Help Please! On Friday we took the dogs to our most frequently used area - a smallish, natural country park - rough grassland with some heather, a large pond, and areas of, mainly Pine, woodland. After lunch, Eddie developed red, swollen eyes, and had an very unhappy look. (Merry was fine). I put some Boots Hayfever Relief Eye Drops in his eyes, and gave him a Piriton tablet, and he was back on form by teatime. Yesterday, the same thing was starting to happen again, but I nipped it in the bud by treating it promptly in the same manner. Today, we followed a linear walk along a former railway line, parallel with this area, but not actually on it. I rinsed Ed's eyes with the drops as soon as we got home, and today he has had no reaction. Does anyone on here have any idea if there is anything flowering at the moment, (in the UK Midlands), which might have caused this presumed allergic reaction? He has never had any problem in previous years, but does suffer from an Inflammatory Bowel Disease which probably has an auto-immune origin.
Hi Carole there seems to be a outbreak in the Derbyshire area of dogs having hay fever like symptoms after being walked in woods no one knows why yet x
@6JRT's Thanks Tina, could you please post again if you hear any more about this, as I couldn't find anything on Google. @Carole Thanks for the link - very useful. I did wonder about pine as if feels sort of dusty in there at the moment. I also wondered about bird dander, there are so many pigeons, crows and magpies clattering around in the woods at present. A US vet site listed Ragwort (which is a nasty plant) amongst possible allergens, but I think it is just a little early to be that. Then there's the rabbits - we've seen more than usual dead youngsters this year ............. I think I'll try staying away from the pines, but if it doesn't settle soon I'll have a word with the vet.
Poppy woods, Thieves Woods & Foremark reservoir are the 3 areas that's been in the dogs newspaper over the past 2 weeks.
How pollen allergies affect you and your pets This article looks at how you can protect your pets from the effects of hay fever As temperatures rise, so unfortunately does the pollen count. If you suffer from hay fever, you'll know just how irritating it can be. Even if you don't suffer yourself, it's unlikely that you haven't come across someone with red eyes and a runny nose in the summer. But it's not only humans that can suffer the dreaded pollen allergy - your pets can be affected by it too. Hay fever symptoms in pets It can be difficult to determine whether your pet is suffering from the symptoms of hay fever or simply feeling uncomfortable due to the increase in temperature, but there are some symptoms to look for. The main symptoms of hay fever are weeping or inflamed/red eyes, the licking of paws, overzealous and unusual amounts scratching or biting while they're grooming themselves and a tendency to shake their head and rub it against furniture, floors or people. Of course some of those are natural characteristics of your pet, but if they become sluggish in their demeanour or increase in any of these symptoms, hay fever could be the culprit and you should consult your local vet. How to combat hay fever in pets at home There are several simple steps that you can take at home to help alleviate the effect hay fever has on your pet, from grooming to limiting what they come into contact with. Firstly, if you have a dog that likes to run through flowerbeds or roll in the grass, consider keeping them on a lead as pollen can cling to their fur and cause irritation. Each time your pet has been outside, if possible, it's advisable to wipe their paws and face to help remove any pollen that is clinging to their fur. This can be done with ordinary baby wipes or specialist ones that can be bought at a variety of pet shops. It is also common practice to groom your pets with a specialist brush that helps to strip not only the top coat but also the under layers of fur that may hold pollen which could irritate them. It is also important that pets are kept well groomed throughout the pollen season. This includes trimming hair - especially for long haired animals - and indulging them in weekly baths to help get rid of any lingering pollen. There are pet-friendly and hay fever-specific soaps and shampoos that can be used depending on how severely your pet suffers. Lastly, it is important that any bedding or surfaces that your pets come into regular contact with are cleaned to prevent the hard work spent ridding your pet of pollen going to waste. This can be done with sprays or simply a spin in the washing machine. Treatments for pets with hay fever If your pets suffer from severe hay fever there are medications designed specifically for pets. Before giving these to your pets however it is advisable to consult your vet or carefully read the packaging. For pets that are mildly affected by the allergy there are face and paw wipes, shampoos and soaps and specialist brushes available. Last updated: 5 March 2014
@6JRT's Thanks for that Tina. We walked in broadleaf woodland today - with great drifts of bluebells - lovely. I put a little eye ointment in his lids before we went, and used the hayfever drops when we came home. I also gave him a good wipe over with baby wipes - something I hadn't thought of till I read the article. His third eyelids were just a little pink, but nothing like as bad as last week. He had been silly scooting around - so he may have just put his blood pressure up!
