Here’s something you might never have realized – your dog can get hayfever too.
In fact, research shows that as many as 1/3 of dogs could be susceptible to this form of allergy. However, don’t expect your dog to run around with watery eyes and a runny nose – these allergy symptoms are not as common in pets. Most dogs will show you they have an allergy through increased skin irritability and lots more scratching, says the Yumega National Pet Skin Health Survey.
Yumega, a pet supplement manufacturer, says that hayfever is a significant cause of skin problems. The reason for this kind of reaction (versus the typical human reaction) is the location of the mast cells in your dog. Mast cells tend to be concentrated in your pet’s skin whereas human mast cells are concentrated in the respiratory system, including nose, sinuses, eyes and airways.
Many owners actually fail to recognize seasonal allergies as a result. Yumega says that owners should pay attention to hair loss and coat damage as a true indicator of allergy.
Even a dog with food allergies may exhibit this through more scratching! The reason comes right back to the distribution of mast cells which are much more common in the skin of your pet.
Yumega is still collecting information on pet skin health. You can find their 2009 survey online. Yumega is not just looking at allergies, but at a range of environmental conditions and dietary aspects that contribute to the ill health of many pets and their coats. Changes in climate, centrally-heated buildings and diet are believed by researchers to have the greatest impact on skin and coat health. The survey is targeting British pet owners, who are able to win prizes for participating.
However, this is of definite concern to North American pet owners too, who are dealing with all these factors as well. Here’s hoping that the results of the survey will be published, and help shed light on what pet owners should watch for when they are concerned about their dog’s coat.
Sources: Glee, National Pet Skin Health Survey 2009
