What Are the Most Common Pet Allergies

Pets come in all shapes and sizes, from the smallest kitten to the biggest dog, and everything in between. While most pets get along with Nature perfectly, sometimes they may be allergic to certain foods, pests, and substances. These allergies can cause a variety of symptoms and may make your pet very uncomfortable. In order to help out your pet, it is helpful to know exactly what may be causing their allergic reaction. Continue reading to learn more about the most common pet allergies. 

Allergy Symptoms

When your pet comes into contact with a substance they are allergic to, the output of this reaction can take many forms. Some of the most common for many different types of pets are itching, scratching, licking, and biting. Some pets may exhibit hair loss, dandruff or scaly skin, and can even experience stomach pain. When you are unsure if your pet is having a medical emergency or an allergic reaction, it is smart to reach out to professionals like BuenaVet. Veterinarians have years of experience in pet allergies and may be able to help you pinpoint your pet’s allergic triggers.

Pests

One of the most common pet allergens has to do with living around pests. In most cases, these pests are either fleas, ticks, or mites, though some pets might be allergic to larger pests like mice, rats, and raccoons. However, for the most part, the elimination of fleas, ticks, and mites should be where your efforts are concentrated. Veterinary clinics are able to readily identify if your pet is suffering from one of these pests. If they happen to find signs that one of these pests, or a different pest, is causing your pet’s allergies, you can swiftly deal with this problem. The general recommendation for eliminating common pests that bother pets is to hire a professional pest control company to get rid of these critters once and for all.

Chemicals

Another common allergen that many pets may suffer from is when they are exposed to a certain type of chemical. These could be anything from laundry detergents to certain kitchen cleaning agents. While these chemicals may not be deadly to the pet, they can cause great discomfort and an allergic reaction, which could potentially be severe. Similarly, the previous paragraph about hiring a pest control company should be mentioned here again. Many pest control companies use chemicals to kill mites, fleas, and ticks, and these chemicals could potentially harm your pets. Luckily, there are many different pest control companies that use pet-friendly methods. Be sure to visit homepestcontrol.org to learn about pet-friendly pest control methods and how they can keep you, your family, and your pets safe and healthy.

Food Products

A very common pet allergen that occurs across virtually every type of pet is an allergic reaction to a food ingredient. Much like human food allergies, many pets can have somewhat severe food allergies, since they are consuming the allergen instead of just coming into contact with it. Dogs and cats especially can be allergic to beef, chicken, pork, fish, and many other types of meats. In addition, dairy products, wheat, gluten, and other food products can produce the same adverse reactions. To remedy this problem, as you might expect, there are many different food types for different pets that exclude certain ingredients from them. Simply switching to these foods can completely stop your pet’s food allergies.

Pollen

Many humans suffer from seasonal allergies, and in much the same way, many different pets can also have this problem as well. During certain times of the year, pollen levels are very high, creating an allergen-filled world for pets with pollen sensitivity. Much the same as humans, these allergies can last for as long as the pollen remains at a level that triggers the allergic reaction. These are usually not a serious threat to pets, generally only causing discomfort. As with humans, the only way to cure this is to allow the pollen count to go down and wait for the allergic reaction to be over and done with.

Also Read:- Does Your Dog Have Gluten Allergy? Here’s What You Can Feed Your Dog!

Plants

There are times when pets are free to roam around the yard and then they begin having allergies. This can be caused by any variety of the grasses or other plants encountered by the pet. Certain pets are very sensitive to certain grass varieties, and these can cause an adverse allergic reaction. These reactions are usually very mild, so there is no real need to worry. The best way to prevent these allergies is to keep your pet out of your yard for extended periods of time. If your pet really needs the exercise, you can take them on a walk on a trail or along a road, so long as you keep them from the grass that is making them allergic.