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Friday, August 9, 2013

Severe Allergic Reactions in Dogs

Recently at VACC, we saw a patient who was having an allergic reaction to greenhead bites. The family was visiting a Cape Cod beach when the dog started shaking her head excessively. A short time after, her face swelled up, and her family called us. As you can see in the photo below, her face was very swollen by the time she got here. She also had multiple welts on her legs where she was bitten by the flies.



Luckily they were able to get here quickly, and after a steroid injection and some observation she was able to get back to her vacation.
Severe allergic reactions like this can be dangerous because the swelling can potentially obstruct the dog's airway. If you notice your dog has any of the following symptoms, get her to a veterinarian right away:

  • facial swelling
  • hives
  • difficulty breathing
  • loss of consciousness
Severe allergic reactions can be caused by many things, including insect bites or stings, vaccines, medications, foods, or certain chemicals. Sometimes the reaction can be treated with over-the-counter Benadryl, but it is still important to contact your veterinarian to get the proper dose, and often Benadryl alone will not be enough to stop the reaction.