk to us and tell us of such pain but we can know something is wrong if we pay attention to their behavior. If you notice a sudden behavioral change, or behavioral change that only happens at specific times (like after feeding or walking by a certain field), consider contacting a vet and talking about allergy tests.

Get Excessive Itching Treatment, Infections Treatment, and Preventative Care from a Vet at Our Animal Hospital

There are some preventative care or management tips we can recommend for allergies, like avoiding certain foods for food allergies. What is right for your pet will depend upon the allergens, severity, and other factors. If you need pet allergy or infection treatment, give our Rowland Heights, CA, vet a call. Call us at (626) 965-4941 for Walnut Valley Animal Hospital.