Why Is My Dog Suddenly Itching? Spring Allergies in Pets, Explained

Every spring at Petsville, we see a steady rise in the same complaint: “My dog won’t stop scratching.” Or licking their paws. Or shaking their head. Or rubbing their face along the carpet. Cat owners often describe over-grooming, and rabbit owners sometimes notice their bunny scratching, sneezing, or pulling out patches of fur.

If that sounds familiar, your pet might be one of the many Lower Mainland dogs, cats, and rabbits dealing with spring allergies. Here’s what’s actually happening, how to tell allergies apart from other issues, and what genuinely helps.

Yes — Pets Get Spring Allergies, Too

Pollen levels in BC climb sharply from April through June. Tree pollen comes first (alder, birch, cedar, maple), followed by grass pollens later in the season. Add in rising mould spores from damp coastal soil and the warming-up dust mite population indoors, and you have a nearly perfect allergen cocktail.

But here’s the key thing pet owners often miss: pets don’t get spring allergies the way humans do. Where we tend to sneeze and have watery eyes, dogs and cats almost always show allergies on their skin — and rabbits often show a mix of skin irritation and mild respiratory signs.

The Signs to Watch For

Common signs of seasonal allergies in dogs:

• Persistent scratching, especially of the belly, armpits, and groin
• Licking or chewing the paws (the saliva often stains light fur reddish-brown)
• Rubbing the face on carpets, couches, or your leg
• Recurrent ear infections, head shaking, or ear odour
• Hot spots, hair loss, or red, irritated patches of skin
• Occasional sneezing or watery eyes (less common than in humans)

In cats, the signs can be more subtle:

• Over-grooming, especially the belly or insides of the legs
• Small scabs or crusty bumps along the back and neck (sometimes called miliary dermatitis)
• Hair loss in symmetrical patches
• Ear inflammation

In rabbits, watch for:

• Scratching or pulling at their own fur, sometimes leading to bald patches (“fur barbering”)
• Sneezing, or clear-to-cloudy discharge from the nose or eyes
• Redness, scabbing, or matting around the nose, chin, or ears
• A general change in grooming habits or activity level

Rabbits are prey animals and are exceptionally good at masking illness, so even subtle changes are worth paying attention to.

If symptoms appear or worsen in spring and ease off in late summer or fall, environmental allergies are the most likely culprit.

Why You Shouldn’t Just Wait It Out

Allergic itching tends to cause a cycle: the more your pet scratches, licks, or chews, the more inflamed the skin gets, which often leads to secondary bacterial or yeast infections that need separate treatment. The earlier we step in, the easier it is to break the cycle — and the less your pet suffers.

It’s also worth ruling out look-alikes. The symptoms of seasonal allergies overlap with food allergies, flea allergy dermatitis, mites, and skin infections in dogs and cats. In rabbits, skin and respiratory symptoms can also point to fur mites or dental disease, so a vet exam matters just as much, if not more.

What Actually Helps: Treatment Options That Work

Things you can do at home

• Wipe paws and belly with a damp cloth after every walk or supervised outdoor time to remove pollen before it spreads through your home.
• Bathe dogs and cats weekly with a gentle, hypoallergenic, vet-recommended shampoo. This physically removes allergens from the coat and soothes inflamed skin. Rabbits should generally never be fully bathed — it's highly stressful for them and can cause a dangerous drop in body temperature. Instead, spot-clean soiled fur with a slightly damp cloth.
• Wash bedding regularly in hot water, and vacuum more often during high-pollen weeks.
• Use a HEPA air filter in the room your pet sleeps in.
• Avoid mowing with your pet outside, and skip walks or outdoor time during peak-pollen mornings if symptoms are severe.

Veterinary treatments

When at-home care isn’t enough — and for moderate-to-severe allergies, it usually isn’t — we have several effective options for dogs and cats. Please don’t self-medicate based on this list: every option below should only be started after a veterinary exam and with a proper prescription, since the right choice, dose, and safety profile depend on your pet’s species, weight, age, and health history:

• Modern anti-itch medications like Apoquel (oral, dogs only) or Cytopoint (an injection that lasts 4–8 weeks) target the itch pathway directly without the side effects of long-term steroids.
• Antihistamines work for some pets, though they tend to be less effective in dogs and cats than in humans.
• Short courses of steroids can help with severe flare-ups, but aren’t suitable for long-term management.
• Medicated shampoos and topical sprays calm specific hot spots and treat any secondary infection.
• Omega-3 fatty acid supplements help strengthen the skin barrier over time.
• Allergy testing and immunotherapy (allergy shots or oral drops) — for dogs and cats with year-after-year allergies, this can offer real long-term relief by gradually desensitizing the immune system.

A critical note on rabbits: none of the medications above are approved or routinely safe for rabbits. Rabbits have a very different, delicate digestive system, and some common antibiotics that are perfectly safe for dogs and cats (including penicillin-class drugs) can be fatal to rabbits by disrupting their gut flora. Never give a rabbit a leftover dog or cat medication, and always have a rabbit's allergy or skin symptoms assessed by a vet experienced with rabbit medicine before starting any treatment.

One important note on antihistamines: please don’t reach for the human medicine cabinet without checking with us first, for any pet. Some combination products contain decongestants like pseudoephedrine that are toxic to dogs, cats, and rabbits alike, and dosing varies dramatically by species and weight. As a general rule, always seek a veterinary prescription and never self-medicate your pet with human or leftover pet medications, even ones that seem harmless.

When to Book an Appointment

Come see us if your pet:

• Is scratching, licking, or chewing enough to disrupt normal life or sleep
• Has visibly broken skin, open sores, or ongoing hair loss
• Has had two or more ear infections in the past year
• Has symptoms that haven’t responded to basic at-home care after a week or two
• Seems uncomfortable, restless, or off their food — in rabbits, any drop in appetite is an urgent concern on its own

We’ll do a full skin and ear exam, rule out infections, mites, and food triggers, and put together a treatment plan tailored to your pet’s species, symptoms, and age.

How Petsville Can Help

Spring allergies are one of the most common things we treat at Petsville this time of year, across dogs, cats, and rabbits, and we have a full range of options — from one-time itch relief to long-term immunotherapy plans where appropriate. The sooner we start, the more comfortable your pet will be through allergy season.

Book a spring allergy exam at Petsville Animal Hospital — petsvillevets.com or call us today.