Yellow Brick Road Pollen Season is Here.

Greetings all. I'm experimenting with something:

“Keeping it Brief” so here goes:
The pollen is coming down. I took a picture of my parking lot. It's practically yellow.
This pollen, among other allergens, irritates the sinuses and airways of dogs and even cats. You may see “funny breathing” or snorting. And nose clearing 'snicks'. And “gacking” to produce 'nothing but a patch of foam' on your floor especially in the morning.
If the dog isn't sick, I mean, like it's acting normally you can try antihistamines. My favorite is fexofenedine. (That's Allegra)
The best thing to do is take your pet to your vet, of course. There's a fexofenedine dosing chart here:
https://drjohnson.com/formulary/fexofenedine-allegra/
A thorough “wipe down” with a damp washcloth removes a considerable amount of pollen from a dog or cat without the inconvenience of a “full on” bath. Moving to Colorado where pollen seems to be minimal, or to Gnome Alaska also works.
If there's just a little sneezing, maybe you should let them. They have to clear their sinuses same as you and me.
If there's a lot of sneezing, it's disruptive, the Vet should check 'em out and rule out sinus infection or worse.
Just a side note, “FYI” – my next-favorite medicine for seasonal allergies in dogs is “Temaril P” (which has side-effects and should be used sparingly) but in dogs that need it? It's magical. All vets have access to that medicine. Not all vets want to use it and I'm in no position to tell anybody what to do.
Foot licking is another 'allergy' beast entirely and relates MORE to carbon from I-75 than it does to pollens. I'll save that until the next pet bedtime story.

Disclaimer: I'm a real doctor and I don't just play one on TV. Your vet is the best provider of health care and health care advice for your pet. You'll never see me offering advice on anything that could neglect cardiac failure, cancer, endocrine catastrophe or much more than a sneeze or itch. Save the 'Big Deals” and free advice for your family vet. You can't fix an adrenal tumor with a Youtube Video. I'm just tryna help.
Dr Erik Johnson is a Marietta, Georgia Veterinarian with a practice in small animal medicine. He graduated from University of Georgia with his Doctorate in 1991. Dr Johnson is the author of several texts on Koi and Pond Fish Health and Disease as well as numerous articles on dog and cat health topics.