Environmental allergies are sensitivities to substances or particles in the environment, such as trees, grass and pollen. They can cause atopic dermatitis (eczema), a condition that makes the skin red and itchy.
In dogs, environmental allergies are more common than any other allergy (e.g. food, fleas) and are, in fact, one of the top reasons to visit the vet, including my dog Cruz! You’d think our 6-year-old livestock guardian would be tough as nails when it came to environmental triggers, like grass and pollen. Turns out my giant boy is allergic to the outdoors!
I wrote an article for Australian Dog Lover about Cruz’s painful experience with environmental allergies. He had hair loss, dry flaky skin on the belly, inflamed paws and armpits, and a persistent ear infection which resulted in several visits to my vet over the winter. The allergies also led to ‘face acne’ which landed him on the surgical table! (Thank goodness for pet insurance!)
Find out what treatments worked to bring the environmental allergies under control. Article here.
