Has your dog ever shown allergic reaction to a rug?

9 years ago

We have had a puzzle in our house. We have 3 dogs, and yes, that is too many, but...we have 3 dogs and two of them are exhibiting an allergic reaction to Something. We can't figure out what it is. These two don't go anywhere that the other one doesn't. So in the yard, they all go to the same places and nothing has really changed in our yard for years. It's not a big yard, so we can see the whole thing. And it's fenced in, so no one's sneaking out to destinations unknown. When we saw the vet yesterday, he noted that the latest batch of icky skin is on both dogs' "undercarriage" and with the way they lay down (flat on their bellies) he suspects it may be the floor, the rug, the dog beds, etc.

Dog #1 has had skin issues longer than dog #2 has. When I think back, dog #2's issues started around the same time we got a new dining room rug. The dining room is their favorite place -- it's not really a dining room because we don't use it as such. It's more like a library and also happens to be where the basket of dog toys lives. Anyway, I am starting to wonder if dog #2 may have an allergy to that rug. She LOVES rolling around on it because it has a somewhat scratchy texture. But it's just wool, and we have other wool rugs in the house. So is that a crazy thought? I am going to pull up the rug and store it away for a while and see if anything changes.

We also are getting all new dog beds, just in case that's the issue.

We have 2 English bulldogs and 1 French bulldog, and the ones with the skin allergies are 1 English and 1 French, so it's not even the two same-breed dogs.

Thoughts? They are being treated for their infected skin but I am still trying to figure out what the source is.

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Comments (7)

palimpsest
9 years ago
Our dog was apparently allergic to the wool rugs and he chewed his feet because of a skin condition.
maggieq
9 years ago
My neighbor has 2 Frenchies and one is allergic to her wool carpet/rugs.
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prairiemoon2 z6b MA
9 years ago
I don't know if you are aware of it or not, but carpeting is usually always covered in chemicals. One of the worst offenders as far as furnishings for the home. I'm always trying to keep chemicals out of the house and haven't bought carpeting in a long time because of that.

If that were the case, it wouldn't even need to be contact with the rug, it could be in the air of that room. But, if they are lying on it, you could try putting sheets over the carpet for a week so they aren't coming in contact with it and see if that changes anything. Or of course, keep them out of the room for long enough to see if there is improvement.

I was talking to someone the other day who has tropical birds and she said they are very sensitive to household chemicals. They've been known to die from fumes from cheap teflon pans, and glade plug ins and the fumes from using self cleaning ovens. I thought that was very telling about what we are exposed to in the home on a daily basis. Of course we are larger than a bird, but dogs aren't that much larger.
Sueb20
Original Author
9 years ago
Funny that they don't seem to have issue with the other wool rugs in the house, but those are different manufacturers and different textures. Prairie, who knows, this particular rug may have been treated with something that's irritating.

If I tried to cover it with a sheet, the dogs would have a ball trying to drag that sheet out of the room. One of the dogs has a "blankie" and she drags it around the house. And the room doesn't have doors, so it would be easiest just to roll up the rug and put it away.
deniseandspike
9 years ago
I would only try one thing at a time so you can rule out the culprit. If you put the rug up and change their beds, you won't really know what the problem is if 2 things changed.
nanny2a
9 years ago
I agree with dktrahan. One thing at a time. Take the rug out, wait a couple weeks to see if thatÃ¢ÂÂs the offender.
Elaine Wills Beckler
3 years ago
I have been wondering about the same thing. Our American bulldog started exhibiting signs of allergies about the same time we got the new carpet. We got it so that her bottom wouldn’t slide out from underneath her when she was sitting and getting petted. Up comes the carpet today!