Spring into action to help pets struggling with allergies

The excessive rainfall in the eastern states of Australia recently has seen vets report an increase in pet allergies.

Pet Stock vet Dr Tara Morris says dogs already prone to ear infections are struggling this spring.

“The ear is an L-shaped canal, and it can trap water and moisture which provides a home for bacteria and yeast to breed,’’ Morris says.

“Animals already prone to this need extra care this year with walking in the rain, swimming, bathing and drinking from puddles where rats and mice, which are also more prevalent in wet weather, urinate and contaminate.’’

The warmer weather also causes pollen to break down into smaller fragments, leading to increased symptoms for animals suffering seasonal hay fever or allergies. “It’s uncomfortable for the animal who is so itchy from a skin allergy,’’ she says. “It keeps the owners and the dog awake at night and the dog is more irritable but there are lots of different things we can do. “It used to be restricted to steroid cream but now there are good oral medications and other creams which are safer and very effective.’’

Morris advises dog owners to be cautious about indoor plants, noting they are much more popular now, because some can be toxic to animals, including flowers such as daffodils, mistletoe, jasmine, bleeding hearts, elderberry and lilies.

Also, spring cleaning with some household products that are toxic to pets should be avoided.

Cat Protection Society of Victoria senior vet Dr Peta Keown says seasonal allergies related to grass, pollen and mould are more common in spring. Usually, this type of allergen is inhaled as it is for humans resulting in itchy eyes, but animals tend to get itchy skin.

“Cats generally will lick, chew and paw at themselves if they have a skin allergy which begins a cycle of damage, leading to lesions and scabs,’’ Keown says. “Fleas are more prevalent in warmer seasons. It’s often the secondary infections that become harder to treat. So you can end up treating the infection before the allergy.’’