Common Cat & Dog Allergies

Cats and Dogs do get allergies. Below you will find a list of the 4 most common types:

First, what are allergies? Our pet’s immune system can become overly sensitive to certain substances and start to react in a hypersensitive way. These common everyday substances or allergens can be natural or man made like grass, pollen, flea saliva, dust or even fabric. They can cause irritation to the body in the form of redness, itching and licking.

1. Although seasonal, flea allergies are rather common in pets. Your pet can become irritated by flea bites and offer intense scratching sessions. Often found at the back of the neck or base of the tail. It’s almost like a “hive like” reaction of intensity when dealing with this problem.

2. Atopy is another common cause of allergies in pets. Simply put your cat or dog may have reactions to airborne particles. Our pets aren’t able to easily sneeze and get out whatever is causing the allergy. You can see them with watery eyes, some sneezing and maybe skin irritations yet; tree, grass, weed pollens, dust mites, molds and dander can all contribute to this irritation.

3. Food sensitivity – is a reaction from your pet’s immune system that manifest in the skin. This occurs in about 15-25% of all allergies in both cats and dogs. Typically proteins are the culprits, particularly chicken, beef, milk and soy. You can even trace issues towards corn, wheat, oats and potato. Testing different food combinations helps to alleviate this issue.

4. Contact allergy – often house cleaning items can cause irritation for a pet; carpets, cleaners, plastic. These are less common than the other three items yet, still a common source of allergy problems for pets today.

If you feel your pet is suffering from allergies it’s best to consult with your local veterinarian like Broad River Animal Hospital. www.broadriveranimalhospital.com