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Hay fever in dogs

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  • 30-05-2010 6:34pm
    #1
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭


    My Ridgeback has hay fever and I'm just wondering if anyone else has a dog that suffers from it, and if anyone has any advice/tips re how you're treating the condition.

    My dog is getting anti histamines atm but hes still quite itchy:(


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    #2
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    I'm starting to suspect mine has it as well. He's sneezing a lot and scratching his ears, which is exactly what I do when hayfever is getting to me!


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    #3
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    Faith wrote: »
    I'm starting to suspect mine has it as well. He's sneezing a lot and scratching his ears, which is exactly what I do when hayfever is getting to me!

    aww:( The anti histamines seem to help a lot but as I said he still seem so itchy....


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    #4
    Faith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,657 Mod ✭✭✭✭Faith


    Kya1976 wrote: »
    aww:( The anti histamines seem to help a lot but as I said he still seem so itchy....

    Do you just give him normal OTC antihistamines? I'm going to monitor my lab for the next few days and see if he's still sneezing a lot. He only came to live with us in February, and went from tiles and wood with no garden, to lots of carpet and a big garden. That might by why it wasn't noticed before.


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    #5
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    Faith wrote: »
    Do you just give him normal OTC antihistamines? I'm going to monitor my lab for the next few days and see if he's still sneezing a lot. He only came to live with us in February, and went from tiles and wood with no garden, to lots of carpet and a big garden. That might by why it wasn't noticed before.

    I give him piriton tablets. Yea same here, I used to have all wooden flooring and now I have carpet in some of the house I'm in.

    That doesn't help as he's very sensitive. I just try to hover daily and wash the dog beds quite often to, as its supposed to help.


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    #6
    Sigma Force
    Registered Users Posts: 5,132 ✭✭✭Sigma Force


    Some say with people if they can get their hands on a local honey as local as possible it can help so might help for your dog. If you know of any local beekeepers honey is ok for adult dogs.

    Not sure exactly why but something to do with bees using local plants in your area and when you eat the honey it somehow helps the hayfever.


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    #7
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    Guineapigrescue wrote: »
    Some say with people if they can get their hands on a local honey as local as possible it can help so might help for your dog. If you know of any local beekeepers honey is ok for adult dogs.

    Not sure exactly why but something to do with bees using local plants in your area and when you eat the honey it somehow helps the hayfever.

    Ah wow, never heard that before. Thanks for the tip:)


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    #8
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    If carpets are the problem then steam cleaners are meant to help with allergies. You can get pretty cheap ones in argos that work. It kills the dust mites or whatever?


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    #9
    Discostuy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 303 ✭✭Discostuy


    One of my dogs suffers from hayfever. She gets weepy eyes, and sneezes. When its bad it makes her fairly cranky to.

    She is only going on 3, so this is her second proper summer where we've noticed it.

    I had her at the vet, but he said he didnt believe dogs suffer from hayfever like humans, and so wouldnt prescribe anti-histamins for her.
    He said he would prefer to get her blood tested to see what the issue could be.

    But i think its defo hayfever. It only comes on around summer, and shows all the same symptoms of a human with hayfever.

    I think its time for a new vets though, as the place i bring her at the moment, each attending vet seems to contradict the other on issues i've raised with them.

    Is there OTC anti histamines people use?...Im tired of paying vet fee's and getting no where.


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    #10
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    Discostuy wrote: »
    One of my dogs suffers from hayfever. She gets weepy eyes, and sneezes. When its bad it makes her fairly cranky to.

    She is only going on 3, so this is her second proper summer where we've noticed it.

    I had her at the vet, but he said he didnt believe dogs suffer from hayfever like humans, and so wouldnt prescribe anti-histamins for her.
    He said he would prefer to get her blood tested to see what the issue could be.

    But i think its defo hayfever. It only comes on around summer, and shows all the same symptoms of a human with hayfever.

    I think its time for a new vets though, as the place i bring her at the moment, each attending vet seems to contradict the other on issues i've raised with them.

    Is there OTC anti histamines people use?...Im tired of paying vet fee's and getting no where.

    I had the same problem with my old vet(I've changed vet since). My RR has always had allergy problems, and he had all sorts of tests, scrapings, biopsy, bloods.
    They never found what was the exact cause of his problems, having said that they never did check for pollen allergy.
    I know its hay fever, the same as with your dog it only really appears around summer time.
    I'm buying the anti histamines over the counter in the pharmacy.


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    #11
    tk123
    Registered Users Posts: 14,045 ✭✭✭✭tk123


    GAH our guy has this I think - he's been making funny noises like his nose is blocked and is itchy too...I have hayfever and I've been bad with it the last few days so the pollen count must be high in the area. I have human hayfever pills - can he take one of them? A friends dog was predcribed anti-histamines from the vet and they cost a fortune - he had the exact same ones that he's gotten OTC from the local chemist for a fraction of the price.


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    #12
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    tk123 wrote: »
    GAH our guy has this I think - he's been making funny noises like his nose is blocked and is itchy too...I have hayfever and I've been bad with it the last few days so the pollen count must be high in the area. I have human hayfever pills - can he take one of them? A friends dog was predcribed anti-histamines from the vet and they cost a fortune - he had the exact same ones that he's gotten OTC from the local chemist for a fraction of the price.

    I'm giving my dog piriton, which is recommended by vets. But I'd make sure to check with your vet about the dosage.:)


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    #13
    morganafay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,534 ✭✭✭morganafay


    I definitely think animals can get hay fever.

    I had kittens with runny eyes and sneezing and it wouldn't clear up. It turned out they didn't have cat flu or eye infections but there was a flower pot with some hay in it where they used to take naps, and someone pointed out to me that that could cause it, so I got rid of the hay and it stopped.

    And if I buy bad hay for my rabbits then one of them will start sneezing and one will get runny eyes, and so do I!


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    #14
    fishfoodie
    Registered Users Posts: 564 ✭✭✭fishfoodie


    Guineapigrescue wrote: »
    Some say with people if they can get their hands on a local honey as local as possible it can help so might help for your dog. If you know of any local beekeepers honey is ok for adult dogs.

    Not sure exactly why but something to do with bees using local plants in your area and when you eat the honey it somehow helps the hayfever.

    I believe the theory is that by exposing the dog/cat/whatever to small amounts of pollen the animal gets a chance to build up a resistance, so that come summer they don't get as bad a reaction. Couldn't speak to how the reality matches the theory, but I suppose its worth a shot !

    I'd suggest making something like a paddling pool of fresh water available all the time as well, so they dog can wash itself regularly, as at least with this they can clean their eyes & splash around a bit to relieve the itching.

    I know a shower always make my breathing better when I get a bad dose of hayfever :)


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    #15
    tk123
    Registered Users Posts: 14,045 ✭✭✭✭tk123


    Discostuy wrote: »
    I think its time for a new vets though, as the place i bring her at the moment, each attending vet seems to contradict the other on issues i've raised with them.
    .
    :mad::mad: Our can be like that at times as well!! Luckily I had the morning off one day when I brought our guy and a different vet saw him who's brilliant - normally we'd go in the evening or at the weekend. We just go to her now because it's an on goinging issue at the moment and we're back for reviews etc.


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    #16
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    You might have just solved my problem. Harley has weepy eyes all the time. But has been checked for injuries & infection.

    Can it cause skin irritation too?


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    #17
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    Whispered wrote: »
    You might have just solved my problem. Harley has weepy eyes all the time. But has been checked for injuries & infection.

    Can it cause skin irritation too?

    Yes it can, my dog gets really itchy and he has a bald patch under his tummy as well.


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    #18
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Did your vet point out that it was hayfever? Or could I try him on a mild antihistimine to se if it works without doing him any harm.


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    #19
    Kya1976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,879 ✭✭✭Kya1976


    Whispered wrote: »
    Did your vet point out that it was hayfever? Or could I try him on a mild antihistimine to se if it works without doing him any harm.

    Ive talked to my vet about it, they never did anymore tests on him. I thought it was a waste of time considering past experience. Pirition is fine to give them, Id just make sure to ask your vet about dosage.:)


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    #20
    StormWarrior
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,577 ✭✭✭StormWarrior


    My dog has the same problem, she gets piriton every day, and a steroid injection every few months which totally cures it, just temporarily. We also use a prescribed shampoo on her that relieves the itchy skin, and feed her a hypo-allergenic diet.


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    #21
    Allgäuerin
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭Allgäuerin


    My Westie had a really bad cough for months and a itchy skin aswell. we first thought it is this "normal" westie-skin-issue, but after a whole day spending out in the back garden and in the evenning getting the grass cutted his cough got really worse. This was the point when i started thinking of hay fever. Brought him to the vet. He got an injection against the allergie symptoms and anti-histamines (they DONT cost a fortune!!!! 4 euros the bottel) and since this the cough and itchyness stopped and he is back again a really happy dog! :D


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    #22
    User Friendly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    i see there's a thread on good vets,perhaps there should be one for money grabbing waste of time vets.brought my near 8 month old staffy to the vet 2 weeks ago for her injections,mentioned to him her eyes are quite red at times and this has only just started,ah this is quite common and i cant do anything about it.meanwhile she has just got worse in one eye....its like an eye infection in one of her eyes,with sleep or the dog form of conjunctivitis:confused: do dogs get this? because whatever the vet says,it just aint normal.


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    #23
    User Friendly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    ive just done some reading up after that last post.....think my dog may have pink eye...:( i'll get it sorted tomo.


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    #24
    star-pants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,429 ✭✭✭✭star-pants


    User Friendly - dogs can get eye infections/conjunctivitis - for the moment I think some warm water and gauze/cotton pads (or if you only have cotton wool just be careful as it can scratch their eye) and try and keep them clean until you can get to a vet (be it yours or a new one)


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    #25
    User Friendly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭User Friendly


    star-pants wrote: »
    User Friendly - dogs can get eye infections/conjunctivitis - for the moment I think some warm water and gauze/cotton pads (or if you only have cotton wool just be careful as it can scratch their eye) and try and keep them clean until you can get to a vet (be it yours or a new one)

    thanks for that.....will do.


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    #26
    Whispered
    Registered Users Posts: 14,772 ✭✭✭✭Whispered


    Bad eyes are common in the breed userfriendly. We have a fair bit of trouble with my boys eyes. To the point if you ask him to show you his sore eyes he will squint up at you. :)

    He has been checked for scratches etc but nothing comes up. The last time I went I was given steroid drops - Maxitrol, they are available through the vet or by prescription only, but they cleared his eye up almost immediately. However, because they contain steroids, they can cause drooping in the eye while you are using them so I only use them if he looks particurlary bad.

    While he's still young I'd suggest you get him used to having drops put in, if you can keep his eye clean and moist using human drops (not medicated ones, just like optrex) and have him allow you clean the eye withough fuss, you shouldn't have too much trouble.


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