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Minimizing your Dog’s Discomfort from Seasonal Allergies

April 14, 2017 by Mary Telesz

Seasonal AllergiesSpring has sprung, and so has your pup’s allergies. It started with little tilts of the head, then constant shaking, and now full-blown itching. Your pup scratches, and scratches, and scratches, and finds no relief. He might gnaw at his paws or rub his face against the carpet. He might be sneezy or even hacking a little from an itchy throat. The more your dog scratches, the more inflamed his skin becomes, causing the irritation to become tender and sometimes even leading to hair loss, open wounds, bleeding, and scabbing.

When the weather starts to warm, there are precautionary measures you can take to ease your dog’s discomfort from seasonal allergies. Though you cannot stop the allergens rising from the newly-thawed earth, you can be proactive in the treatment of your home and the care of your dog.

Keep Your House Vacuumed

Though your dog may hate it, the vacuum is going to save him from allergy symptoms this season. Keeping your home vacuumed, especially the areas where your dog enjoys to lounge, minimizes the collection of the allergies you track inside. This way, when your dog lies down for his afternoon nap in front of the couch, he’s not lying in a cloud of allergens that have been festering for days.

Get Dog Bath Wipes

Using dog bath wipes frequently can dramatically reduces your pup’s allergy symptoms. When your dog comes in from playing outside, give him a quick rub down with a bath wipe to remove any pollen or allergens collected on his fur. Though not a substitute for a proper tubby, the bath wipes will remove excess surface allergens to prevent allergen buildup every time your dog goes outside. Bath wipes provide particular relief for your dog’s face, ears, and paws. Quick wipe-downs with bath wipes save your dog from sitting in allergens, exacerbating his symptoms.

Protect Your Dog’s Immune Functions

Your dog’s immunity plays a crucial role in combating allergies and allergy symptoms. Keep your dog’s health in tip-top shape. During allergy season, try to avoid scheduling any vaccinations or medications. Keep your pup’s immune system healthy and focused on only fighting allergies.

Seasonal Allergies

Enforce a Well-Balanced Diet

Keeping your dog’s diet in-check works in tandem with keeping his immune system healthy. When your dog eats well, he lives well. If your pup is especially vulnerable to seasonal allergies, try to avoid carb-rich foods by opting for food that is low-grain. Carbohydrates have been shown to worsen skin inflammation, which will cause greater irritation as your dog itches and scratches.

Change Your Air Filters

Changing the filters in your air conditioning prevents the recirculation of allergens throughout your home. When your air filters are fresh, they’ll catch allergens and pollen from being spread throughout your home via your HVAC system.

Try Omega-3’s

Omega-3’s (fish oil) is known to improve hair, fur, and coat health in both humans and dogs. The oils of omega 3 enrich hair and fur follicles, preventing skin and scalp from becoming dry. Omega-3’s can provide your pooch a little extra skin-boost to relive their sense of itching and irritation due to allergies.

Immediately use Antibiotic Ointments at First Signs of Hot Spots

Hot spots are raw, red, irritated areas of the skin. When your dog itches and scratches, his skin becomes inflamed and irritated. As he scratches more and more because he feels no relief, his skin will become raw, sometimes bleeding or scabbing-over. The moment you notice hot spots on your dog, apply antibiotic ointments to ease the pain and prevent infection. Sulfodene treatments are recommended, as they are FDA-approved and 100% safe for your dog.

Try Coconut Oil

Coconut oil, Pinterest’s miracle food, is excellent for your dog’s skin and coat when consumed in small portions with your dog’s food. Coconut oil’s lauric acid is great for buffing your pup’s immune system, as well as keeping their skin hydrated and their fur sleek. You can also apply coconut oil straight onto your dog, rubbing over dry and itchy areas.

Indulge in Foot-Soaks

Especially helpful for dogs who carry their allergies in their feet, foot soaks provide instant relief to hot, itchy, irritated paws. Apple cider vinegar (or hydrogen peroxide) combined with warm water will instantly soothe your dog’s scratchy, sore paws.

Bathe with Medicated or Hydrating Shampoos

When it’s tubby-time, be sure to have medicated shampoo or hydrating shampoo on hand. Your dog will have instant relief as the warm bath water washes away the allergens clinging to his fur. Still, you want to make sure that the shampoo you are using doesn’t dry-out his skin. Lots of shampoo can actually remove the special oils from your dog’s coat, causing dry skin that will easily become irritated. Combining post-bath dry skin with your dog’s allergies is a big no-no. Make sure your dog’s shampoo is either medicated or specifically formulated to add moisture and hydration to your dog’s coat. You may also want to consider conditioner: then your pup will be itch-free while looking fabulous!

Don’t Be Afraid to See the Vet

Seasonal AllergiesDon’t let your dog suffer: it is absolutely acceptable to take your dog to the vet for allergies. Sometimes, it can be hard to gauge just how intense your dog’s allergies are. If your dog is struggling and finding no relief, a vet will be able to provide a better understanding of your dog’s particular allergies and offer medical solutions. Do not self-medicate your dog until your vet has given you the O.K. Your vet will be able to tell you the extent of your dog’s allergies and be able to directly treat their symptoms.

It is incredibly important that you tend to your dog’s seasonal allergies. Even if their symptoms seem minimal, treat them. Environmental allergies are on the rise and every year that goes by they increase, meaning that next year (and the year after, and the year after) your dog’s symptoms will only worsen. Even more awful, since your pup’s allergies are derived from his immune system, his allergies will only worsen the more he is exposed to allergens. Which means, even without the increasing number of allergens in the environment, your pup’s allergies would still grow worse just by exposure.

So be sure to take care of your pups. Give them a spa day, wipe them down, vacuum. They’re good dogs. Be good to them.

Filed Under: Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
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Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 20151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
4.9
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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