About five years ago, Gail Friedman noticed her Parson Russell terrier was constantly licking his paws and seemed super uncomfortable.

“The poor dog. I would put baby socks on his feet so that he wouldn’t lick them or bite at them,” said Friedman, of Oak Brook, Ill. “I was constantly changing the socks, washing his feet a lot. Nothing worked.”

It turned out her canine companion, Mr. Friedman, had allergies.

It’s a common and tricky problem in pets — caused by various things such as pollen, dust, mold, chemicals and food — but veterinarians say there are several ways to ease their suffering.

What sorts of allergies do dogs and cats get?

Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance. Cats and dogs react to many of the same things people do, as well as pests l

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