Yes, just like humans, cats and dogs can suffer from allergies. Two main causes for allergies: seasonal and food. To make things more complicated, some pets suffer from both!
Seasonal allergies usually appear at a specific time of the year which helps differentiate them from food allergies.With seasonal allergies, some pets have symptoms for a few weeks and some not so lucky ones can have symptoms as soon at the ground thaw until the first snow. The most common time for seasonal allergies are the spring and the fall.
Signs of allergies can be: licking of the paws, scratching, scooting, ear infections, and excessive grooming. Other symptoms include redness of the skin, a greasy coat, hair loss, and discharge from the eyes and/or nose.
Common environmental allergens include pollens (grasses, weeds, trees, etc.), mold spores, dust mite, and fleas. While there is no complete cure for allergies, there are many treatments that can reduce symptoms.
There are medications like antihistamines, corticosteroids and other allergy medications that reduce itching. There are also medicated shampoos and sprays formulated to reduce itching, remove dander, and reduce the skin’s reaction to these allergens.
