Allergic Reactions: Hives or Swollen Face

Sue Vickers — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:36:40 +0000

Hives and a swollen face are typical are allergic reactions to drugs, chemicals, something eaten, or even sunlight. Facial swelling (angioedema) and hives (urticaria) generally develop within 20 minutes of being exposed to the allergen.

In hives, small bumps occur within the skin. The hair will often stand up over these swellings. Sometimes, they itch.
In angioedema, you will see swelling of the face, especially the muzzle and around the eyes. Sometimes, the swelling is so severe, the dog cannot open his eyes.

Most often, these types of allergic reactions are not life-threatening and will go away by themselves. Rarely, the swelling in angioedema can affect the throat and make breathing difficult. Antihistamines are generally the best treatment for angioedema and hives. If severe, steroids are sometimes given.

If your dog has hives or a swollen face, contact your veterinarian right away. A more severe allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, is life-threatening, and requires immediate veterinary attention.

Allergic Reaction to a Vaccine

If your poodle has ever had a reaction to a vaccine your veterinarian will probably administer an antihistamine prior to future vaccinations and have your dog remain in the office after the vaccination, in cause your pet has a reaction. In some cases, certain vaccines may be excluded from your dog’s vaccination regimen, or a different type of vaccine will be used.

If a dog has already had an allergic reaction to a vaccine or medication, be sure your current veterinarian knows and the information is placed in your dog’s medical record.

Allergic Reaction to a Insect Bite

If your dog has developed hives or a swollen face from an insect bite, you may want to discuss various options with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may give you a prescription for an ‘epi-pen.’ An ‘epi-pen’ is a special syringe and needle filled with a single dose of epinephrine.

If your pet has an anaphylactic reaction or severe angioedema, inject the epinephrine using the ‘epi-pen’ and seek emergency veterinary assistance immediately. Be sure to take the ‘epi-pen’ with you on any trips or hikes.

Does Your Poodle Have Allergies?

Sue Vickers — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:52:35 +0000

Allergies are common in poodles, and dogs in general. An allergic reaction is an immune response to something in which the body is overly sensitive. Veterinarians see a lot of skin problems in dogs and cats. There are numerous conditions that cause problems with a dog or cat’s skin, but the most common is allergies.

A dog who is allergic to something will show it through skin problems and itching. It may seem logical that if a dog is allergic to something he inhales (atopy) like certain pollen grains, he will have a runny nose; if he is allergic to something he eats (food allergy), he may vomit; or if allergic to an insect bite (urticaria or hives), he may develop a swelling at the site of the bite.

In reality, your dog will seldom have these signs. Instead, he will have a mild to severe itching sensation over his body and maybe a chronic ear infection. In addition, allergic dogs will often chew on their feet until they are irritated and red (the feet are the only place dogs have sweat glands and these become inflamed with allergies). They may rub their faces on the carpet or couch, or scratch their sides and belly.

Signs Your Poodle May Have Allergies

Chewing on feet
Rubbing the face on the carpet
Itchy skin, biting and scratching the body
Recurrent ear infections
Hair loss
Open sores from biting and scratching

The skin lesions seen in an allergic dog are usually the result of him mutilating his skin through chewing and scratching. Sometimes there is hair loss, which can be patchy or inconsistent over the body leaving a mottled appearance. The skin itself may be dry and crusty, reddened, or oily depending on the dog. It is very common to get secondary bacterial infections of the skin due to these self-inflicted lesions.

Allergies are also, the most common underlying cause of ear problems in dogs. Because the wax-producing glands of the ear overproduce as a response to the allergy. Bacteria and yeast often “over grow” in the excessive wax and debris and they get ear infections.

My own poodle, Nyka has seasonal allergies. The allergies started when she was two years old. Mostly, she would get a mild rash on her belly and her ears would get red. Benedryl always took care of the problem. This year, she lost most of her tail. She was at the vet on Monday for her rabie shot and her tail was fine, three days later it was a raw bloody mess. A week later, her tail had to be amputated.

So did the rabie shot cause this? An allergic reaction to a vaccination usually causes facial swelling in a short time after the injection. I think it’s possible having an allergy in the first place and getting vaccinated on top of it caused the allergic reaction, but it could have been an insect bite or a small sore that got infected. I do know that in the future, I will be careful to make sure nothing else is going on.

Common Allergens

Trees
Grass
Weed pollens
Fabrics such as wool or nylon
Fabrics such as wool or nylon
Rubber and plastic materials
Foods and food additives such as individual meats, grains, or coloring
Milk products
House dust and dust mites
Flea bites

You poodle must be exposed to the allergen for some time before the allergy develops. Exceptions may occur such as an allergy to insect bites, which may develop after only a few exposures. Allergies usually start to develop between one and three years of age. They may start as late as age six or eight, but over 80% start earlier. To make matters worse, as the animal ages, it usually develops allergies to additional things and the response to any one allergen becomes more severe.

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