Let's Talk About: Allergies in Pets

Pet allergies can be split into 3 main categories:

• Parasites (such as fleas, mites..), not so common in Iceland.
• Food (chicken, beef, dairy..)
• Environmental (pollen, dust, grass trees..)

There is often overlap; some pets may have allergies to more than one of these categories. 

The main symptoms include itching of the body, itching of the ears, excessively licking or chewing their paws, and skin problems such as fur loss and skin infections. 

Step 1: Visit your vet so they can have a thorough assessment of your pets skin problem. Sometimes prescription medication such as antibiotics or anti-itch medication has to be given initially (or long term) to control an allergy.

A blood test can also be taken to test for specific allergens (food and environment).

Step 2: Skin supplements are an important part of managing allergies because they will help maintain the skin healthy and reduce inflammation and itchiness. Supplements can be in tablet form or a spot-on directly onto the skin. They often contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and other ingredients such vitamin E, biotic, zinc, probiotic and herbal supplements. 

Step 3: Shampoo and mousse  There are topical products specially designed for allergic pets that you can apply on the skin to hydrate and reduce the sensation of itchiness. It is a good idea to have then at home and when you notice your pet having a flare up, using them immediately.

Step 4: Ear cleaner. Some pets can have allergy symptoms only in their ears, they become red and itchy and develop infections often. This means that your pet will need routine ear cleaning at home to reduce itchiness and prevent flare ups. 

Step 5: Appropriate nutrition. If you don't know what your pet is allergic to or you suspect a food allergy then your pet should go on an food trail with a hydrolyzed or novel protein diet for 6-8 weeks. This means avoiding all other treats, foods, and table scraps. If the symptoms improve or resolve during this time then you slowly re-introduce one food type at a time, always looking for recurrence of symptoms. Wait for 2-3 weeks between each re-introductions. Keep a diary of what foods cause a flareup and which foods are safe for your pet.