My dog has a rash, sneezes, and is congested. Is it a grass allergy?

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.

Poor Oakley! I would discuss steroid use in him with your vet. He may benefit from a shot such as Depo Medrol to help with the allergic reaction to the grass. I would also ask for a referral to a veterinarian dermatologist. As an expert in veterinary dermatology, they may have more treatments available to help Oakley with this problem.

Yes, seasonal allergies are definitely a possibility. I would recommend you try an anti-itch shampoo/ cream rinse like this: ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1439-relief-shampoo.aspx ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1443-relief-creme-rinse.aspx ) You could also try an oral anti-histamine but you should really speak to your vet before giving any oral medications. ( https://www.petcoach.co/pet-medication/cetirizine/ ) Best wishes.

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!

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!

Dogs do get allergies, however they tend to express them more as dermatology issues than respiratory issues. If your dog continues to have these issues I would consider seeing your local veterinarian. It could be a change in environment (altitude, etc) that is affecting you pet, or it could be something more serious.

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.