Helping with Fall Allergies in Your Dog

The air is beginning to shift outside, and soon, the leaves will follow suite. Fall is coming, and along with pumpkin spiced everything comes a whole different group of seasonal allergies. While spring holds the most allergy complaints, fall isn’t far behind! You may not be the only one wiping your nose and wondering why your head hurts - your dog may be suffering, too.

Ragweed is the most common culprit of hay fever, and the warm, wet weather triggers mold, which can cause violent allergy reactions in dogs.

Signs that your dog has fall allergies:

• sneezing
• coughing
• stuffy nose
• runny nose
• itchy nose
• itchy, watery eyes
• pawing at her face
• stains to the hair near the eyes
• discharge from the nose
• scratching, chewing, licking paws
• fur loss
• reddened skin or rash particularly on the stomach or paws

After speaking with your vet to confirm that allergies are behind your pup’s symptoms, you can choose to help with or without medications. With any medication that you give your dog, there are risks, so consider trying a natural route first.

Aiding Your Pup Through Allergy Season:

• Keep your dog in doors.
• Invest in an air filtration system. Help keep the allergens from your inside air by filtering it.
• Change your air filters regularly.
• Vacuum daily. Your dog is constantly touching the floors and carpets. You want to keep the areas as clean as possible throughout allergy season.
• Keep your windows closed.
• Bathe your dog 2-4 times a month, depending in the breed. You don’t want to strip them of their natural body oils, so know how frequent your dog can be bathed and go from there. Bathing can remove allergens and can kill yeast and bacteria from your dog.
• Reevaluate her diet. Choose grain-free food and consider going to a fresh, real-food diet. You want to include anti-inflammatory foods to help her body fight incoming allergens.

When handling mold allergies, I Heart Dogs recommends the following:

“Clean your house! Make sure you fix any leaks or cracks that allow moisture into your home. Make sure you run the fan in your bathroom after using the shower. If you do not have an ceiling fan, you should buy a plug-in to run afterwards to remove moisture. Regularly clean your dog’s beds and towels, especially if they get wet a lot. Do not assume that big think dog bed is drying on its own – it might be growing mold instead. Wash things with a drop of bleach to kill bacteria and mold.” 

Top Dog Tips recommends the following for fall allergies:

Treat allergy spots with Epsom salt. “Soak the salt on the skin twice a day to reduce the redness and swelling. If the allergies are on the paw, try soaking the paw in an Epsom and warm water solution for 10 minutes. Just make sure that the dog doesn't drink the water or lick the salt on his skin. Mix some oatmeal with water to rub on your dog's skin and leave it there for 10 minutes. This should help relieve skin dryness and itchiness.”