If you suffer from hay fever, you can attest to how difficult the spring and summer months with a high pollen count can be. This is a very common allergic condition, and when you have contact with pollen (which is hard to escape because the pollen atoms float through the air) you can develop sore eyes, a dripping nose, and excessive sneezing.
This allergic condition doesn't only affect humans; it can also affect your pet dogs, causing them discomfort throughout the summer. If you are worried that your pet might be suffering from hay fever, here are the symptoms that you should be looking out for:
A rash. Noticing a rash on a dog can be a little difficult because of the amount of hair that some dogs have, but be sure to check the face and the feet because this is where a red rash is most likely to occur. If you can't actually see a rash, thinned out hair in these areas (as a result of excessive scratching or gnawing) could also be an indication of skin irritation.
Other common hay fever symptoms. Your dog can experience all of the same hay fever problems that you experience, namely watery eyes, a runny nose, and even sneezing. While these symptoms are actually more common in humans, they can also affect dogs, but it's likely to be a rash and itchiness that will cause the most discomfort for your pet dog.
Is there anything you can do to help your dog?
Of course, hay fever is a seasonal condition so you can at least derive some comfort from knowing that these symptoms should die down as the summer ends. Until then, these are some ways you can help your dog.
Visit your vet. There is no cure for hay fever, not for humans nor for dogs, but there are certain veterinary services that can relieve the symptoms. Your vet should be able to prescribe oral medications such as antihistamines, which work by blocking histamines, chemicals that the body releases after pollen exposure. If you don't know of a vet clinic near you, consider one like Belmont Avenue Veterinary Hospital.
Keeping your home pollen free. On days with high pollen counts, it's in your dog's interest to keep him inside the home and to keep the air conditioning on so that exposure to pollen is limited.
Oatmeal baths. You can help out with your dog's itchy skin by giving him regular oatmeal baths. Simply grind up oatmeal to a powder, fill a bath with warm water, add the oatmeal, and let your dog wallow in the bath for ten minutes while you spoon the relaxing oatmeal and water mixture on to the areas of dry and irritable skin.
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