Veterinary allergies
Pets can suffer from the same ailments as humans, including allergies.
Cats, dogs and horses can have allergic reactions to a variety of environmental subsances or allergens. If a pet has allergies, it means it has a hypersensitivity to a substance that would otherwise be harmless.
Allergies develop when a pet's immune system overreacts to something in their environment, something they eat, or something that stings or bites them. When not lasting damage, prolonged discomfort, and added health issues for pets. Most allergies in animals fall into three categories: environmental allergies, food allergies, and insect-bite allergies.
Allergies in cats and dogs are more common than many people realise and can take a toll on both pets and pet owners.
Symptoms
Signs of potential allergies in companion animals such as dogs, cats and horses (symptoms vary according to species) include:
- Itchiness: excessive scratching, licking, chewing themselves, overgrooming, rubbing against trees, fences, stalls or rolling in the dirt or grass to “scratch their itch”; red, inflamed skin, small scabs or crusts on the body.
- Fur loss.
- Frequent, recurrent ear infections.
- Frequent, recurrent anal gland problems.
- Hives.
- Digestive discomfort.
- Sneezing and runny nose.
- Runny eyes.
- Cough.