Pet Allergies

Just like you, your pet can have allergic reactions, too. Allergies may be caused by environmental factors or the food your pet eats. If you notice signs of a life-threatening reaction in your cat or dog, it’s time to bring your pet to us at Urgent Pet Care in Papillion, NE.

Allergies happen when your pet’s immune system overreacts to something the pet ate or encountered. Skin irritation and itchiness come from contact with an irritant in the environment, a reaction to flea bites, or from food allergies. Some pets inherit allergies from their parents.

Even if you don’t know the cause, look out for these common signs of pet allergies. Some pets may have itchy ears or skin. Hives or red patches on the skin are other indications of allergies. Like people, your dog may sneeze or have watery eyes. More alarming symptoms include swelling of the face, nose, and airways. Severe airway swelling could result in anaphylactic shock. This is a pet emergency that requires urgent care. Without prompt administration of the right medications, your pet could die.

When you bring your pet to Urgent Pet Care, our vet will stabilize your pet if it is experiencing anaphylactic shock. Once your pet is comfortable, you will need to answer questions about any changes to the environment. Changes in pet food, flea infestations, or recent vaccines could lead to a reaction. After ruling out any other causes of the symptoms, our vet may recommend allergy testing. If the cause was possibly food, an elimination diet could help you pinpoint the exact cause of the allergy.

Our veterinarian will alleviate the emergency first. If your pet needs medication, we will administer it. For skin allergies, your pet may need a hypoallergenic shampoo. This product eases skin inflammation and soothes itchiness. Avoiding other allergens in food and the environment will also help. Remember, pets should never be around cigarette smoke. They have smaller lungs that are more affected by the smoke than people are.

Testing reveals exactly what is causing your pet’s allergic reactions. Desensitization therapy may help your pet to build up an immunity to the allergen. Though not successful for every pet, half the dogs treated with this method decrease their corticosteroid use dramatically. Another quarter will reduce either the frequency or amount of medication needed.

Emergencies rarely happen on schedule. That’s why our Papillion Urgent Pet Care office is open seven days a week, nights, and weekends. Contact us at 402-991-9444 for any pet emergency.