Just like humans, your dog’s skin is the largest and one of the most important organs of her body. The skin helps to regulate your dog’s body temperature, helps to prevent the loss of moisture, and keeps away some parasites. Because the skin is so important to your dog’s health, it is important that you understand some of the things that can cause irritations, allergic reactions, and possible infections.

Types of Dog Skin Allergies

Dog Skin Allergies to Fleas and Other Insects

One of the most common dog allergies is a sensitivity to fleas and other insects. It can affect any dog regardless of breed or sex. Flea allergies are most likely to occur during spring and summer, the typical flea season. During these times, the weather usually reaches a warm 80 degrees and stays warm, a prime breeding environment for fleas and mosquitoes. Because it typically occurs only during certain times, it is also considered a seasonal dog allergy.

We talk about flea and insect allergies, but in fact, your dog is actually allergic to one or more of the substances present in the saliva from these insects. Studies have shown that there are at least fifteen different antigens present in flea saliva that can trigger an allergic reaction in your dog.

When the flea, mosquito, or other insect bites your dog, the saliva is injected under your dog’s skin. This can cause an allergic reaction and the skin becomes itchy and inflamed. Itching usually begins immediately after being bitten, and can last long after the fleas have been eliminated. And yes, dogs and mosquitoes can be a potential danger.

Some of the common symptoms of dog allergies from flea bites include:

• itching
• scratching
• biting
• chasing the tail

Problems can occur if you leave a flea or insect allergy untreated. Your dog can really damage her skin. They usually chew and scratch at the irritated areas which can cause the hair to fall out and the skin to become dry and scaly. In some extreme cases, the dog chews and scratches so much, that the skin develops open sores which can become infected. Not good!

If your dog shows signs of a flea or insect allergy and you find fleas on your dog, then she is probably having an allergic reaction to the flea bites. An intradermal skin test can confirm if it is indeed an allergic reaction to flea saliva.

Getting rid of the fleas and controlling the fleas in your dog’s environment will usually take care of the problem. Preventing the flea bites in the first place is key for dogs with flea allergies.

Other Types of Dog Skin Allergies

Like humans, dogs can be allergic to almost anything they come in contact with. There are so many things that can cause a skin irritation to develop. Your dog can be allergic to:

• shampoos
• dog sprays
• dog beds
• carpets
• cats
• other pets

…and the list could on.

If you think your dog might be allergic to something she comes in contact with, the best way to tell is to simply remove that item from your dog’s environment. Of course, it is not always that simple if you think she is allergic to the cat or to your other dog, but you get the point. Try to keep her away from the potential source for a period of time and see if her condition improves. If not, then it is probably not what you thought and you need to keep looking.

Preventing Dog Skin Allergies

One of the best ways to prevent dog skin allergies is to make sure your dog’s skin and coat remain healthy. But maintaining a healthy skin and coat is sometimes not enough. Learning about potential skin irritants and allergens can help you to be more aware of your dog’s environment and can help to prevent dog skin allergies from developing.

Dogs and Allergies is a series of articles discussing the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of various types of dog allergies. Move on to the next article, Seasonal Dog Allergies, or go back to the previous article, How To Identify Allergies in Dogs.

Best,

Omar

Remember, the key to preventing flea allergies is to prevent the flea bites in the first place. For that you will need a good flea and tick treatment.