Our live stream video has spurred a lot of excellent questions. There is always a lot of talk about allergies in pets. That’s because allergic disease is extremely common among dogs. You can view the video by clicking here.
Many people assume that an allergic dog will sneeze and have itchy eyes like we do. But actually, an allergic dog is much more likely to have itchy feet. Affected dogs will lick their feet and sometimes pull at their nails to the point of irritation of the skin (and the owner). If you notice that your dog is licking her feet frequently, it certainly could be from allergies. Someone commented that dogs lick their feet from habit, but this is not true. There are disorders that cause obsessive licking, but they are much less common than atopy (inhalant allergy) and they are actual disease processes and not technically “habit”.
If your dog has something on his feet or a torn nail, he will lick, but these things will be obvious causes and fairly short-lived. As soon as the dirt is gone or the injury treated, the licking should subside. Frequent paw licking, especially if it seems to worsen in spring through fall, is more likely to be associated with allergy.
So what do you do? The most important thing to understand is that Atopy is a medical diagnosis. It is not something that you can diagnose on your own. People say “just allergies” and allergies are not live threatening, but certainly impact quality of life, sometimes severely. If you think that your dog suffers from allergic disease, the most important step is to call your vet.
Your veterinarian may recommend some testing to help pin down the diagnosis. There are countless skin diseases that could be in play as well. He/she may suggest referral or skin biopsies. It is very individual. Some dogs will also have secondary bacterial or fungal infections that must also be treated for a good outcome.
Allergies are not something to minimize or “blow off”. They are not usually life-threatening, but they severely impact quality of life and usually get worse over time. They are not curable, but can be effectively managed by your vet.
Do not fall in the Benadryl® trap! Diphenhydramine is typically not extremely effective in managing canine allergic symptoms. For my patients, there are much better choices. Even prescription antihistamines may not be enough to manage severe allergies.
Occasionally dogs exhibit the symptoms (sneezing and itchy eyes) like people too, but they are usually in conjunction with the itchy feet. Make sure you are watching to see if your dog is licking his paws or chewing his nails and you see your veterinarian to help!
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