Does Your Pet Have Allergies? – Do You Know The Symptoms?

Does your pet have allergies? Did you know that they have some of the same symptoms that we do? Depending on the type of allergy, your pet may have different symptoms. Although pets occasionally exhibit watery eyes and some sneezing, the most common reaction is scratching. Constant scratching may lead to raised infected welts, open sores, and loss of hair. Ear infections are also common in dogs with allergies.

Although seasonal allergies in dogs and cats are common, they don't usually manifest in pets the same way they do in humans. We humans will sneeze, cough, and get congested, but dogs and cats tend to get skin problems, even when they inhale allergens.

The most common form of allergy in dogs and cats is called atopy. Atopy is often seasonal. If a pet is allergic to ragweed, symptoms occur in the fall. Pets who are allergic to spring tree pollen will show signs in April and May. If a pet is allergic to dust mites, the symptoms may be most dramatic in the winter, when more time is spent inside. Signs of atopy include:

• Chewing at the feet
• Constant licking of the flank (side) and groin area
• Rubbing of the face
• Inflamed ears or recurrent ear infections
• Recurrent hot spots in dogs and pinpoint facial scabbing in cats
• Asthma-like wheezing and respiratory problems is more likely in cats

Cats:
There are four known types of allergies in the cat: contact, flea, food, and inhalant. Each of these has some common expressions in cats, and each has some unique features.

Contact - flea collars or to types of bedding
Flea - irritation in response to flea bites
Food – General cat allergens are soy, wheat gluten, corn, and fish. They can be allergic to just about anything though.

Inhalant - Cats may be allergic to all of the same inhaled allergens that affect us.




 

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Reverse Sneezing and Gagging in Dogs

Sneezing refers to the normal behavior of expelling air to remove matter through the nasal cavity. Reverse sneezing, on the other hand, refers to the reflex of bringing air into the body to remove irritants in the upper area that lies behind the nostrils. Dogs may gag to remove irritants from the larynx; this is commonly misinterpreted as vomiting.

Symptoms and Types

Sneezing is often accompanied by a sudden movement of the head downwards, with a closed mouth, and may cause the dog's nose to hit the ground. Reverse sneezing is often characterized by a backwards head motion, a closed mouth and lips sucking in. Gagging usually causes the dog to swallow after extending its neck and opening its mouth. Read more about dog sneezing episodes, and how they could impact your dog's health, using the PetMD Symptom Checker.

Causes
 Any breed of dog can be affected by these medical behaviors. The most common causes for younger dogs include infections, the existence of a cleft palate, or bronchial infections. Another primary cause is the involuntary movement of the hairlike cilia that line the respiratory tract and act to remove foreign matter from the air before it reaches the lungs. This involuntary movement of the hair is medically termed ciliary dyskinesis. The most common causes for older dogs include nasal tumors and dental diseases. Other causes can be mucus irritation, nasal passage obstruction, inflammation, excess nasal discharge or secretion, pneumonia, chronic vomiting, and gastrointestinal disease. Under vaccinated or unvaccinated dogs are at a higher risk of developing infections, which may lead to consistent sneezing. Chronic dental disease can lead to both chronic sneezing and reverse sneezing. Mites found in the nasal openings can also be a cause for any of these physical reflexes.

Diagnosis
 The first method of diagnosis is to distinguish between sneezing and reverse sneezing in the dog. Next, if the condition is serious, more in depth testing may be performed to see if there is a more serious underlying medical condition.

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