Is your dog ill or suffering from a human allergy?
Anyone who suffers from allergies understands how debilitating they can be, knocking you out with a slew of symptoms that impact you from head to toe. Dogs sense our suffering and might be allergic to many of the same things that people are.
But, if people may be allergic to dogs (or, more specifically, to their dander), can dogs be allergic to us? Here's everything you need to know.
Is it possible for dogs to be allergic to humans?
According to the American Kennel Club, dogs, like people, can be allergic to specific foods, skin irritants, and medicines, as well as environmental allergens such as pollen, dust mites, mildew, and animal dander (AKC). Yes, human dander is included.
Is this something new?
Even if you've owned dogs your entire life, this may be the first time you've heard that they can be allergic to people. And there are legitimate reasons for this, according to Dr. Valerie Fadok, an AKC veterinarian specialized in dermatology.
First, she claims that testing dogs for human dander allergies has just lately been a standard element of the veterinary exam. The second cause is due to fleas. In a way.
Prior to the early 1990s, when effective, contemporary, preventative flea control medications became widely accessible, dogs were significantly less likely to lay in bed with their owners, according to Fadok.
Dogs are spending greater lengths of time curled up near to their people (particularly in bed) and getting exposed to their dander, which makes their human dander allergies evident in a manner that they weren't before, according to Fadok.
The symptoms of a dog's allergy to humans
Environmental allergy symptoms in dogs are generally the same for every allergen, so if yours exhibits any of the ones listed here, you should take them to the doctor for a test to determine the reason.
The following are symptoms that your dog may be sensitive to human dander (or any other environmental allergy), according to the AKC:
- Scratching and licking oneself, particularly around the crotch, anus, eyes, snout, ears, paws, and underarms.
- Skin that is moist, crusted over, or naked
- Sneezing and/or runny nose
- Eyes that are wet
- Hives
- Diarrhea
What should you do if your dog is allergic to humans?
If your doctor determines that your dog is sensitive to human dander, they will also discuss the best strategies to manage their allergy with you. Depending on the nature and intensity of your dog's allergic response, your veterinarian may offer long-term remedies such as allergy injections or short-term therapies like as an antihistamine or cortisone lotion to calm their skin.
You may also help decrease your dog's exposure to your dander (and other allergies) at home by doing the following:
- Vacuuming as much as possible in your home
- Using washable rugs and cleaning them on a regular basis
- Using a HEPA-filtered air purifier in your bedroom
- If your dog must sleep on your bed, change and wash your linens frequently.
Return to your veterinarian after a few weeks with an update on your dog's symptoms. If they've remained the same or become worse, your veterinarian will advise you on the next actions.
SOURCE
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