Veterinarian: Oklahoma Pets And Owners Hit Hard By Allergies

If your pet's non-stop itching is waking you up at night you're not alone. Veterinarians across eastern Oklahoma are saying this is the worst season for pet allergies in recent memory.

A Broken Arrow veterinarian says allergies are especially bad this year.

"Your Bermuda grass looks wonderful, it's growing like crazy. All your flowers are doing great. That's hard on your pets," said Dr. Kim Huckaby, Bent Arrow Animal Hospital.

At her clinic, Dr. Huckaby says she has seen a 20 percent increase in pet allergy cases from last year.

Allergy concerns make up about a third of her case load. Dogs like ‘Corbin’ are suffering. She says recently he lost an eye due to non-stop allergy itching.

"You can see the red skin and how the skin is really thick. It gets thickened over time because of chronic inflammation. The undersides of his paws are a really good example," said Dr. Kim Huckaby.

And it's not just the animals that are having a rough time; it is literally keeping their owners up at night.

The doctor says her pug Howie had every allergy in the book for the better part of 14 years.

"And it is a lot. It is scratching in the middle of the night waking you up. It is that extra ten minutes in the morning it takes you to rinse his feet off and wipe his belly down. Make sure you clean his ears once a week," said Dr. Kim Huckaby.

She says pet allergies aren't curable, but they are manageable.  And if is severe enough or if they develop a staph infection, Dr. Huckaby says your pet probably will need medication.