Did my dog catch my cold?

Miss Stone came in sneezing. So did Sasha her cuddly 2 year old Cockapoo.

" I'm so upset," she told me as I picked up adorable Sasha and took off her Burberry rain coat to start her examination. " I just know she caught this cold from me, because I started sneezing last week, and now she is sneezing. I feel so bad."

I reassured Miss Stone that she had not given her precious pet a cold.

Lots of people get colds and seasonal allergies in the Autumn as the weather changes... and it has certainly given us quite a lot of dramatic changes this year. The same is true of pets who are also vulnerable to respiratory infections and allergies at this time of year, but we don't actually share the same viruses.

So the simple answer is that you and your pet may very well get the same kind of symptoms either from a virus or allergy at this time of year -- sneezing, runny nose and congestion -- but you are not likely catching it from your dog. And he is not catching it from you!

Although allergies in dogs tend to flare up in the Fall just like they may do in their owners, dogs often have skin symptoms, like itching and rashes, instead of runny eyes and noses. Surprisingly, dogs have very sensitive skin and allergens like pollen or leaf mold in the environment can really make them itchy -- especially when they roll in piles of leaves!

So, some good ideas for this time of year:

- Keep pets warm and dry.
- Make sure they have appropriate vaccinations against illnesses like Kennel Cough.
- For allergic or itchy dogs, wash them when they come in from leaf rolling to remove any irritants or allergens. Bathe them in hypoallergic shampoo if needed (and make sure to dry them well).
- Give itchy dogs supplements like Fish Oil to keep their skin supple.

As for Sasha? Well she recovered just fine with a lot of loving care... and was rewarded with a new raincoat.