Hello! Our maltese has severe allergies. She itches her eyes daily and sneezes occasionally. Our poodle doesn't scratch as much, but he also sneezes. We feed both Royal Canin and a variety of meat snacks from Korea. We have brought this (Hot Dog's eye redness) to the attention of our vet but have yet to find the cause. I am writing to hear what you think is the probable cause of both their symptoms and ask how you would typically diagnose allergies in dogs? How can I help relieve their symptoms? Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | spayed | 2 years and 6 months old | 7.5 lbs

Allergies ( https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/canine-allergies ) are very frustrating to diagnose since they can have multiple causes (food, environmental, flea, etc). They can also be seasonal or can affect your dog(s) year round. The simplest cause to rule out is fleas. Even one flea in a sensitive dog can cause an allergic reaction. Your dogs appear to be well cared for and groomed, but confirm they are on a monthly oral or topical flea preventive year round. Treat the environment for fleas. To rule out certain environmental allergies, you will likely need to have your dog tested ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/allergy-testing-immunotherapy-in-dogs ). This can be done by your veterinarian or a veterinary dermatologist. A food elimination trial ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/food-trials-for-allergies-in-pets-what-to-expect/ ) may diagnose what foods to which your dog(s) may be sensitive or allergic. This will take some work and could take weeks to perform. You will need to discontinue feeding all treats and choose one diet with limited ingredients or a single novel protein source for the duration of the trial. Discuss hydrolyzed diets and antihistamine use with your veterinarian as well.