My dog has severe grass allergy with rash and blisters. What can I do?

It sounds as if your dog has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas. 

The allergy could be a due to a protein in your dog’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc. 

The allergy causes your dog to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of hair loss, redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your dog will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up the infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Apoquel, Atopica, or Cytopoint to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend he be on a good flea control routinely too. Once the infection has resolved a long term allergy medication (like Apoquel or Cytopoint) can be given on a regular basis to prevent any future problems. I would avoid putting anything on the skin until the infection is under control. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi there, Yes, it does sound like Ronald is having an allergic reaction to the grass. Sometimes bathing with an aloe/oatmeal shampoo can help alleviate what's going on and decrease the rash, but often dogs need a small dose of steroid to stop their body from having such a reaction. I would recommend having Ronald seen by a vet to see what they advise. I hope that helps and thanks for using Pet Coach!

Grass allergies are generally to the pollen so can occur even indoors if the windows are open. A blood test can help confirm the source of the allergies and it is likely she will need to go on additional antiallergy medications such as apoquel or atopica if the side effects of steroids are severe

Thanks for reaching out about your dog. Allergies can be very concerning for pet owners because they really bother our pets so much and seem to be so hard to control! It is important to work with your vet to determine what exactly is causing the allergy in severe cases. Some dogs are certainly allergic to grass. Dogs can be allergic to many other things as well including things like cedar, mold, and even their own food. They can even be allergic to fleas. What's more, since you have a bulldog (adorable as they are!) they tend to have very sensitive skin and are prone to skin issues! It might be good to talk to your vet about allergy testing or even to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area. Finding the root cause of the allergies is the best way to fight them. In the meantime, you can give the benadryl up to every 8 hours and continue to use the spray like your vet suggested. You can also use Oatmeal shampoo (but don't bathe more that 2x a month!) which is soothing to a dog's skin to help ease the itch. It is also a good idea to give fish oil supplements with the food. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me via a private consultation if you have any further questions! I hope your baby feels better soon!

It does sound like Woody is suffering from allergy, in dogs it is known as atopic dermatitis. They can be allergic to many different things, but if you notice it is seasonal then it is likely pollen allergy. You can try avoiding long grass/ rinsing him after walks. In some cases medication is necessary to reduce the immune response, I like apoquel but steroids also work. Obviously if the skin is badly broken out it may need treated in its own right. There are allergy testing options but sometimes they reveal many allergies so aren't that helpful. You could try giving him an anti histamine each day as this helps some dogs.

Poor Chat! What you're describing is very often a sign of environmental allergies, which is a common problem in dogs. It sounds like you're doing everything you can with over-the-counter remedies, so I would recommend a vet visit for an exam as the next step from here. If your veterinarian confirms that allergies are the problem, there are prescription medications that can be used to relieve the itching much more effectively. Allergy testing and immunotherapy is another options that your veterinarian can discuss with you, if you wish.

I think this may be a repetition of a previous question; unfortunately there is not a specific diagnosis associated to this presentation but few differentials must be considered. I will copy and paste a previous answer regarding it: Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!