Does My Dog Have Fleas Or Allergies?

Itching is a common reason that dog owners take their pets to see a veterinarian. Dogs who itch may constantly lick, chew, and scratch themselves, which is hard on your pet’s skin. It may leave your pet dog with marks and cuts because of excessive scratching.

Do you see your pet frequently scratching or licking itself?  This may either be caused by fleas or allergies. How do you know which one? Both fleas and allergies have very similar symptoms, so pet owners may have difficulty determining which of the two is causing their pet’s discomfort. Want to know which is which? Take a look at how you can differentiate the two below. 

Signs That Your Dog Has Allergies

If your dog has allergies, then it will most likely have skin inflammation. These allergies are caused by various factors, such as parasites or food. They may also be seasonal. 

If you and your pet live in a place where the weather is humid and warm, then your pet will likely be prone to seasonal allergies. The growing plants and blooming flowers, along with dust, mold, chemicals, and other environmental factors, contribute to these types of allergies. Your dog may also be allergic to certain types of food, like dairy, beef, or chicken. Allergies usually appear on your dog’s feet, groin, legs, eyes, or anus. These areas may have pigment changes or thickening of the skin.

Environmental Allergies

Environmental allergies are caused by either indoor or outdoor elements, such as pollen, trees, dust, cleaning chemicals, wool, mildew, mold, perfumes, and other materials. If you feel that your pet has outdoor allergies, you can limit its time outside. Also make sure that you give your pet a bath regularly. 

Food Allergies

Food allergies usually involve pork, beef, chicken, and wheat. This is a trait that is passed down, and you can find out which food your dog is allergic to by process of elimination. 

Here are other symptoms of allergies your dog may experience: 

• Red skin
• Runny eyes
• Itchy ears and ear infections 
• Sneezing, coughing, and sometimes vomiting
• Diarrhea 

Signs Your Dog Has Fleas 

Fleas feed on blood, and your dog is the perfect host for them. This is because dogs are warm and furry. Fleas usually flock together on your dog’s neck, head, or tail base. So if your dog has them, this may be where your dog is frequently scratching. Fleabites are incredibly itchy, and scratching them will only make the itching worse, making your dog even more miserable. Here are some other symptoms of fleas on your dog: 

• Hair loss on the back, tail, or leg region
• Bites and scabs
• Red patches on the skin
• Bumps on the neck area or around the body 
• Skin, yeast, and ear infections 

If you observe that your dog is showing any of these symptoms, inspect their skin. The fleas will most likely hide on your pet’s ears, tail, groin, armpits, neck, or head. They will flock to the warmest parts of your dog’s body. 

If you feel that your dog has either fleas or allergies, make sure that you consult your veterinarian right away to get rid of them. Itching can be inconvenient and will only cause your dog suffering.