Just like every other allergic reaction, hives place a lot of stress on dogs shortly after they come in contact with allergens. A raised itchy, red skin lesion that could become widespread and overwhelming when left unattended.
Understanding what hives look like, their causes and treatment will give you foresight when this happens to your dog and how to handle them.
Stop Googling - Ask a Real Vet
Content:
What Do Hives Look Like on a Dog
Hives are small, red, raised areas of the skin also known as “wheal” or “urticaria”. They appear mostly in areas of contact with the allergen such as the mouth, neck, head, abdomen and nostrils and could spread to other parts of the body. This spread could progress into larger lumps and clusters known as welts.
“Hives are red raised areas around the head, neck, legs, stomach and back which could appear quickly and disappear just as fast”, - Dr. Katherine Smith
Hives sometimes may not appear red but would look like raised nodular regions covered by hair especially, in furry dogs. These raised areas could be detected on time through a strategically placed Petcube Camera in your home, which helps you identify and report hives symptoms to the Veterinarian on time.
Other ways to identify hives are the presence of concurrent symptoms like itching which could be intense or mild depending on the severity of the hives. Drooling and facial swelling could also occur when the hives are localized on the face.
What Causes Hives in Dogs
Hives appear on dogs as an immune response to an allergen either ingested or contacted through the skin. Insects, food and drugs have been revealed in a study to be the most common causes of hives in dogs. Different types of allergenic factors could lead to hives, they include:
- Plant irritants
- Adverse drug reaction
- Insect bite/sting
- Chemicals
- Stress
- Genetic anomaly
- Food allergen
- Pollen
- Vaccinations
- Topical agents
Hives are commonly caused by insect bites, chemicals and topical agents, while these are the major causes of hives, others such as; heat, sunlight, stress, or even genetic anomalies could worsen the condition and make the rash spread across the body.
When hives get exacerbated by some of these factors, they can go as far as causing more severe symptoms such as; fever, inappetence, and fatigue. In extreme cases, these hives have been found to appear in the mucous membrane of the nose, rectum, mouth or eyelids.
“My dog came home from the dog sitter, and had little hive-like bumps on his haunches, back and neck underneath his fur”, - Reddit User
My dog usually develops hives due to pollen allergy in Spring anytime he comes back from playing at the park. I noticed some tiny lumps around his face, abdomen and flank but with much rest and some antihistamine, the hives disappeared.
How to Get Rid of Dog Hives
Hives in most cases would easily go on their own without treatment. If hives are chemically induced or caused by factors that could potentially lead to complications, it is best to consult a Veterinarian if they don’t go away. The Vet would take a proper history to ascertain where the allergic reaction is coming from, then carry out some physical examinations and blood tests.
This is followed by a corresponding therapy such as antihistamines, steroids, fluid therapy or perhaps vaccinations to prevent a relapse as the case may be. Phytotherapy and acupuncture have also been recommended by some researchers as effective ways to treat skin allergies like hives in dogs.
In the course of treatment, you will incur some Vet fee charges which could be a lot, signing up for our Petcube Emergency Fund package with an offer of $3000 coverage in emergency Vet fees will help offset some fees. As a blog reader, you can also enjoy a 27% discount when you subscribe using the exclusive link.
Hives could also be handled at home using home remedies such as cold compress; ice cubes wrapped in a piece of cloth and placed on affected areas. This will help alleviate hives faster. Giving the dog enough rest and taking always any form of allergic reaction triggers would also resolve hives.
Conclusion
Hives in dogs are a common allergic reaction due to allergens that may be found in food, chemicals or the environment. This reaction is most times temporary and would go away with or without treatment. Keeping an eye on your dog's whereabouts and what it comes in contact with in the environment curtails the chances of getting hives.
Was this article helpful?
Help us make our articles even better
