“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.
