Blog Seasonal allergies in dogs: How to spot the symptoms of allergies in your pet and how a raw diet can help.
Seasonal allergies in dogs: How to spot the symptoms of allergies in your pet and how a raw diet can help.
Alongside the beautiful, seasonal-depression-busting benefits of the progression from winter to spring comes a not-so-pleasant side effect for many of us: allergies. As we all collectively thaw out from winter’s icy grip, animals become more active, the days get longer, and flowers begin to bloom…bringing their pollen with them. And just as many of us may be sniffling and sneezing and rubbing our eyes thanks to this yellowy flower dust, so can our pets suffer seasonal allergy symptoms.
In this article, we’ll touch on some signs and symptoms to look for in your dog that may indicate that they are experiencing seasonal allergies, some tips for how to alleviate their discomfort, and how a raw diet can help with allergy symptoms in our pets in general.
Why is my dog scratching so much? Seasonal allergy symptoms to look out for in your pets.
When spring rolls around, do you notice your dog scratching, sneezing, and licking their paws more than usual? They may suffer from seasonal allergies. Environmental allergens like pollen, mold, or dust can cause uncomfortable allergy symptoms in animals too, and it’s important to keep an eye out for these reactions as the seasons change so we can help our pets be as comfortable and healthy as possible.
Common symptoms of allergies in dogs include:
- Red, inflamed, and crusty skin, especially on the paws, belly, or inside the ears.
- Scratching or biting their skin.
- Excessively licking their paws.
- Shedding more than usual or losing fur in patches.
- Runny nose or excessive discharge from the eyes.
- Excessive sneezing.
- Diarrhea.
While these are common allergy symptoms, they can also be indicative of other health issues. It is important to confirm any allergies or medical conditions with a veterinarian when you see symptoms arise.
What else could be causing my dog to have allergy-like symptoms?
Environmental allergens can cause plenty of trouble for pets and manifest in a lot of physical discomfort, but so can their diet. If you notice allergy-like symptoms in your dog all-year long as opposed to only during a seasonal shift, it’s possible that they could be having an allergic reaction to something they’re eating. Many pet parents notice an improvement in allergy symptoms in their dogs when they switch their diets from kibble to truly raw food. Dogs are anatomically designed to process and absorb the nutrients their bodies need to thrive from raw animal meat, organs, and bone. In fact, the most bioavailable protein for dogs comes from animals. Alternatively, their bodies struggle to properly digest and absorb any nutrients that may remain in overly processed kibble and canned dog food. That said, and while Carnos remains one of the most accessible high-quality raw dog food options on the market, we understand that feeding your dog a truly raw diet 100% of the time is not always possible. If you can feed half kibble and half raw, or supplement your dog’s kibble diet with fresh, raw food toppers, you are still taking steps in the right direction to positively impact their health. Any amount of fresh, whole foods in your dog’s diet is better than none!
An elimination diet can help you identify potential food allergies or intolerances that your dog may have.
If your dog is struggling with allergy-like symptoms and you’ve ruled out other potential causes (environmental irritants, parasites, medical conditions, etc.), you can try implementing an elimination diet to help you determine whether something they are eating may be the culprit.
Try starting with a meat, bones, and organ blend from a single novel protein (one that your dog has never eaten before) or a protein that you know to be safe for them to eat without issue. Construct a base diet around that protein blend, following appropriate ratio guidelines for your pet’s life stage. Our single-protein Truly Raw Base blends offer an easy way to achieve this while doing the bulk of the portioning work for you. This baseline diet should be fed, without any additional ingredients added in, for 6 weeks to help your dog’s body to heal and “reset”. After this time period has passed, you should be seeing an improvement in your dog’s allergy symptoms and can slowly begin to reintroduce other ingredients back into their diet. But make sure to do this gradually, only reintroducing one ingredient at a time for two to four weeks before incorporating any others to determine if that ingredient will lead to a symptom flareup. Continue this process with additional ingredients and if you find that no symptoms return, the ingredient is safe to feed. Alternatively, if you notice symptoms worsen after the addition of a new ingredient, remove that ingredient from your dog’s diet permanently.
Check out this guide from Perfectly Rawsome to learn more about elimination diets and how to structure them.
Things you can do to soothe your pet’s seasonal allergy symptoms.
Allergy symptoms of any kind aren’t pleasant for anybody who’s experiencing them, including our pets. While you work to find the cause of your dog’s symptoms, there are a few things that you can do to help ease those uncomfortable side effects.
Wipe off their paws and fur after walks.
Our dogs don’t wear shoes (for the most part), so every time they go outside, anything they step on can stick to the bottom of their feet and stay there. In the spring, the odds are high that they’re tracking plenty of pollen and other potential allergens into the house with them any time they come in from a walk, whether it’s clinging to their fur or stuck to their paw pads. Giving your dog’s fur and paws a wipe down with a moist towel after they come in from outside can do wonders in reducing the amount of unwanted materials—including allergens—that they’re tracking into your house with them. It can also be especially helpful in easing your dog’s discomfort if you’re noticing that the irritation they’re experiencing is primarily on their paws.
Give them a bath.
If you want to take things a step further, and your dog isn’t entirely opposed to it, giving them a good scrub down in the bath will remove pollen and other allergens from their coat, helping to relieve allergy symptoms and soothe their skin. Make sure to only use shampoos that are made specifically for pets and be on the lookout for options that are unscented and are made with all natural ingredients.
Pro tip: Oatmeal is a great natural ingredient to look for in dog shampoos because it helps to soothe inflamed, itchy skin.
Incorporate fatty acids into their raw diet.
Omega fatty acids—found in fish, fish oil, and shellfish—are essential to incorporate into your dog’s raw diet. Not only do they help your dog’s coat stay soft and shiny, but they also help to reduce skin irritation and inflammation caused by allergies. Whole sardines, quality fish oil, mussels, and oysters are a few of our favorite ingredients to include in DIY raw food diets for dogs to help them get optimal amounts of Omega fatty acids in their diet. If you are a DIY raw feeder, try this recipe for a complete and well-balanced raw dog food meal that includes sardines and oysters.
Try to avoid high-pollen days.
This is maybe the trickiest tip to follow, especially if you have a high-energy, active dog, but avoiding or reducing exposure to allergens is the best way to mitigate reactions to them. If you can swing it, staying inside on high-pollen days in the spring can help to manage allergy symptoms in your pets. If you’re looking for ways to exercise your dog without going outside, try feeding them a raw meaty bone! Raw meaty bones can be a great option for exercising your dog both physically and mentally, but make sure to remember that not all bones are created equal when it comes to our dogs and there are some that you should not feed. Check out our blog that discusses which bones are safe to feed to dogs and which should be avoided.
Steps you can take to prevent allergies in your pets.
Allergies can’t always be avoided, even if you take all the steps to prevent them. In addition to managing their exposure to environmental allergens as best you can, one of the best things you can do for your dog’s health is to feed them a well-balanced truly raw diet. And while a raw diet cannot necessarily cure environmental allergies, it can potentially help your dog’s body cope by improving their overall health. Additionally, if food allergies are at play, our Truly Raw Base single-protein raw meal bases make tedious elimination diets much easier.
Feeding your dog a raw diet helps to strengthen their immune system and build a healthy gut microbiome.
When you feed your dog a balanced raw diet of whole foods and natural ingredients, you are supporting and strengthening the health of their gut microbiome and, ultimately, their overall health. A high-quality raw diet of whole foods and natural ingredients provides the most bioavailable nutrition for dogs, enabling them to effectively and efficiently digest the food and absorb the nutrients they need to thrive. A healthy gut microbiome fuels a healthy immune system which helps to reduce inflammation in your dog’s body and mitigate against sensitivities, keeping them healthier and happier for longer.
If allergies persist or if symptoms worsen, contact your veterinarian.
If your dog’s allergy symptoms do not improve, or if you notice that they begin to worsen, we always recommend getting in touch with your vet.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for educational purposes only. You are responsible for your pet’s health and safety. We encourage you to research topics further and consult with your Veterinarian or Pet Nutritionist before modifying your pet’s diet. If you’d like more one-on-one guidance, we offer consultation calls with our in-house certified canine nutritionist and raw feeding experts.