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Pet Allergies and Skin Care

Dog and Cat in Grass

Let’s talk about allergies and itchy skin. Over the past few years, our veterinarian team has seen a rise in pet allergy cases. Just like their human counterparts, there are many different reasons for a pet to feel itchy. Allergies lead to inflammation, and inflammation leads to that itchiness. Inflammation isn’t fun for anyone, and without proper treatment, could lead to deeper issues.

Signs of Allergies in Pets:

  • Constant scratching in a location on their body, such as their belly or behind their ear
  • Constant biting in a location such as a paw or their tail
  • Rubbing a part of their body against carpet or some other equally rough surface
  • Scabbing or scaly skin
  • Noticeable pain or sensitivity in a location

Even if you are participating in our recommended wellness care, allergies don’t always exhibit symptoms right away, so it is important to get your pet seen as soon as you notice them. Not all pets are the same, and the source for their allergies might be different.

Dog in Grass

Our Allergy Process

At Jenison Animal Hospital, the process is simple. We first give your pet a physical exam to see if we can pinpoint the location of the allergy. We then run a diagnostic check and other tests to verify whether the reaction is related to fleas, bacteria or yeast, the environment or season, or diet.

For skin and inner ear reactions, we offer a skin scraping or skin cytology to verify whether it’s a bacterial or yeast infection.

If it isn’t, we move to possible environmental or seasonal issues such as high pollen days, other pet dander, or perhaps aggravating smells found near the pet’s home.

Finally, we search for food allergies your pet might have developed over time. It is important to note that any pet can develop allergies to any protein or carbohydrate source. We will shift your pet’s diet to see if we can single out the item causing the reaction.

Treatment

We offer treatment to help mitigate the allergy, and tailor it to your pet’s specific needs. Tailored treatment options might include oral pills, injections, ointments, special diet regulations, or ear or eye drops. Remember: we can’t cure allergies, only manage them.

It is important to figure out these allergies as soon as possible, as untreated allergies can lead to worse infections, ear hematoma from excessive head shaking, hearing loss, or long-term discomfort.


If you feel like your pet might be struggling with an allergy, and you don’t know where to start, contact us at either our online appointment link, or call us at (616) 457-9200 so we can schedule an appointment!