Allergic Reactions in Pets: What You Need to Know
November 22, 2021
Do you remember Violet from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”? Well, if you don’t – let me remind you. She’s the girl who eats a piece of gum, and then her body starts to swell up like a balloon… or a blueberry! Imagine if that’s your dog’s face. Pretty scary! This is exactly what happened to a patient of ours, Leesi.
Leesi is an 11-month-old female Belgian Tervuren, she is in training for outdoor search and rescue work. She was outside in the field that day for a decent amount of time. Later that evening, her owners started to see a change in her face. Her muzzle began to swell and swell and swell! She was having an allergic reaction!
Leesi was treated with an injection of a steroid and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. Her facial swelling improved quickly and continued to improve after she was discharged.
What Is An Allergic Reaction
Allergic reactions are inflammatory reactions that occur when your pet comes into contact with certain substances. This substance can be anything from the proteins in vaccines, insect bites, medications, or any number of things. As with humans, individual dogs and cats may be more or less allergic to a wide range of substances.
Signs of An Allergic Reaction
Typical signs of an allergic reaction in dogs and cats are swelling around the eyes or muzzle, hives, and possible vomiting and diarrhea. If the reaction becomes severe, animals can experience anaphylaxis, a life-threating reaction.
It’s very important to seek veterinary assistance if an allergic reaction starts in your animal, as you do not want it to escalate to a full anaphylactic reaction. When you rush your pet into an urgent care clinic, typical treatments are a steroid and antihistamine injection. If vomiting is occurring, then anti-nausea medications and subcutaneous fluids (fluids given under the skin) will likely be administered. It’s not uncommon for oral antihistamines to be continued at home. In rare cases, allergic reactions can result in full anaphylaxis, and hospitalization and emergency care are required.
Keep in mind, if your pet’s face starts to look like Violet after she ate that gum, you should have them evaluated by a veterinarian just like Leesi’s owners did!