Allergic Reactions

If your pet has swelling around it’s eyes, neck, muzzle or nose and is having trouble breathing, you must take it to a veterinary hospital immediately.

Allergic reactions occur for many reasons.  Common causes include bug bites, vaccination reactions, food-related allergies and reactions to medications.

Signs of allergic reactions include:

• vomiting/diarrhea
• facial swelling
• hives
• itching/scratching
• lethargy
• anorexia
• fever
• difficulty breathing

For dogs, if the reaction is suspected to be caused by a bug bite or sting, you can try administering oralBenadryl (diphenhydramine). The dose is dependent on the weight of the dog.  Benadryl is not as effective in cats.

The dose can be repeated every 8-12 hours as needed until the symptoms subside, however if after 30-60 minutes there is no improvement, your pet will need veterinary care.  Benadryl can cause your pet to become drowsy.  If this occurs, decrease the frequency of doses.  If the reaction is due to vaccines or medication, generally the pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian as Benadryl is usually not effective in these cases.

Food-related allergies can be difficult to diagnose and require patience, follow-up visits to the vet, and trial and error with different kinds of food containing novel protein and carbohydrate sources.  If you prefer to know what your pet is allergic to sooner, a board certified dermatologist can do allergy testing on your pet.  This can be arranged through your regular veterinarian.  Potentially, an allergy serum can be developed for your pet’s specific allergies.