If your pet frequently gets a red, itchy tummy, licks at their paws a lot, or develops recurrent ear infections or scabby skin patches, it can be frustrating trying to work out what is triggering their issue and how to get them some relief.

Here’s more information about potential skin allergy triggers in dogs and cats, and how we can help solve your pet’s itchy issue.

What can trigger skin allergies in dogs and cats?

There are four types of allergies that we see in pets:

• Atopy: this is an allergy to certain airborne particles. Common causes include grass and tree pollens, dust mites and mould spores.
• Flea allergy dermatitis: this is an allergy to the proteins in flea saliva, meaning that even one little flea bite can trigger severe itching.
• Food allergy: this is an allergy to certain food proteins, such as beef, dairy, chicken and wheat. Pets tend to develop these allergies over time, so often have not undergone an associated dietary change to trigger the issue as many owners expect.
• Contact allergy: this is an allergy that is triggered by the direct contact of a particular substance with the skin. Common contact allergens in Australia are ground plants such as “Wandering Trad” and “Moses-in-a-cradle” and grasses such as Kikuyu, Couch and Buffalo; however, certain household chemicals can also act as triggers.

Some unlucky pets can be affected by more than one type of allergy at once, which can make diagnosis and control of their issue a little trickier!

How can our team help?

If your pet shows similar symptoms of recurrent skin or ear irritation, we’d recommend booking them for a consultation with one of our helpful vets. We will collect a full history, examine your pet thoroughly, make recommendations on how to settle their current irritation, and then will be able to work with you on longer-term treatment trials and management strategies to help your pet love the skin they’re in!