‘It’s a lot of itchiness’: Vets warn pet owners to recognize the early signs of allergies in dogs and cats

Warmer weather brings more pollen, which can create allergies for both people and their pets. Kathy Le reports.

As Canadians contend with another challenging allergy season, veterinarians say dogs and cats are increasingly feeling the effects, too.

With National Itch Check Day taking place Saturday, veterinarians are encouraging pet owners to recognize the early signs of allergies, including excessive scratching, licking and recurring ear infections.

“It’s a lot of itchiness,” said Dr. Madeline Brown, a veterinarian at Red Tree Animal Clinic in Calgary. “But unlike us, where you can visually see itching, sometimes it looks more like licking their paws, licking their bellies and their groin, turning around repeatedly like something’s getting them back there. A very common one, which sometimes is not the most obvious link, would be ear infections.”

Brown said veterinarians are seeing more allergy-related cases as environmental allergens become increasingly common.

The trend is not limited to Alberta.

Kate Dean, manager of the Martensville Veterinary Hospital in Saskatchewan, said allergy cases began appearing almost immediately after the snow melted this spring.

“That’s due to the snow mold or the increase in pollens and grasses and things like that, that are out there right now,” she said.

Daniel Coates, director of marketing and business development at Aerobiology Research Laboratories in Ottawa, said pollen levels in Canada have doubled since 1995, while longer stretches of warm weather are contributing to longer and more intense allergy seasons.

“There’s a direct correlation between climate change and the longer seasons with warmer weather,” Coates said. “Hence you’re seeing more pollen in the air.”

Preventing discomfort for furry friends

Brown said allergies in pets are often caused by environmental allergens coming into contact with the skin.

“Having a grooming or cleaning regimen, maybe that’s wiping your dog’s paws after being outdoors or having a good veterinary-approved shampoo, can be really helpful for lowering the burden of these allergens on the skin.”

She also encourages owners to pay attention to how their pets behave after spending time outside.

“Do they seem more irritated? Do they want to go in and lick or chew or nibble at their legs after being outside and exposed to these allergens?” Brown said.

For Calgary dog owner Benny Ramos, seasonal allergies have become part of everyday life for one of his five dogs.

Rosie Mae, a Yorkshire terrier, suffers from allergy-related coughing fits that Ramos said have become more noticeable as she has gotten older.

“If the dog does cough for an extended period of time, it restricts the amount of air that she may get, and that’s not healthy for her at all,” said Ramos.

Rosie Mae now takes medication several times a day to keep her symptoms under control.

“I’ll just say that in addition to that, it’s summertime, so you should have your seasonal things like tick medication — those types of things that happen in the summer as well.”