Dear Dr. Dog: My dog has been licking his front paws more than usual, and his eyes are runny. Is it possible he has an allergy, and if so what can I do about it?
In the past few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time talking with pet owners about allergy. If my caseload is any indication, a lot of dogs must be suffering from runny eyes, itchy skin, and ear infections — while keeping their owners up at night with their continuous scratching, licking, and chewing.
Allergy is a very common problem with many different symptoms, depending on the type of allergen and the age and breed of the patient. Fortunately, allergy usually results in only mild problems, though for some dogs it can make life quite miserable.
The general term “allergy” is used to describe an individual’s intolerance to something in its environment. There are far more detailed definitions, but this is sufficient for this article. At the core of the problem is the immune system – yes, the same system that protects our health can also cause a host of problems. In very simple terms, allergy is the immune system’s way of saying it doesn’t like certain environmental components, such as pollens, dust, molds, certain dietary ingredients, and insect venom.
Equally diverse is the spectrum of symptoms seen in our allergic pets. Itchy skin and runny eyes are common symptoms, but allergies can also cause serious skin and ear infections, as well as respiratory and gastrointestinal disease caused.
For simplicity’s sake, I like to categorize allergy into three general types: fleabite allergy, atopy (“hay-fever”-like allergy), and “all the rest” (food, contact, drug/chemical allergies) – puts in order of decreasing frequency.
Fleabites
Fleabite allergy is the most common allergy in dogs and the easiest to recognize. If your dog is itchy (i.e., scratching, chewing, gnawing his skin), especially in the back half of his body, he probably is allergic to flea bites. Even if you’ve searched high and low and can’t find a single flea, I’d still bet lunch he has fleabite allergy.
Frankly, you don’t need a veterinarian to diagnose fleabite allergy. The important point here is location of the itchiness. Remember that the flea allergic dog is typically itchy in the back half of the body, specifically the lower back, tail-base, groin, and back of the legs. The flea-allergic dog only needs an occasional bite to remain constantly itchy. Proteins in the flea “saliva” are what cause the intense allergy seen in so many dogs, so an apparent absence of fleas on a patient rarely deters me from diagnosing flea allergy.
Atopy
Atopy – hay fever-like allergy – is the second most common cause of itchy skin in dogs. The term refers to allergic reactions to certain agents in the pet’s environment that gain access to the pet via the respiratory tract. Pollens, mold spores, and house dust are just a few of the countless environmental agents (often called allergens) that can induce symptoms in our pets.
As you might expect, atopy tends to be a seasonal problem, with the spring, summer, and fall seasons being the most challenging. A small percentage of unlucky pets will exhibit atopic allergies in the winter or even year-round.
Unlike flea allergy, atopy can present in many varied forms, but there are some common symptoms to look for. I have found that the most common sign of atopy is licking or chewing at the paws, especially the front paws. Facial itchiness with redness and, sometimes, hair loss around the eyes and mouth is also common. The ears seem to be particularly problematic in atopic dogs. In some dogs ear itchiness or full blown ear infections may be their only symptom. Some dogs will scratch or chew their armpit areas. Some atopic dogs will have runny, red, and puffy eyes, just like allergic people, but these concerns are not nearly as common as the skin problems.
Veterinary dermatologists will use a variety of tests to confirm a diagnosis of atopy, including intra-dermal skin testing often used in human dermatology. I find that only the most severely affected pets need to be seen by a veterinary dermatologist. Your veterinarian can help your allergic pet with various medications, but every atopic pet is different, so you may need to patiently work through various treatment modalities to find the most effective approach.
Other Allergies
While flea allergy and atopy make up most of the allergy problems we see, there is an occasional case of food, drug, bug bite, or contact allergy seen. These forms of allergies can have very severe symptoms. Problems can range from vomiting and diarrhea to marked swelling of the face. Even life-threatening anaphylactic reactions are possible, though thankfully rare. Seek veterinary care immediately if you suspect your pet is reacting to a new medicine, vaccine, food, or bug bite.
I often tell people with allergic pets that we’re not likely to “cure” the problem. But, as with allergic people, paying careful attention to the products and agents they’re exposed to and using medications judiciously when needed, we can usually help control the symptoms – at least until the next allergy season.
Dr. John Huebner is a graduate of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis and practices animal medicine at Redwood Veterinary Hospital in Vallejo. You can send your comments or pet health care questions to Dr. Huebner at 731 Admiral Callaghan Lane Vallejo, CA 94591, or e-mail him at jvhuebner@sbcglobal.net.
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