Beagles Allergies & Skin Allergy Guide
Dogs, like humans, suffer from a variety of allergies such as seasonal, food, and year-round allergies that occur because of various issues. Fortunately, most of these allergies are easily treatable and preventable through a careful diet and topical or oral medicine.
Unlike humans, however, symptoms often vary depending on the trigger. Dogs afflicted with allergies may have red or itchy paws, trouble breathing, and discharge from the nose or eyes. If allergies are left untreated, they can compromise the immune system and cause over-reactions.
Because allergies are common in every breed of dog, there are several common symptoms and triggers. Allergies usually show up after a dog is six months old, but some may not occur until it is one to two years old.
Knowing what symptoms to look for and their triggers can help in diagnosing the allergy and administering the best treatment for your Beagle. Keep reading to learn all about the most common Beagle allergies and how to deal with them.
Allergy Symptoms For Beagles
Several symptoms show up when a dog has allergies and are often misdiagnosed. Some symptoms such as hives and redness can easily be overlooked or missed because of a Beagle’s fur, so a quick daily grooming and general body check are recommended. Beagles are also susceptible to non-allergy-related ear infections because of their large folded ears; however, allergies contribute to a portion of ear-related issues as well.
Some hallmark allergy symptoms to watch for in your Beagle include the following:
- Itchiness
- Hives (especially around the paw area)
- Swelling around the face, ears, lips, eyelids, or earflaps
- Red, inflamed skin
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Excessive sneezing
- Chronic ear infections (can be common to Beagles, however, can also point to allergies)
- Abnormal discharge from eyes or nose
- Constant licking (especially around the groin or paw area)
- Loss of fur
- Red (hot) spots
Types of Allergies & Treatments
The cause of allergies are called “allergens,” and there are a variety of common allergens such as food and environmental triggers. Beagles often suffer from inhalant allergies, which are termed “atopy,” and contact/environmental allergies. As described before, this causes redness, hives, and itchiness within Beagles.
However, Beagles can also suffer from food allergies as well. Common allergens and treatments (both at-home and veterinary) for these allergies are outlined below.
Contact/Inhalant (Atopy) Allergens
Several different contact and environmental allergens trigger allergies in Beagles. A few common skin/inhalant allergies include the following:
- Fleas
- Certain dog shampoo/grooming products
- Home cleaning products
- Herbicides/pesticides
- Second-hand smoke
- Sealants
- Dust
- Mildew/mold
- Plants—common houseplants to avoid include the following:
- Spiderwort
- Cut-leaf philadendron
- Begonia
- Aloe
- Eucalyptus
- Cyclamen
- Diffenbachia
Allergy Treatment Options
You can treat pesky skin allergies in a variety of ways. Although veterinary care is recommended for severe allergic reactions, at-home treatments offer immediate and preliminary care for these allergies.
At-Home Treatments
Frequently with skin allergies, the allergen can be alleviated through shampooing your Beagle in allergy-removing, gentle-cleaning shampoo. Shampoos that are free of dyes, sulfates, and chemicals work well in reducing and treating environmental allergens.
Veterinarians will often prescribe topical analgesics to help relieve hot spots on your Beagle. However, several over-the-counter sprays and creams are also available. Sprays are generally recommended since they directly reduce the need to touch the hot spots.
Veterinary Treatments
Veterinarians will often prescribe anti-inflammatory treatments, like antihistamines or corticosteroids. A standard daily allergy pill, while in some cases, a long-acting injection is prescribed.
Although bathing can be done at home, some veterinarians will have their own shampoo to bathe dogs in at their clinic. These shampoos can have anti-inflammatory components as well.
Another option is hyposensitization or desensitization therapy. After an allergen is detected, small injections of that allergen can be systemically injected into the patient, which can cause the immune system to acclimate to the allergen. The success rate varies, with 50% of dogs seeing improvement and 25% seeing a decrease in corticosteroid use.
Certain fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids also have natural anti-inflammatory properties and may be prescribed to help with inflammation. These acids produce no known side effects.
Food Allergens For Beagles
In addition to the common skin allergens listed above, there are several food-related allergens that Beagles can suffer from as well. However, like humans, almost any food can cause allergies in a Beagle. The most common food allergens include the following:
- Dairy
- Beef
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Chicken eggs
- Soy
- Gluten
- Grains
Treatments
For food allergies, the best treatment is avoidance. However, along with this, diet and kibble choices can influence and reduce allergy occurrence in Beagles as well.
At-Home Treatments
Careful attention to ingredients can prevent a food allergy from occurring. Although any kind of food can technically produce an allergy, the ingredients above often cause allergies in dogs. Several quality brands offer grain-free diets with all-natural ingredients.
In addition to paying attention to ingredients, a consistent and routine diet can help reduce the occurrence of allergies and even non-allergy problems such as gastrointestinal issues. Not feeding your Beagle human food helps with allergy reduction and will make it easier to identify the reaction should an allergy occur. Home-cooking your Beagle’s diet can ensure each ingredient is carefully selected, but it requires a little more work.
Veterinary Treatments
Often, veterinarians will have a recommended food brand for dogs who suffer from food allergies. These diets will usually be dye and additive-free, grain-free, and formulated for dogs who have sensitive stomachs. Veterinarians also recommend choosing food with organic and or all-natural ingredients without any preservatives.
Conclusion
Overall, a myriad of triggers causes allergies. Despite this, they are easily contained and have several treatment options that are effective and relatively inexpensive. Beagles are not suspected of having any unique allergies to the breed, so diagnosis and treatment are usually quick and easy.
Supervision and causation awareness is the paramount preventative for preventing allergies. A quick check throughout the house and keeping your Beagle clean is also an easy way to halt allergies.
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