Can Dogs Get Hay Fever? A Veterinary Dermatologist Answers Your Questions
- Dr Simon Want BVM&S CertVD MRCVS RCVS
- Aug 13
- 8 min read
The summer months can be a difficult time for dogs and people alike. With high temperatures and increases in pollen count, the change in seasons means hay fever is more prevalent. In this article we discuss whether dogs can get hay fever, what the symptoms are and how you can help your dog.
Can Dogs Get Hay Fever?
It’s an interesting question. Can dogs get hay fever? It’s rare to have the symptoms of hay fever on their own in dogs. Usually, it’s part of a wider allergic syndrome involving the skin and ears where they start with itching and then get a rash, usually due to trauma or a secondary infection.
However, if we assume that hay fever involves itchy, irritated eyes and sneezing, then yes, dogs can get these symptoms. Symptoms are due to airborne allergies to pollen and even indoor allergens, such as house dust mites and storage mites.
Dog Pollen Allergy Symptoms to Look Out for
Every dog reacts differently to a grass allergy, so not every pet will develop the same signs. Some dogs show only one or two symptoms, while others develop several at the same time.
The most common sign of a grass allergy is itching. In fact, almost everything else we see is a consequence of that itch, as dogs scratch, rub, lick or chew different parts of their body. Some dogs can also develop allergic conjunctivitis or even sneezing, similar to hay fever in people.
Common signs to look out for
Face and ears
Rubbing or scratching the face
Scratching around the ears
Ear infections, with ears that may appear red and inflamed, sometimes with a discharge
Rubbing or scratching the lips
Feet and legs
Persistent licking or chewing of the paws and legs
Red, inflamed or greasy skin between the toes or on the feet
Body and skin
Scratching the body
Red, inflamed skin
Rubbing the bottom
Skin infections, particularly on the belly (often mistaken for a "grass rash"), which commonly develop because bacteria or yeast take advantage of the damaged skin
Eyes and nose
Watery or runny eyes
Rubbing around the eyes, sometimes leading to hair loss
Sneezing
What Should I Do If I Think My Dog Has A Pollen Allergy?
If your dog gets rashes, hay fever symptoms or signs of itchiness at any time of year but especially during grass allergy season you should see your vet.
If the symptoms are not being satisfactorily controlled or wish to find out about other options of treatment available to a veterinary dermatologist, such as immunotherapy, then ask your vet to be referred to a skin vet with advanced dermatological training. You can also contact a veterinary dermatologist yourself and make an appointment.
Can You Give A Dog Antihistamine?
There is a lot of confusion about antihistamines in dogs. We mostly assume that because antihistamines work in people with hay fever, they will automatically work in dogs. In fact, only about 10% of dogs with allergies will get some benefit from antihistamines. This may increase with the addition of other therapies.
It must be stated that it is against the law to treat your own dog with antihistamines. They must be prescribed by a vet and are treated as ‘Veterinary-Prescription Only Medications’. Vets are not allowed to encourage people to buy antihistamines from other outlets and are not even allowed to tell people the dose they can use, unless they purchase tablets prescribed by your vet. It is against the law and vets can be prosecuted or face serious sanctions by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Finally, just because an antihistamine works in people does NOT mean it will work in your dog. Some antihistamines cannot be absorbed by dogs, so will not work. Unfortunately, some newer generation antihistamines in people can cause life-threatening heart arrhythmia in dogs. So, please seek veterinary advice before treating your dog with antihistamines.
What Are the Best Antihistamine For Dogs With Skin Allergies?
Commonly used antihistamines prescribed by veterinary surgeons include:
Cetirizine
Chlorphenamine
Loratidine
Hydroxyzine
Remember it is against the law to treat your own dog with antihistamines. These must be prescribed by a vet.
Are There Any Natural Hay Fever Remedies For Dogs?
No, unfortunately there really aren’t any known natural hay fever remedies for dogs with any meaningful evidence to back them up. However to help your dog, alongside veterinary treatment you can adjust walk times to when the pollen count is lower, wash their bedding and wipe their fur after time outside.
If your dog is showing signs of hay fever speak to your vet who can recommend treatments.
How To Manage Dog Pollen Allergies
There isn't a single treatment that's right for every dog. The best approach depends on the severity of the allergy, how long it has been present, and how your dog responds to treatment.
Treating the Cause, not Just the Symptoms
The only treatment that aims to change the way your dog's immune system reacts to grass pollen is allergen-specific immunotherapy (often called allergy injections or "allergy shots").
Before immunotherapy can be started, your dog must have a positive allergy test. We combine the results of this test with your dog's clinical history to create a personalised vaccine containing the allergens affecting your dog.
The vaccine is given as a series of injections under the skin and, once the maintenance dose is reached, treatment is continued long-term.
Immunotherapy is one of the most rewarding treatments in veterinary dermatology because it addresses the underlying allergy rather than simply controlling the itch. It has good evidence to support its use in treating the symptoms of hay fever in dogs, i.e. allergic conjunctivitis and sneezing.
Medications That Control the Allergic Response
While immunotherapy works to retrain the immune system, many dogs also benefit from medications that reduce itching and inflammation while treatment takes effect.
Common options include:
Cytopoint® injections
Apoquel® tablets
Numelvi® tablets
Zenrelia® tablets
Ciclosporin (Atopica®, Sporimune® and Cyclavance®)
Steroids
Redonyl®, a naturally occurring lipid (fat) compound
Antihistamines
Some dogs, who may only exhibit allergic conjunctivitis may respond to eye drops or indeed, antihistamines.
For many dogs, the most successful outcome comes from combining several of these treatments into a personalised management plan.
If you'd like to know whether your dog may benefit from allergy testing or immunotherapy, you can find more information about referrals to our dermatology service.
How Do Veterinarians Diagnose Hay Fever In Dogs
Diagnosing a grass allergy isn't as simple as performing a single blood test. In fact, the diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (environmental allergy) is usually made by ruling out other causes of itching first.
Before concluding that grass pollen is responsible, your veterinary surgeon or veterinary dermatologist will want to exclude more common causes of itchy skin, particularly:
Parasites
Only once these possibilities have been investigated can environmental allergies, such as grass pollen, be diagnosed with confidence.
Your Dog's History Provides Valuable Clues
One of the most important diagnostic tools is your dog's clinical history.
Dogs that develop itching between late spring and early autumn are often suspected of having a grass pollen allergy because this coincides with the grass pollen season.
Some dogs, however, are itchy throughout the year but become noticeably worse during the spring and summer months. In these cases, grass pollen may be only one part of the problem, with additional environmental allergens contributing to signs during the rest of the year.
Because allergy tests are not 100% accurate, interpreting the history alongside the test results is essential. This is one reason why referral to a veterinary dermatologist can be invaluable when diagnosing and managing dogs with suspected grass allergies.
What Allergy Tests are Available?
There are two main ways of identifying the allergens affecting your dog.
Intradermal Skin Testing
Intradermal skin testing is widely regarded as the gold standard for diagnosing environmental allergies and is most commonly performed by veterinary dermatologists.
Most dogs are lightly sedated for the procedure. A small area of hair is clipped from the side of the chest and tiny amounts of different allergens are injected into the skin, rather than underneath it.
The test includes two control injections:
Histamine, which should produce a noticeable raised red reaction.
A negative control, which produces only a small bleb in the skin.
These controls allow the remaining reactions to be interpreted accurately.
The allergens tested typically include:
Grass pollens
Tree pollens
Weed pollens
House dust mites
Storage mites, which are commonly found in processed pet foods
Each reaction is compared with the control injections to determine whether your dog has developed sensitivity to that allergen.
Blood Allergy Testing
The second option is a blood test, which measures allergy antibodies circulating in the bloodstream.
Although blood testing is much simpler to perform, the quality of tests varies between laboratories, and results should always be interpreted alongside your dog's history and clinical signs.
One important limitation is that antibody levels can fluctuate throughout the year.
Testing during the winter, when grass pollen exposure is low, may occasionally fail to detect a genuine grass pollen allergy.
Why We Use Both Tests
Research has shown that combining intradermal skin testing with blood allergy testing provides the most complete assessment of environmental allergies.
Rosser EJ (2004) compared intradermal testing with aeroallergen-specific IgE serum testing in dogs with seasonal atopic dermatitis and demonstrated the value of using both techniques together.
For this reason, Advanced Veterinary Dermatology routinely combines the results of both tests when investigating environmental allergies.
Can a Dog Still Have a Grass Allergy if the Tests are Negative?
Yes. Approximately 90% of dogs with a grass allergy will test positive, but around 10% do not show a detectable allergic response using the tests currently available in veterinary medicine.
These dogs may still have all the typical clinical signs and seasonal pattern of grass allergy. When this happens, we describe the condition as atopic-like dermatitis. In other words, the dog fulfils the clinical criteria for environmental allergy, but current testing cannot demonstrate an antibody response.
If your dog has persistent or seasonal itching and you would like advice on diagnosis or referral, please contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Certain Dog Breeds More Prone To Hay Fever?
Yes there are some dog breeds that are more likely to get hay fever. It's all the most popular ones, including:
Labradors
Golden retrievers
Cocker and Springer spaniels
Cavalier King Charles spaniels
Cockerpoos/Cavapoos/Labradoodles/Goldendoodles
French bulldogs
English bulldogs
Miniature dachshunds
Does Pollen Count Have An Impact On Dog Allergies?
Yes, just like in people, when the pollen count is high dogs who are pollen allergic will exhibit symptoms of their allergy, be that increased itchiness, runny eyes or sneezing.
Can Dogs Have Cetirizine?
Yes, but only under the direction of your veterinary surgeon and must be prescribed by a vet.
What’s the Best Time Of Day To Walk A Dog With Hay Fever?
The best time to walk a dog who has hay fever is early in the morning when there is still dew on the ground and it is not too hot.
Does Hay Fever In Dogs Usually Cause Skin Problems (Dermatitis) More Often Than Respiratory Symptoms?
The main symptoms of grass allergy in dogs are related to itchy skin and ears with secondary infections. This is followed by sneezing and runny eyes. However, dogs are not people and do not get breathing problems from allergy..
Does Local Honey Help Dogs With Seasonal Hay Fever?
Again, there is no evidence that this can help though it is widely assumed to help people with hay fever. I suspect the evidence for this may be scant as well.
Sources and References:
Rosser, E.J. (2004), Comparison of the results of intradermal testing and aeroallergen-specific IgE serum testing in dogs with warm weather, seasonal atopic dermatitis. Veterinary Dermatology, 15: 3-4.
Olivry, T., D. J. DeBoer, C. Favrot, H. A. Jackson, R. S. Mueller, T. Nuttall and P. Prélaud (2015). "Treatment of canine atopic dermatitis: 2015 updated guidelines from the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA)." BMC Vet Res 11: 210.
Banovic, F., Denley, T., Blubaugh, A., Scheibe, I., Lemo, N. and Papich, M.G. (2020), Effect of diphenhydramine and cetirizine on immediate and late-phase cutaneous allergic reactions in healthy dogs: a randomized, double-blinded crossover study. Vet Dermatol, 31: 256-e58.
Written and Approved by:
Dr Simon Want BVM&S CertVD MRCVS
RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Veterinary Dermatology
Comments