It seems more and more dogs are suffering from seasonal allergies every year...

with all the allergic reactions, itchy skin, irritated skin, hair loss, itchy eyes, waxy ears, allergic dermatitis, inflamed skin, and more that comes with allergies in dogs.

And more pet parents are asking if they can fight seasonal dog allergies with natural remedies so their dog's immune system protects their dog as it was meant to do. The answer is yes, and let's talk about how.

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Why addressing seasonal allergies naturally matters

My journey of nutrition and herbal therapy to address allergies in dogs started when I rescued my dog, who seemingly had environmental allergies so the vet put her on Apoquel, an immunosuppressant, at 6 months old. He told me she would be on this drug for the rest of her life and waved me off when I asked about the long-term side effects of the drug, saying, "We will cross that bridge when we come to it."

It didn't feel right to be giving my puppy drugs every day, so after dealing with her acute allergic reaction by using the veterinary medicine in the moment followed by much research, I switched my dogs to a raw diet and homeopathic remedies, and started slowly decreasing her Apoquel dose.

A few months later, she was completely off the Apoquel allergy medication, and since then, 4 years later, she's never had another issue with immune response and symptoms of allergies. Reminder, this was my experience with my dog. Every dog is different so I recommend considering what's best for you and your dog.

Why strong gut health can help your dog's allergies

My dog's turnaround was thanks to both nutrition and herbal therapies, which work synergistically. Health starts in the gut and at the cellular level. Environmental influence, including the diet, plays a role in the dog's gene expression, which can be changed to either promote health within the body, or illness.

Let's talk about how to help YOUR itchy dog with seasonal allergies...

If you're struggling with a dog who itches and licks her/his paws like crazy, I've been there and I know how frustrating it can be to worry about your dog's symptoms and how you can help your dog overcome the seemingly endless spiral of allergies.

I can tell you, as a canine nutritionist and a dog mom of a formerly allergic dog, that once we focus on the root cause rather than symptoms, you can give your dog (and you) relief from itchy skin and many other allergic reactions naturally instead of with ongoing medications.

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Getting to the root cause of your dog's allergy symptoms

Traditional medicine uses a standardized approach applied for most dogs (rather than your individual dog's immune system) and focuses on solving the problem on the surface (the symptoms), but doesn't focus more deeply on the root cause.

What happens when we suppress your dog's allergy symptoms?

An allergic reaction is triggered for a reason - better to actually address that reason for the long term than hide it by suppressing symptoms. Suppression of allergy symptoms pushes imbalances deeper into vital organs, causing more illness.

Repeated use of immunosuppressants and steroids for pet allergies causes systemic imbalances that can lead to food allergies & sensitivities, atopic dermatitis, impaired liver and pancreatic functions, arthritis, IBD, leaky gut syndrome, autoimmune disease, and cancer.

Instead, let's fight pet allergies at the root cause with food and herbal therapy.

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My 3 essential ways to support your dog and heal (not just hide) dog allergies:

#1 Pro Tip 1: Food is medicine

When you're dealing with chronic, allergic skin conditions, as many dog owners are, the first thing that should be addressed for affected dogs is your dog's diet. Remember: food is medicine and we are either feeding the disease or fighting it. Let's choose foods with the right nutrients for your dog to fight his or her allergic reaction and itchy skin!

Which foods can help to fight allergies in dogs?

Some of my top favorites & why...

• Omega 3's: Omega 3's fight inflammation and support healthy skin. Since your dog's skin is often the barrier vs. allergens and toxins (like tree pollens, dust mites, mold spores, flea allergy dermatitis, or other environmental allergens), it's important to keep it strong and healthy. If you're feeding kibble, for example, it's often low in important Omega 3's (& too high in Omega 6's). What to do? Make sure your dog gets 1 oz of fish per 30 lbs of bodyweight each day. You can also use fish oil supplements as a back-up instead, although real food is a more effective choice.

• Antioxidants: Feed the rainbow - blueberries, red berries (raspberry, strawberry), oranges, bell peppers, carrots, kale, spinach, spirulina (a nutrient-rich, detoxifying algae usually in powder form at the grocery). All of these foods are dense with vitamins and anti-inflammatories to arm your dog with a super immune system. All are also easy to add to your dog's meals - fresh, frozen when out of season, or in the case of carrots, sweet potatoes, & kale, extra-bioavailable to your dog if pureed or steamed/lightly cooked.

• Probiotics: Add good bacteria to fight the bad bacteria for gut health. Easy examples are yogurt (plain, live cultures) and kefir. Prebiotics are also helpful to jumpstart probiotics and the good bacteria already present in your dog's system. Apple cider vinegar and organic mushrooms/mushroom powder are powerful prebiotics. Probiotics and prebiotics also make all the good stuff in your dog's bowl more bioavailable and easily absorbed. Good probiotics available as supplements are a great addition to your dog's food - and impactful as well easy in that form.

• Local, raw honey (& bee pollen): It's important that the honey is local to counteract seasonal allergies and remove excess pollen in your dog's system. To fight your dog's allergic reaction to seasonal allergens (also reduces GI issues and adds good energy), give a 1/2 tsp to small dogs, 3/4 to medium dogs, and 1 tsp to large dogs. For bee pollen, give 1 tsp - small, 1 1/2 - medium, and 2 tsp - large dogs. You may be surprised how quickly many dogs tend to respond to local honey and see an impact on hay fever-like and pollen allergies.

Try this

You don't have to be feeding all raw/homemade meals to give your dog significant benefits with every meal. Try the 20% fresh ("human food") rule! If you're feeding kibble, just do 20% less in your dog's bowl and replace with good fresh foods from your fridge or your dinner - blueberries, kale, other greens/fruits, etc and some extra salmon (+ skins!), chicken, beef, eggs you have from your own meal (no sauces). Super easy and studies have shown remarkable differences in disease prevention and greater longevity.

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#2 Pro Tip: Herbs are therapy, as toxin-eliminators & immune-boosters

Herbs detoxify your dog's body & boost your dog's immune system for everything from flea allergy dermatitis to hay fever.

Poor liver function is also a contributor to skin conditions, so by supporting the liver through herbs we can provide gentle support to the liver (and kidneys) to rid the body of toxins and pollutants. 

Herbs work in tandem with a dog's body and its natural rhythm, stimulating the body to heal itself and defend against pollutants, viruses, bacteria, even flea bites in flea/allergy season, instead of suppressing the symptoms.

My favorite go-to herbs for allergies and why...

• Turmeric and ginger: two powerful anti-inflammatory herbs. Ginger is also helpful for digestion. Turmeric is especially useful for inflammation and supporting the immune system to help prevent so many conditions/disease. Both can easily be added to your dog's food for an immune boost. When using turmeric, you can multiply its effectiveness by adding some black pepper plus a fat like coconut oil to make it more easily absorbed into your dog's system.

• Stinging nettles & nettle leaf: terrific de-toxifier and anti-inflammatory to rid your dog's body of many of the toxins and environmental allergens that trigger allergies in dogs. Available as either a tincture or dried herb (which you can turn into a tea), and recommended to be used 5 days on/2 days off when you're de-toxifying to let it work and also give the body a rest. The leaves are loaded with vitamins and nutrients as well as fiber (also high in phosphorous, so be aware if phosphorous is an issue).

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#3 Pro Tip: Herbs are therapy - for beating seasonal allergies from the outside-in

Herbs are incredibly powerful as external therapy as well - to soothe itchy skin, solve skin problems like sensitive skin, or address the "skin allergies" that cause skin irritation or the excessive licking of your dog's paws.

My recommended must-have herbs to heal our dogs...

• Calendula, camomile, & chickweed: All three are skin-supporting and help soothe itchy skin to put an end to that common symptom of seasonal allergies - dog itching - that makes so many pet owners worry. Steep in hot water to make a tea-like liquid that makes a perfect soak for your dog's paws after being outside (since paws are a main transfer point for toxins and environmental allergens from the ground, grass, etc. onto and into your dog).

Try this

You don't need to bathe your dog every day - in fact, too frequent bathing can dry out skin. What I do recommend is bathing at least once a week, more if possible and if you'd like, fill the tub about 1/4 with hot water, add the herb leaves/petals, let it steep for about 30 minutes, then let your dog stand in the water for about 10-15 minutes while you provide plenty of attention and treats.

You can also fill a spray bottle with this mix and spray your dog's paws on the way out the door to protect them (or just calendula/water, a great skin protector on its own). I also often use organic apple cider vinegar in the mix or on its own with water for paw spray or as an after-bath rinse. ACV benefits your dog inside and out as a natural antibacterial and balances the PH of your dog's skin, strengthening it as a barrier to environmental allergens.

If your dog tends to get itchy, "hot" ears, use a cotton ball soaked in chamomile or ACV to gently clean inside. Chamomile is calming and ACV will balance the PH and help clean and reduce the oily, waxy reaction.

For more detail on all of these issues and solutions (and to hear other pet parents sharing their questions live), you can watch the recording of my Live Support Group on Seasonal Allergies above just by clicking watch.

Next up in the Allergies Channel on Dogly

Now that you know how to overcome seasonal allergies in dogs, continue to the next guide to find out if allergy testing is really worth it.

Or, hop over to the Allergies Channel if you have any nutrition related questions for the Community discussion or to start any of the step-by-step guides in Food Allergies, Itchy Allergies, and Environmental Allergies.

And if you ever need more personalized nutrition guidance, please reach out!