Grass Allergies in Dogs

Written By Kim Rain
Published: 08/17/2016Updated: 06/09/2021
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
Grass Allergies in Dogs - Signs, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost

What are Grass Allergies?

Your dog gets allergies just like you do, from different foods (corn, grain, fish, chicken, beef) to pollen, dander, and fleas. A grass allergy is caused by the pollen that floats through the air even though we cannot see it. These microscopic spores can be absorbed by your dog’s skin and nasal passages and cause an allergic reaction. In addition, your dog’s fur can pick up pollen, not just from grass but from other surfaces that have grass pollen on them, such as the ground. As a matter of fact, even if you keep your dog inside during the spring and early summer, you can be bringing in the pollen on your clothes, shoes, and body. Some of the signs are scratching, licking excessively, rash, red and oozing skin, and redness and watering of the eyes and nose. If your dog has a severe reaction, it may produce inflammation of the airway (anaphylaxis) and cause a constriction that makes it hard to breathe. Anaphylaxis due to grass pollen inhalation is not well recorded in dogs,  but researchers feel it can be a possible occurrence. Because of this, if you notice your dog sneezing, coughing, and wheezing you need to pay attention and make sure that they are okay.  

Dogs with a grass allergy will have many different signs that can be difficult to diagnose. The scratching and inflammation may be mistaken for fleas, dry skin, or chronic dermatitis when it is actually the grass that your dog is allergic to. These problems can all appear very similarly.  In fact, it is not the grass causing the skin irritation, but the grass pollen. That is why your dog may seem fine during the fall and winter, and is only affected when the pollen is being released from the grass. Even if you get rid of the grass and have a rock garden instead of a lawn, your dog may have signs anyway due to the airborne grass pollen.

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Average Cost

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Symptoms of Grass Allergies in Dogs

Signs of grass allergy may vary, but the most often reported are:

 Types

All dogs of any species, gender, and age can develop an allergy to grass, but it is more frequently seen in:

Causes of Grass Allergies in Dogs

Grass allergies in dogs are caused by pollen, which is the powdery yellow material that you see all over everything in the spring and summer. This powder is the substance that flowers and grasses put out to be transported from plant to plant by the birds, bees, or wind. There are several ways your dog can be exposed to grass pollen:

  • Absorbed through the skin
  • Breathed into lungs
  • Brought into the house by owners or guests who then pet your dog
  • Licking fur with pollen on it

Diagnosis of Grass Allergies in Dogs

Diagnosing your dog may be hard to do because it seems to be just a general, all-over itchiness and the veterinarian may think it is just dry skin or chronic dermatitis. You should mention to the veterinary team the seasonal differences (if your dog is fine during the winter and fall) so they can consider a grass allergy. The veterinarian will do a complete and thorough physical exam including vital signs, general health, skin and coat condition, and may order laboratory tests. Some of the tests your veterinarian may suggest are a complete blood count, blood chemistry profile, electrolyte level, bacterial and fungal swab, urinalysis, and fecal examination.

Even with a physical examination, the veterinarian may not suspect an allergy to grass because skin afflictions are so common. However, if your dog is fine during the winter and fall, but itchy in the spring and summer, grass could be the culprit. It can also be accompanied by sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, and runny nose, which are not related to chronic dermatitis so be sure to mention these to your veterinarian.

Serum Allergy Test

If you think grass pollen is the cause of your dog’s itchiness, be sure to mention this to your veterinarian and ask for a serum allergy test. This test is done by using a blood sample that is tested  for signs of allergic response. The test results can give you an idea as to what allergens may be causing problems for your dog.  

Intradermal Allergy Testing

This test is done by the dermatologist and costs a little more than other tests, but it is considered to be the most accurate test for topical allergens. In this procedure, your dog will be sedated and they will shave an area to be tested (usually on the side). The dermatologist will use a small needle to inject your dog with different allergens (usually about 50-75 of them) and wait to see if they show signs of inflammation or redness. 

Treatment of Grass Allergies in Dogs

There are many treatments and medications available to help with allergies in dogs, and it will depend on your dog's particular signs as to which medications might be recommended.  Additionally, a special shampoo may be prescribed to decrease the itching and an antibiotic to prevent infection.

Immunotherapy Injections

These injections work like allergy shots for humans, and they are effective but can take some time to work. The veterinarian will show you how to give your dog an injection with a small amount of allergen (grass) daily, adding a bit more each day to desensitize your dog to grass gradually. The problem with this method is that it can sometimes take several months of injections before your dog is fully desensitized. In some cases, it may not completely resolve the signs. Also, these injections can rarely trigger a serious reaction called anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening emergency. Your veterinarian can provide you with an epinephrine pen (epi-pen) to inject your dog with epinephrine in case this complication happens.

Treating the Skin

Your dog’s skin is the best way to determine allergies, so it is important to get the skin back to normal as soon as possible. A medicated shampoo will help relieve the itching within a few days.

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Recovery of Grass Allergies in Dogs

Usually, your dog will show improvement within the first several months, but it can take up to 12 months in some dogs. Immunotherapy does not cure the allergies, but it can make your dog more comfortable and can prevent a secondary infection from scratching. No matter which treatment works for your dog, you have to stick to the regimen for the rest of your dog’s life in order for it to work. If you stop the treatment, the signs will likely come back and they may be worse than before. If you have questions or concerns, give your veterinarian a call right away.

Grass Allergies Average Cost

From 460 quotes ranging from $200 - $500

Average Cost

$250

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Grass Allergies Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals

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German Shepherd

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Roos

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7 Years

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5 found this helpful

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5 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Swollen Joints
Hello. We have a 7 year old GSD, that is allergic to grass, a variety of other environmental and food born allergies. From Mountain of AZ to beach of NorCal...grass is her worse. We are currently on apoquel and cydopoint injections (neither spelled correctly) and can not seem to get a reprieve. She has boots to wear outside, but not helping when the whole neighborhood is mowing every other day. Feet are swollen and painful! We soak every night in cool Epson salt bath. Any recommendations to help with feet swelling and abscess? We do ice her paws during the day, as much as she will allow. Thank you in advance for any suggestion!

April 2, 2018


5 Recommendations

Unfortunately I do not have any solution for you in this case if current treatment is ineffective; the ideal solution would be to keep Roos indoors to prevent exposure to allergens but this isn’t a practical solution for a dog her size. I am unable to think of anything to add which may be beneficial at this point. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

April 3, 2018

For spot treatment try Triamcinolone Topical. Works for my dog along with lots of washing with gentle frangrance free medicated shampooing to remove pollen as often as I can. My dog is a super itchy dog and this helps a great deal. I apply once per day when I discover sore paws and inflamed spots from scratching and keep applying until healed. When I see sore spots again, I start applying again. A little goes a long way. Consistent application is key.

April 26, 2018

Tsandros ..


Very similar to our dog. We tried everything! Let me tell you what finally showed improvement. On the worst days ask your vet for triamtabs (Triamcinolone) not even prednisone helped like this one. Obviously dog can't stay on it everyday. For us 1 pill could last almost 48 hours. Keep your grass short!it Makes a big difference in severity. We switched up our dog's food a lot. Finally landing on a brown rice limited ingredient formula. We also daily give dog digestive enzymes and probitocs. Not trying to sound like a jerk but vets rarely will tell you try natural things just like a regular MD won't with a human. The natural stuff slowly brought her immune system back after very bad secondary infections and multiple doses of antibiotics that killed her ability to fight allergens. Best of luck. It is so frustrating and sad to see your pup suffer with this.

June 28, 2018

Vanessa M.

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Labrador Retriever

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MAYPLE

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1 Year

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0 found this helpful

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Our 14 month old Choc Lab has sores, hair loss on her ears, head, face, lower legs/feet and severe itching. After many food trials, a few courses of antibiotics, cortisone,creams and shampoos, we were referred to a Dermatoligist which resulted in biopsies being taken. The biopsies confirmed "Severe Allergic Reaction" but were not specific. Autoimmune Disease was ruled out. We have now been advised to spray her with Permoxin each morning before she goes outside incase its insects like mozzies, lavae tick ect. Im thinking it could be the grass. We have paspalum but none of the other common ones like wandering jew ect. Would love to know what your thoughts are, we are really struggling as she is ao itchy, she is currently on 2x 20mg Macrolone tablets, Clinacin 150mg x2 and Revolution every 2nd week for 3 cycles (in case its a rare mite thats not showing up in any of the swaps, scrapes and blood smears) Thankyou Shari and Mayple

March 17, 2018

0 Recommendations

Almost anything and everything can be a potential allergen, the quick way is to do allergy testing to help narrow in on an allergen; you should keep Mayple indoors for a few weeks to see if there is an improvement (bathe her at the start too), if there is an improvement in symptoms you should let her out again to see if there is another flair up. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

March 17, 2018

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Grass Allergies Average Cost

From 460 quotes ranging from $200 - $500

Average Cost

$250

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