Hayfever Symptoms in Dogs

Hayfever symptoms in dogs are similar in some ways to those found in human hayfever sufferers, but dogs also show some unique canine symptoms. An estimated 10 percent of American pet dogs are affected by hayfever each year, so let’s learn what the symptoms look like in your pet so you’ll be able to get him appropriate care to help him feel better during hayfever season.

What Canine Hayfever Looks Like

Dogs with hayfever are often very itchy all over their bodies. The itching is followed by a rash that breaks out on the dog’s face and feet. Over time, the hair over the dog’s eyes and on his feet may actually begin to thin because he’s scratched so much or chewed his feet so often. Thesesymptoms indicate an atopic allergy, or one that is caused by an inhaled allergen that causes skin, rather than respiratory, problems.

In addition to the skin problems listed above, dogs with hayfever may also have watery eyes, runny noses and they may sneeze, but these symptoms are less common in dogs although they are probably more familiar to human hayfever sufferers than the skin problems previously discussed.

When Canine Hayfever Develops

Hayfever is a seasonal allergy in both dogs and people, causing the greatest problems during the summer and early fall. When you start to see pollen counts climbing on your local newscast or you start to feel hayfever symptoms yourself, you can expect to your dog to begin experiencingsymptoms himself. Once your area experiences its first hard winter frost, the hayfever symptomsshould subside for both you and your dog.

Although symptoms of canine hayfever can develop at any point in a dog’s life, they are most likely to begin when your pet is between 1 and 3 years old. Certain breeds, such as Boston terriers, Cairn terriers, Dalmatians, Irish setters, poodles, schnauzers, Scottish terriers, West Highland terriers and wire-haired terriers, may be more prone to developing hayfever than other purebred or mixed-breed dogs.

How to Help a Dog with Hayfever

A variety of methods can be used to help your dog feel better when his hayfever flares up. They include:

• Administering oral or topical medications as recommended by your veterinarian

• Bathing your dog frequently in cool water

• Clipping your dog’s coat if he has long hair

• Keeping your dog indoors on days when pollen counts are high

• Running the air conditioner overnight to filter pollen out of your home environment

• Soaking your dog’s feet in a bath of Epsom salt and water to relieve his itchy skin—rinse his feet completely before letting your dog out of the tub because he could develop diarrhea if he licks his paws when they have Epsom salt on them

• Using oatmeal baths or other skin-soothing methods on your dog’s irritated skin

• Washing your dog’s bedding weekly with hot water and drying them completely before returning them to your dog

If none of these treatments prove effective at controlling your dog's hayfever, he may be a candidate for allergy shots. This course of treatment involves administering small amounts of allergen over time to help your dog's immune system develop a resistance to the allergen. Ask your veterinarian for more information about this possible solution to your dog's allergy problem.

• • 貓狗也會得花粉症 注意家中寵物過敏症狀

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【亞太新聞網／生活新聞中心／綜合報導】

春暖花開，有時季節變化時期，患有花粉症的人可能會有所不適。但是您家的貓狗也有可能得到花粉症，且飼主卻全然不查，您家的寵物可能正飽嚐過敏之苦喔！

根據日本《朝日新聞》的報導指出，犬貓也會罹患花粉症，且不知悉此事的飼主約在半數之多。朝日新聞於3月初，針對20歲以上，家中有飼養貓狗的562位飼主做了調查。「是否知道家中貓狗也會得花粉症？」回答「知道」的人數比例在48.3％；在這其中，「有採取解決對策」的人佔64％；解決方法為「出門後回來好好刷毛」的人佔54%，解決方法為使用「空氣清淨機」的人佔46％；「幫寵物穿戴衣物與護目鏡」的佔32％；「減少寵物出門時間」佔37％。

一般來說，貓狗的過敏症狀大致相同，但狗狗對於花粉的過敏症更為明顯，這是因為狗的鼻子常常在外面聞來聞去的緣故。如果家中貓狗的眼睛紅紅的，且舔拭自己的比重比平常高，或是打噴嚏流鼻水的頻率變多，皮膚有異常、結膜炎、耳朵癢，不停抓癢那就可能是花粉症過敏，需帶家中寵物赴獸醫院檢查，以確認真正過敏源，進而對症下藥。

同時，異位性皮膚炎在狗狗身上發生的情況也相當頻繁，這種過敏症是因為對於空氣中花粉的變異過於敏感所造成，但亦有可能跟家中的蟎蟲有關係。也因此，居家環境的整潔度，也是有可能造成過敏源的因素，不可不留意。

關鍵字:花粉症 過敏 寵物