Unlike humans, dogs and cats don't get yeast infections without a good reason. Yeast, called Malassezia, normally lives on the skin of our pets in very low numbers. If this microscopic organism multiplies on your pet's skin (any skin, even between the toes or down the ears), that is a pretty sure sign your little friend has an underlying problem.

What are other signs that your pet is allergic?

Licking at the paws is uncommon unless Fluffy is feeling agitated and itchy. If you look under your dog's paws and they are wet or inflamed, or stained brown from constant licking, then allergy is the prime suspect.

If your dog or cat is shaking its head, or rubbing at it's face or ears, then early investigation will rule out the cause, which may be allergy to something in the food or something in the environment. Not only itchy eyes, but also ear infections often are a subtle sign of allergy. In fact, recurrent ear infections may be the only sign that your pet is allergic.

Similarly, allergy to something in the food or environment can cause your pet to chew, scratch or rub at it's underarms, in between it legs or along its rump and tail. Those latter signs can also be caused by fleas, so your veterinarian will always ensure that fleas are gone before investigating other causes of allergy.

Click here for more information about allergies and dermatology at PPVH

Finally, some pets are allergic to some component of their food. Signs your pet is allergic may include tummy upsets, such as vomiting, or diarrhea, or bad wind. These aren't always signs that Fido has eaten the garbage, but may be indicting that he is actually allergic to something he has eaten.

So although pets are like us, they will scratch when they are itchy and have wind when they eat something that didn't agree with them, sometimes these are part of the subtle signs that they have an allergy. The vets at Potts Point Veterinary Hospital will work through the potential causes of your pet's signs to try and find the cause.  Read about this in our handout The Four Steps to Diagnosing Allergies in Pets.