Watery eyes, runny nose, itchy skin and sneezing: they're all uncomfortable symptoms that people with seasonal allergies suffer from every spring. But did you know your dog can have them as well?
A recent analysis by pet insurance company Trupanion shows a 45% increase in allergy claims for pets in 2023 compared to 2019, Axios reported. Nationwide pet health insurance says allergies were the most common health condition that prompted veterinary visits for dogs in 2022, with more than 373,000 individual claims received (up from 335,000 in 2021).
Allergies in dogs can cause respiratory issues, itching (which can lead to obsessive paw licking or face rubbing), skin infections, hair loss and pyoderma, better known as "hot spots."
According to a 2018 report from Banfield Pet Hospital, the most recent data on the matter, there's been a 30% increase in cases of dogs suffering from environmental allergies over the past decade.
Dogs with environmental allergies tend to be "miserable," Erin Tate, vice president of clinical development at CityVet in Dallas, told Time Magazine.
"I tell people that if your allergies are flaring up, your dog's allergies are flaring up, too," she said.
While allergens can vary by region and climate, experts say many common triggers are found in a typical pet owner's home, including: dust, pollen, dander, mold, fabrics, cleaning solutions, grass and trees. Dust mites alone cause as much as 80% of allergies in pets, according to Trupanion.
Flea allergies have also been on the rise over the past 10 years, with a 12.5% increase in dogs, according to the Banfield report, which analyzed data from over 2.5 million dogs. The tiny parasites are prevalent throughout the U.S., and proteins in their saliva can cause an allergic reaction in some pets.
Certain foods can also cause allergic reactions in dogs. Banfield says food-allergic dogs are six times more likely to develop skin infections than non–food-allergic dogs.
Once diagnosed with allergies, treatment for dogs is similar to how humans manage their symptoms. Options include medicated shampoos and rubs, injections, allergy shots, antibiotics, antifungals, eye and ear drops, or even a change in diet.
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As for why an increasing number of dogs are suffering from allergies, Tate says climate change plays a role as dramatic changes in temperatures and warmer weather both extend allergy and pollen seasons.
Another theory is that dogs simply aren't as dirty as they used to be. Just as infants can be protected from developing allergies through early exposure to microorganisms, the same is true for dogs.
"We're more clean and hygienic — dogs aren't spending as much time outside anymore," Matthew Levinson, a veterinary dermatologist in Chicago, told Time. "It's not like back in the day, where you'd have a dog house in the backyard, and the dog spent most of the day in the yard."
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