Scratch and Sniff

Our gardens are places where our pets spend much of their time soaking up the sun and relaxing.  Now that spring has sprung there are a variety of allergy causing plants, flowers and weeds that have flourished that can cause a lot of discomfort for our pets.  

Many of us have most likely had a run in with the spring time ‘hayfever’ and just like us, it is common for our pets to respond with hayfever like symptoms; runny eyes, drowsiness and more frequently, itchy skin.

Many of these irritating causes are from plants and flowers that are often found in our backyards and local parks.   You may have noticed that your pet is scratching at their eyes, licking their paws or showing more serious reactions with red, damaged skin and possible hair loss. The same uncontrollable urge to scratch a mosquito bite is felt by our pets and not knowing any better, they will often lick and chew until the initial irritation is no longer apparent and a new problem arises....infection!  

Identification of these plants allows avoidance and early recognition of the signs that your pet may be suffering from allergies before the symptoms are displayed. Veterinarians treat a large number of skin conditions such as:

 - food allergies

 - parasitic

 - atopy

 - contact allergies

 - hot spots

 - bacterial

 - fungal

Many pet owners are aware that skin disease is both frustrating for them as well as their pets. For this reason, when a vet sees an "itchy" patient they may ask many questions to help identify the culprit and relieve the frustration and itchiness that your pet is experiencing.   Understanding what plants are in your backyard and if they can cause this allergy like symptoms and itchiness could be the answer to an itch free pet during spring. 

Some common backyard plants that cause itchy skin and allergies for our pets: