A vet has warned pet owners of red flags that could show your pet is suffering with hay fever or another easy-to-miss condition. Dr James Greenwood spoke to BBC Morning Live co-hosts Gethin Jones and Kimberley Walsh about symptoms to look out for that could indicate your dog is struggling.
He told the daytime BBC show that there are differences in how hay fever shows itself in pets compared to how it becomes visible in humans. And just as humans are now starting to have to tackle hay fever, as Dr Punam warned on the show just days earlier, pets, too, are starting to have problems.
The doctor said humans will often get respiratory issues, itchy eyes or a runny nose if they have hay fever. “In pets, it comes out in their skin,” he said.
“So they often will itch and there’s a few symptoms to look out for. First of all they are going to be licking or biting their paws.
“So if they are suddenly really irritated by their paws, or nibbling, that is something to look out for.”
Symptoms of pollen allergies in pets
Viewers were then shown a table of symptoms of pollen allergies in pets. It included seasonable changes, head shaking due to an ear infection, biting of the paws, rubbing of the ears and excessive scratching. It also included pets feeling tired or lethargic, red skin and saliva staining.
James said dogs suffering with such issues may also smell. For example, they might get a sweet, yeasty smell in their ears or around their feet, the vet said.
He said it was also important to look out for saliva staining – especially if you have a light-coloured dog such as a West Highland White Terrier.
He said if they have tan-coloured paws, it might be because their saliva has stained the fur. “That’s a good hint they are finding something itchy,” he said.
The vet then warned that when it comes to an allergy, sometimes you don’t see any changes on the skin at all.
He said: “They are just literally itching all the time, but often itches are the first step. That leads to a scratch.
“That then triggers the damage to the skin that allows the infection to set in, and then causes the itch to worsen. Everything kind of escalates.
“The dogs will physically scratch.” But he said different animals reacted differently.
“With cats, it can be a bit different. Sometimes they’ll have scabby areas. Almost crystals on the side of the face on the head, sometimes down the back. And sometimes cats will literally just take themselves off and overgroom.
“So they come back and they have these big bald bellies or are bald down the back of the legs.Things like that, and that again is a good symptom to look out for that they are having struggles with an allergy as well.”
Gethin praised experts like him for being able to explain these things. And he said that it was clear from what the vet was saying that while we might think that our pet has hay fever, it could actually be something else.
James said: “It is unfortunately quite a complicated area. That’s why it’s so important to have a really clear plan with your dog’s skin issues.
“So there are other things to obviously look out for. First of all is fleas. There’s no point us going down a really expensive skin work-up with medication if ultimately there’s one or two fleas around, so get used to having a look out for fleas.”
Tips to reduce pollen allergy symptoms in pets
The Met Office says there are things that you can do to help reduce the effects of pollen allergies. Their website states: “Firstly, if you can, try to identify what times of year your pet is most affected.
“This means you can plan ahead and take precautions for locations you might want to avoid. The type(s) of pollen your pet is sensitive to will determine what time of year their allergies are worst.”
For tree pollens, they say March and April. For grass pollens, May, June and July. For flowering weeds: June, July and August.
The Met Office say: “All of these timings can vary depending on the local climate and what grows in your area. It is possible to do tests to try to find out which substances are flaring up your dog’s allergies.
“These treatments are quite specialist and results must be interpreted carefully, but they might be able to help you avoid known triggers.”