- Excessive scratching, rolling around and head shaking because their skin is itchy or irritated.
- Constant paw licking.
- Rubbing their ears & nose more often than usual.
- You can see where their skin has become sore e.g. red, dryness near their eyes, between paws and legs.
Summer allergies in dogs: the #1 trigger? GRASS POLLEN
Unsurprisingly, grass pollen is the main trigger for irritating your dog’s allergy reaction during the summer months. It’s at its “worst” during May to July, and even August.
During the Springtime, it’s tree pollen that can cause, or contribute to allergic reactions in your dog.
How do you help your dog with summer allergies?
Now that you’re aware of the main cause of summer allergies in your dog, here are our 5 tips to help you help your poor pooch this summer.
Check the pollen count online and choose when you walk
Before you head out, consider checking via an app on your phone what the day’s pollen count is likely to be. On these days especially, try to avoid grass on your walks. But just as importantly, when pollen is high, ensure that your walks are early morning or early evening as this is when pollen count is likely to be at its lowest during the day.
Avoid walking through grass if you can
If you know this could be the prime trigger for your dog’s summer allergies, then try as much as possible to avoid grass on your daily walkies. It’s actually a great opportunity to do some exploring and check out some exciting new routes!
Give your dog a wipe after walkies.
Look, coming into contact with grass during a walk with your dog is inevitable. So ensure when you’re home you give them a wipe with a damp cloth (including their paws) to remove excess pollen caught on their fur. It’s also a nice experience for you both.
Help soothe their itchy skin
Even if you’ve tried these things to prevent your dog from itching, it’s not always enough. Why not try some skin balm to apply to their itchy skin?
Clean their bedding regularly
This one’s quite easy to overlook. But it makes sense that pollen can fall off your dog’s coat and onto their bed, which can cause discomfort by prolonging the itching. Regularly washing and vacuuming their bed will ensure you prevent this pollen spread and “itchy cycle”.
Here’s to a happier, woof-tastic summer with your pooch!
We hope you’ve found those tips helpful, since they’re designed to be easy ones that could make the world of difference to your dog. Summer allergies in dogs are no fun, so help them avoid those itchy, irritable symptoms so that they can enjoy more time with you.