Here's how to rule out some of them, and get down to the likeliest ones. Once you know what's causing the itch, you can take action to provide your dog with some much-needed relief.
Let's get down to business. Does your dog itch all year-round, or just in certain seasons? If it's seasonal, skip to that section.
There are only a few causes of year-round canine allergies:
Food. This is the first thing many people think of as causing canine allergies. But it's actually one of the least likely. True food allergies are uncommon in dogs, with only about 15% of allergic dogs being allergic to food.
A dog may be sensitive to a protein source in his food, or to the protein part of grains such as wheat, soy or corn. Wheat gluten is another one which frequently causes some dog itching and scratching problems. If you have an itchy dog, avoid foods with soy.
Try switching to a food with a different protein source, or with a different grain content than you've been feeding. Test this food for 6 weeks and see if there's any difference. If food does seem to be the problem, rotate different foods through your dog's diet. Canine allergies develop after exposure to an ingredient, and the more exposure, the more likely an allergy will develop.
If your dog is itching, another food-related cause may be mold. Molds grow on wheat, corn, and peanut hulls used in petfood. These produce toxic by-products called mycotoxins, which can suppress the immune system, leading to dog itching problems.
Mold. If you live somewhere humid, or if your kitchen and bathroom are unventilated, mold spores may be causing your canine to itch.
Mold grows wherever and whenever there is moisture. Depending on where you live and what your drainage conditions are like, this can be seasonal or year-round. The itching follows the mold growth.
If your house has ever flooded, or if the basement gets wet, you could be in for some nasty black mold called Stachybotros. In quantity, that one can sicken and kill dogs, children and adults, too.
Other, less toxic molds, such as Penicillium, are more common. Molds vary by region, but all can cause allergic reactions in people and animals.
What to do? Keep the humidity low in your house by running the air conditioner regularly. Fix any leaks. Use the exhaust fan in the bathroom after showering, and, when cooking, use the one over the stove (make sure it vents outside).
Check your air conditioning unit to make sure there's no rust buildup in the condenser pan (where the air blows over the coils and moisture condenses and drains out). Make sure the drain is unclogged, and pour a few tablespoons of bleach down the drain pipe every few months to keep it clean. To further reduce mold, install an electrostatic furnace filter and use it. (See details below.)
There's usually no need to clean the ducts, unless you've had a severe mold problem, or if the moisture situation hasn't been resolved.
Clean out mold, mildew and dust wherever you find it: bathrooms, mini-blinds, bookshelves, ceiling fan paddles, electronics.
Other animals. Yes, your dog may be allergic to your cat! Male and long-haired cats put out more allergen than female and shorthaired cats. The allergen is known as FelD1 (pronounced feldy-one by those in the know). This protein is found in cat saliva, and to a lesser degree, in their anal sacs. When the cat licks himself, the saliva dries and flakes off, then floats away.
Cat allergen is very lightweight, and very sticky. It sticks to walls, furniture, carpet and drapes. It's also a very potent allergen, and it's persistent: it'll stay active in a home environment for at least 10 years.
Best bet: bathe the cats regularly (monthly, if they'll tolerate it). I take my cats into the shower stall with me, and use a handheld shower. Allerpet® C, and DanderSeal® are products which are supposed to seal the allergen to the body, but nothing beats a bath.
Another great product is Allersearch X-Mite powder (order from Aller-caire, 800-547-8095). Sprinkle the powder on the carpet and furniture, let it sit a few hours, then vacuum it up. The powder contains tannic acid (from tea) to denature the cat allergen down at dog level. (It may stain white carpet and fabric, so be careful.) There's also an Allersearch spray for surfaces (not cats). A cat-allergic friend sprays the area around his chair when he visits cat families. That keeps him safe for several hours.
HEPA air filters have also been shown to trap a large amount of the cat allergen which floats through the air. (In our tests, the best is the Cloud 9® Sterile Aire®. Aller-caire has the best prices.)
People. That's right. Your dog may be allergic to you or other family members. People put out allergen, just like cats. It's in our skin, which flakes off throughout the day and night. (Extreme case: dandruff.) The owner of an allergy testing lab for animals told me that, at one time, 40% of dogs' blood tested by his lab indicated a probable allergy to human allergen.
The solution in this case: allergy shots. (These were discontinued for some years, due to government concern about injecting human cells into other humans in the form of allergy shots. AIDS was the worry. I understand they're available again.)
Other dogs. As with cats and people, other dogs, birds, and furry critters are possible allergy-inducers. Again, keeping everybody clean makes a difference. One other tidbit: Dogs who spend a lot of time outside can bring pollen in on their fur. One good shake and it spreads throughout the house. Keep them clean!
Seasonal dog allergies. This is the most common cause of dog itching and scratching. They usually develop after a couple of years of exposure, if they're going to develop at all. No one really understands why one individual will develop allergies, while the next one won't. Genetics are thought to play a part, since allergies often run in families. Repeated exposure is important, too. Other scientists theorize that it may have something to do with immunizations given at an early age, or with lack of exposure to certain diseases at an early age. We're learning a lot about the immune system, but there's a whole lot more to explore.
Pinpointing the cause of seasonal allergies is best done with a "scratch test" at the vet's office. Pollen extracts are injected just under a shaved area of skin, and reactions are noted a few minutes later. This usually runs a few hundred dollars.
You can zero in on some of the culprits yourself, for much less. One question to ask is, "What am I allergic to?" For some reason, people and pets are often allergic to the same things.
If that's not the case, do a little bit of sleuthing. First, turn on your local TV news and watch the weather segment. There's a good chance they'll give an allergy report, which will tell you which pollens (or mold) are a problem that day. By tracking the daily pollen count to see what's highest when your dog is scratching, you'll have a good idea of what's causing the allergy.
In general, though, the earliest spring pollens are the tree pollens, followed by grass pollen (which lasts into the summer). Interestingly, flower pollen is usually not a problem -- and neither is very large-sized pollen, such as from pine trees.
Insects. When allergists talk about seasonal allergies, they're usually referring to seasonal pollens. But insects are also a seasonal issue.
Summertime is bug season, and, when the temperature hits 80 degrees F., and the humidity hits 80%, mosquitos and fleas start to "pop." These pests bite, and their saliva gets injected under the skin. The body reacts to these alien proteins, and the skin becomes inflamed and itchy.
Spraying a permethrin fogger in the yard (I like Raid® Yard Guard) will kill these guys nicely. (Use sparingly around cats -- high doses of permethrin can kill them.) Be sure to spray shady areas and tall grass, where mosquitos and fleas hide.
I also recommend using one of the new wave of veterinary-sold flea products on your pets. Advantage®, Frontline Topspot®, and the new Revolution® are all very effective and safe for dogs with allergies. (Only occasionally will there be an allergic reaction where these products are applied.) Frontline also works on ticks. Revolution is even better, killing ticks, ear mites, and the mites responsible for that itchy skin problem, demodectic mange. Revolution also replaces heartworm preventive.
Originally published in Good Dog! Magazine.
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