Humans aren’t the only ones to suffer from allergies. Dogs, cats, and horses also suffer from allergies, though their symptoms might not look familiar to the untrained eye.


Pets Have Allergies, Too

Dogs

Dogs are quite frequently allergic to environmental and food allergens. However, instead of sniffling and sneezing, they itch. If your dog frequently scratches (and he doesn’t have fleas) or licks his paws, or if he has red, irritated skin, the dog may be suffering from allergies. It can be difficult to distinguish between environmental or food allergens, but if the behavior is seasonal (summertime usually) you can bet your dog has the doggy form of “hay fever.” Your veterinarian can suggest different ways to help Fido, which can include changing his food and giving antihistamines, omega fatty acids, or even allergy shots.

Cats

Felines can have food and environmental allergies, too. Cats can become so itchy, especially around the face, that they hurt themselves from excessive scratching. Cats also can have an asthma-like condition which, as with humans, is life-threatening when acute and is triggered by similar conditions; namely stress and living in a household where humans smoke.

Horses

Hay fever, quite literally, is common among horses, which suffer from allergies to mold in their hay (just like humans!). This condition is commonly called “heaves” and can make it very difficult for a horse to breathe. Because horses and cats have respiratory allergies similar to asthma, they are often treated with the same inhaled drugs that people might use for controlling asthma. The problem is, how do you tell an animal to breathe in when you want it to inhale a puff of medicine? Many pet owners treat their pet’s allergies similar to how they would treat their own; they change their HVAC home filters frequently, almost monthly, regularly bath their pet and equip the home with an air purifier which cleans airborne allergen particles, such as dust, mold and pollen from the air.






If your furry friend is suffering from environmental allergies and spends time indoors, an air purifier can help control their exposure to the offending allergens and provide fresh clean air for you too.