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Can Dogs Be Allergic to Pollen?

Angela Vuckovic
by Angela Vuckovic
Updated:  September 1st, 2023 Published:  August 11th, 2023
kobkik/Shutterstock

It’s that time of the year, when the trees and flowers are in bloom, and the pollen is all over the place. And since a lot of people have pollen allergies, this idyllic picture results in a whole lot of sneezing, eye-watering, and all sorts of other irritating issues. But what about dogs? Can our four-legged friends be allergic to pollen as well? Let’s delve deeper to fully understand the effects of pollen on dogs.


Pollen Allergy in Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment(s)


Believe it or not, dogs can be allergic to pollen, just like humans. This condition is known as canine pollen allergy or canine hay fever. Pollen is a common environmental allergen that can trigger potent reactions in some dogs. When dogs with pollen allergies come into contact with pollen, they may experience a range of symptoms. Knowing the symptoms can help you understand if your pet has a reaction to pollen. Here are the main ones.


  • Itching: 

Itchiness is one of the first symptoms of pollen allergies. In an attempt to reduce the effects of the pollen, dogs may scratch, bite, lick, or chew at their skin, paws, ears, or other areas. If you notice this, then a pollen allergy could be the case at hand. 


  • Redness and Inflammation: 

Allergic reactions can lead to red, inflamed skin, particularly in areas that come into direct contact with pollen. This can be hard to notice on dogs with thick coats. But if you do notice it, be sure to consult with your vet. 


  • Sneezing and Runny Nose: 

Some dogs may exhibit symptoms similar to those of human  hay fever, including sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes. Some sneezing can be normal, but you will definitely know when the sneezing becomes too frequent. 


  • Paw Chewing and Licking: 

Dogs may excessively chew or lick their paws, which can lead to irritation and secondary infections. 


  • Ear Infections: 

Pollen allergies can contribute to ear inflammation and ear infections in some dogs. This issue can be more prevalent in certain breeds such as Bassets, because of the shape of their ears. 


  • Hair Loss: 


Excessive scratching and licking can lead to hair loss and  hot spots. If you notice bald spots or clumps of hair, contact your vet!


If you suspect your dog has a pollen allergy, it's important to consult a veterinarian. They can perform allergy testing to identify the specific allergens that are causing the reaction and recommend appropriate treatment options. Treatment may include antihistamines, corticosteroids, medicated shampoos, allergy shots (immunotherapy), and environmental management strategies to reduce exposure to pollen.


In case the symptoms of the allergy are mild, you can also try – after consulting your vet – some of the many natural or over-the-counter remedies for dog allergies. For example,  these Pet Chef allergy relief chews are a great choice for dogs with hair and skin issues as a result of their pollen allergy as they will soothe itching and help maintain a healthy coat. Made from natural ingredients, these PB-flavored chews can be doled out as a treat, which is perfect if you have a picky eater on your hands.


And if the itching gets bad and results in hair loss, you should ask for a green light from your vet to ramp things up and offer relief with medicated  Veterinary Formula itch relief shampoo. When there’s an itch, nothing helps better than a relaxing and relieving bath, especially when the shampoo contains lidocaine for analgesic properties, hydrocortisone to reduce inflammation, and colloidal oatmeal for an instant soothing effect on irritated skin. 


In addition to trying out various treatment options, you should also steer clear of spots that could trigger your pet’s allergies or make them worse. Keep in mind that pollen levels can vary by season and location, so your dog's symptoms may be more pronounced during certain times of the year or in specific geographic areas. If you know that a certain area you frequent with your pet has a big concentration of pollen, then by all means, try to avoid it. Choose areas that have fewer flowers and trees, and try to plan your walking routes ahead. 

WOW
Angela Vuckovic
Angela Vuckovic

A proud mama to seven dogs and ten cats, Angela spends her days writing for her fellow pet parents and pampering her furballs, all of whom are rescues. When she's not gushing over her adorable cats or playing with her dogs, she can be found curled up with a good fantasy book.

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You don’t have to be a dog owner to know that dogs can learn and understand commands like “sit” or “come”. But, a new study has made a groundbreaking discovery that dogs also know that certain words stand for specific objects. This finding won’t come as a big surprise to any dog owner who has ever asked their pup to “go get your toy” and, a minute later, been handed a chewed-up rubber ball or slobbery stuffed animal. Scientists have long been interested in learning whether dogs can truly associate words with objects. However, researchers couldn’t figure out whether dogs and other animals get a mental image when they hear an object's name. This would suggest that dogs have a better understanding of language than believed before. Researchers in Hungary have discovered that in addition to being able to respond to commands such as “sit”, “roll over”, or “stay” dogs can also grasp the essence of nouns. This relationship with language is called referential understanding, and it has been unproven in dogs until now. “When we are talking about objects, objects are external to the dogs and dogs have to learn that words refer, they stand for something that is external to them,” explained the study’s co-lead author, Marianna Boros, of the Department of Ethology at the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.To get some answers about what is happening in the dog brain when it processes words, Boros and her colleagues asked 18 dog owners to bring their pooches to the lab along with five objects the dogs knew well. The objects included balls, slippers, leads, rubber toys, frisbees, and other items.Researchers instructed the owners to say the words for the items before showing their dog either the correct object or a different one. For example, the owner might say “Rover, look, the ball”, but hold up a lead instead. During the tests, the researchers measured the dogs’ brain activity using non-invasive electroencephalography, or EEG. The idea was to see whether EEG could offer a better insight into dogs’ understanding of language. The brain recordings showed different patterns in the brain when the dogs were shown an object that matched or didn’t match the owner’s spoken word. The difference was even greater for the words owners believed their dogs knew well.The same results were seen when humans performed these tests and are widely accepted as people understanding the word well enough to form a mental image of the object they were later shown. “We expected that if a dog really understands the meaning of the object’s word, it will expect to see that object. And if the owner shows a different one, there will be a so-called surprise reaction in the brain. And this is exactly what we found,” said Boros according to ABC News.Lilla Magyari, also of Eötvös Loránd University, and the other co-first author, said that although some other animals have shown some degree of referential understanding of language, they have typically been trained to do so. In dogs, she explained, such capacities seem to be inborn and don’t require any particular training or talent. Researchers stress they aren’t claiming that dogs understand words as well as humans. Future studies are needed to determine whether dogs can generalize in the same way humans learn to as children.This study raises an interesting question of why, if dogs understand nouns, more of them don’t show it. One possible answer is that dogs know more than they are willing to show us.Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

Dog-Killing Flatworm Discovered in California

Fleas and ticks aren’t the only parasites that dog owners have to fear in southern California this summer. Scientists from the University of California, Riverside, are warning dog owners to keep their pooches out of the water this summer after they have discovered a potentially deadly parasite.A deadly flatworm species that has previously only existed in Texas and other Golf Coast states, has made its way to the west coast and is now present in the portion of the Colorado River that runs through California. The worm, Heterobilharzia americana, is a flatworm commonly known as the liver fluke. The parasite can cause canine schistosomiasis, an illness that affects the liver and intestine of dogs. Although treatment options are available once the dog becomes infected, they aren’t always effective leaving vets no other option than to euthanize the dog. “Dogs can die from this infection, so we are hoping to raise public awareness that it’s there,” said Adler Dillman, a nematology professor at the University of California, Riverside. “If you’re swimming in the Colorado River with them, your pets are in peril.” After learning about several cases of infection in local dogs, professor Dillman and his research team headed to Blythe, a border town in Riverside County. All of the sick dogs have spent time there, swimming in the river.Since snails are responsible for transmitting the infection, researchers collected more than 2,000 along the banks of the Colorado River. The team used DNA testing to identify the snails and the flatworm.The team was astonished to find not one, but two species of snail that can carry the parasite!“We actually found two species of snail that can support H. americana in the river in Blythe and we found both snails actively shedding this worm,” said Dillman, according to UC Riverside News. “Not only was it a surprise to find H. americana, we also didn’t know that the snails were present here.”The flatworm first makes its way into the snail's body, traveling through its system. Once transformed, it moves out to find a mammal host to infect. Without a host, the parasite can’t survive more than 24 hours on its own. Dogs and raccoons are particularly susceptible to becoming infected after coming into contact with water, whether from drinking or swimming in it. The worm gets inside the veins of the intestinal lining, where it develops into an adult and mates. The presence of adults in the veins isn’t as problematic as the eggs that get into the lungs, spleen, liver, and heart. The dog’s immune system reacts by forming clusters of cells, called granulomas. In time, the organ tissues stop functioning.It may take several months for a dog to show any signs of the infection. Symptoms start slowly and include loss of appetite, and progress to vomiting, diarrhea, profound weight loss, and signs of liver disease. “If your dog has these symptoms after swimming in the Colorado River, it’s a good precaution to ask your veterinarian for a simple fecal test,” said Emily Beeler, a veterinarian with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Treatment typically involves use of multiple medications and close monitoring of the dog by a veterinarian.”Although potentially deadly for our canine companions, this parasite can’t cause the same issues in humans. “ It can cause swimmers itch, a red rash where it penetrates human skin. But it’s not able to cause an infection,” Dillman explained.Steer clear of bodies of water that could contain infected snails to prevent your pooch from catching flatworms. If your pooch can’t resist taking a dip, monitor them for symptoms of flatworm infection in the weeks afterward. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

What Is Pyoderma In Dogs?

The sight of an itchy dog often raises concerns among pet parents. From parasites, like fleas and ticks, to uncomfortable skin issues and irritation, the explanation is rarely a positive one. In some cases, even finding a cause is an uphill battle. One condition you may have read about or heard your veterinarian mention is pyoderma. But what is pyoderma, and what does this mean for your best friend? In this article, we will dive deep into the world of dog skin issues, uncovering not only the warning signs and possible causes of pyoderma in dogs but also the steps you can take to offer some much-needed relief from the itch and irritation. Let’s get started… What is Pyoderma? Pyoderma is a term used to refer to a bacterial skin infection, with the word literally translating to “pus (pyo) in the skin (derma).” It is one of the most common dog skin conditions. Luckily, it is also often easy to treat once it has been diagnosed. Most dogs recover fully with the proper medication. The condition is classified into one of three types based on its location in or on the skin. They include: Surface Pyoderma: infections on top of the skin’s surfaceSuperficial Pyoderma: infections in the outermost layer of the skin, including in the hair follicles (which may be referred to as superficial bacterial folliculitis)Deep Pyoderma: infections in the deeper layers of the skinThe condition itself isn’t always visible, making it sometimes difficult to spot. This is why it is so important for dog parents to familiarize themselves with the warning signs of skin irritation and seek veterinary help. They can do the tests necessary to look beyond what is visible to the naked eye. What Causes Pyoderma in Dogs? Every healthy dog has bacteria on the surface of their skin. When a dog’s skin becomes irritated for any reason, they respond by scratching at the spot. This creates openings in the layers of the skin where the bacteria can move deeper, creating the perfect environment for them to grow and thrive. There are several potential triggers for the initial irritation, including: Environmental or seasonal allergies Food allergies Flea allergy dermatitis Chronic exposure to moisture (like skin folds)Seborrhea Impaired blood flow to the skin Endocrine disorders (Hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease) It can also start when the skin is damaged due to an injury. Even a minor injury could cause just enough of an opening into the skin’s layers to begin the cycle. Is Dog Pyoderma Contagious to Humans? As this is a bacterial infection, it isn’t a risk of transmission like an airborne virus would be. Some strains of the bacteria can occasionally lead to an infection in humans or other dogs. However, the risk is incredibly low unless you have a compromised immune system. You can minimize the risk of transmission by focusing on keeping your home clean as your dog fights the infection. This includes regularly cleaning their food and water dishes as well as any bedding your dog sleeps on regularly. If you have an open wound, keep it covered when spending time with your infected dog.

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