Dog Allergies

• Untreated allergies may cause a dog to be quite uncomfortable.

  Dogs who are allergic to grass are actually allergic to grass pollen. This means that blades of grass will not harm your dog, but inhaling airborne grass pollen like Bremuda grass will cause a reaction if your dog is allergic. Keeping your grass mowed may help a little, but neighbors will have to follow suit to keep the particles at a minimum.

Generalized Itching

• Excessive scratching may be caused by a grass pollen allergy.

  Chewing and scratching its skin to the point of hair loss or inflammation of the skin is the most common symptom of a grass pollen allergy. Dogs will experience itching on their feet, under their arms and on their head. Excessive scratching may cause patches of hair to fall out, showing the inflamed skin.

Stained Hair

• Dogs who have lighter colors of hair may show signs of hair "staining." The color may appear reddish orange or brown. This is most common on the feet. It is caused by the dog's saliva due to excessive licking, scratching and chewing on the skin to relieve the itch.

Musty Odor

• Sebum is a natural oil produced by a dog's skin. When you brush your dog, this oil is what makes the animal shiny. However, when a dog scratches too much, sebum is produced in excess, causing a musty odor. Although bathing takes away the odor for a moment, sebum production continues so the smell returns within hours if the dog continues to scratch.

Ear Infection

• If your dog has been more prone to ear infections, it could be due to a grass allergy. As dogs with inhalant allergies are prone to inflammation of the skin, and the skin on a dog extends to its ear canal, then when the skin becomes inflamed, an ear infection occurs as a result.