Your pet's perplexing and sometimes worrying symptoms can be attributed to allergies. Allergies are simply how a body responds to certain things, such as pollen, food ingredients, grooming ingredients, and more. If your pets have a family history of allergies, they may be more likely to develop them.
Even when those things are not intrinsically harmful, the body may interpret them as such and produce histamines and excess white blood cells. Vine Veterinary Hospital in Durham, NC, and Chapel Hill, NC, helps with several pet allergies.
How Animals Get Allergies
Pets can develop allergies. Allergies in animals occur when their immune systems overreact to certain substances, known as allergens. Animals may develop allergies due to underlying conditions related to the immune system, a lack of vaccinations, and the acquisition of an allergy to something in the environment. Animal allergies are not life-threatening unless a serious underlying condition exists. It's important to get pet allergies under control.
Complications of Pet Allergies
It may look cute when your pet has a mild sneezing allergy, giving way to a sudden sneezing attack. Yet, pet allergies often cause chronic itching, leading to infection. Skin discomfort will cause hair loss, skin irritation, and open wounds.
Food pet allergies can be just as severe if left untreated. While you may think your pet is simply finicky about their food, they may avoid food that is causing them gut or bowel irritation, which can be painful. Food allergies can also cause diarrhea, which no pet or owner enjoys. Ultimately, unless a source of acceptable food is supplied, your pet may avoid eating, leading to a nutrient deficit or loss of weight.
How Our Veterinarian Helps with Pet Allergies
If your pet is experiencing allergic symptoms, such as sneezing, runny eyes, diarrhea, pain, skin irritations, or something else, contact your veterinarian in Durham, NC, and Chapel Hill, NC, for a pet exam. We run various diagnostic tests during a pet exam to detect allergies in your pet. Once an allergy has been detected, we will have treatments and recommendations for allergy avoidance.
At Vine Veterinary Hospital, treatment for pet allergies depends on the kind of allergy. Replacing your pet's food with something non-allergenic could be simple. We may prescribe medication or vaccinations to avoid seasonal allergies. Call our office at (919) 942-5117 to schedule an appointment.
