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Pet Allergies FAQs

Pets, just like people, can have allergies. If you live in or around Reisterstown, Maryland, you'll be delighted to know that our veterinary hospital, TLC for Pets, excels in treating animal allergies. Our caring staff knows it’s hard for pet parents when their best friends are under the weather. So, if your pet is scratching, having hot spots, itching, or sneezing, contact us, because we're the best in pet care around. In the meantime, our veterinarians have put together a pet allergies FAQ list to answer some basic questions about pet allergies.

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What Type of Allergies Can My Pet Get?

Pets generally suffer from four different types of allergies:

  • Environmental allergies
  • Food allergies
  • Contact allergies
  • Flea bite allergies

If your pet has one or more of these allergies, one of our veterinarians can diagnose and prescribe a treatment for it.

What Are Environmental Allergies?

Environmental allergies are what we humans call "seasonal allergies" or "hay fever." Although your pet may experience sneezing and watery eyes, he's more likely to itch all over. He may scratch and lick so much that he opens sores or causes irritated skin. In the case of environmental allergies, it's important to have a veterinarian diagnose them and prescribe the right medication that will help stop the itch.

Does My Pet Have Food Allergies?

Food allergies occur when a pet is allergic to one or more ingredients in his food. These allergies may appear as a gastrointestinal problem, such as diarrhea and vomiting, or it may affect your pet's skin. Your pet may scratch or bite certain areas, and he may get frequent ear infections. If our veterinarians think your pet has food allergies, we will put your pet on a special prescription diet designed to determine whether a particular food you feed your pet is causing the problem. We can then slowly add back different ingredients to see if it causes your pet to show symptoms again.

What Are Contact Allergies?

Contact allergies occur when your pet touches something that irritates his skin, or perhaps you've used a shampoo or soap that has ingredients he's allergic to. Although not very common, contact allergies can make your pet feel miserable. Your pet will display redness and irritation where the contact occurred.

What Are Flea Bite Allergies (Flea Allergy Dermatitis)?

Fleas are bad enough by themselves, but some pets are also allergic to flea saliva, making their constant bites that much more unbearable. That's what happens with flea allergy dermatitis. Your pet starts showing even more irritation and hair loss due to the flea bites. Our veterinarians can prescribe the right type of flea preventative plus medications that will treat the allergies.

Have questions about pet allergies or need to talk with our veterinarian? Contact TLC for Pets Veterinary Hospital in Reisterstown, and make an appointment today.