Pet Allergy Testing & Treatment
Fleas, food, and pollen can all make a pet itch, and they look almost the same from the outside. Petfolk Johns Creek, at Medley in Johns Creek Town Center, works through the likely causes in order, starting with the simplest and least expensive.
Allergy testing comes in when the answer will change the plan. Most itchy pets start with an exam at our Johns Creek clinic.
Call (470) 964-6691 or book online. Open 8am–6pm, seven days a week.
When to go to a 24-hour emergency hospital
Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital if your pet has facial swelling with trouble breathing, hives spreading fast, collapse, or vomiting after a sting or new medication. These can be signs of a severe allergic reaction.
Petfolk Johns Creek is open 8am to 6pm, seven days a week. We don't provide overnight care, so anything that can't wait until morning belongs at a 24-hour emergency hospital.
Signs That Point to Allergies
One itchy week isn't a pattern. These signs, especially when they keep coming back, are worth an allergy conversation:
Ear infections that clear and return
Licking or chewing the paws, belly, or base of the tail
Rubbing the face on carpet or furniture
Red skin in the armpits or between the toes
In cats, overgrooming, bald strips, or scabby bumps along the back
Timing helps. Itching that shows up every spring points one way. Itching all year points another.
Fleas, Food, or Environment
The vet works through the three common causes in a set order:
Rule out fleas and infection. One flea bite can set off weeks of itching in a flea-allergic pet. Skin and ear cytology checks for yeast, bacteria, and mites, which need their own treatment.
Rule out food. That means a strict diet trial with a single new protein for the length your vet sets, with no treats or table scraps. Blood tests aren't reliable enough to skip this step.
Look at the environment. If fleas and food are ruled out, allergy testing maps what your pet reacts to in the air and grass.
Skipping straight to testing can hand you a long list of allergens while a flea problem goes untreated. Merck's pet owner guide covers how flea, food, and environmental allergies differ.
Atlanta's Pollen Season and Your Pet
Atlanta Allergy & Asthma is metro Atlanta's official pollen counter and posts daily counts. On March 29, 2025, it recorded 14,801 grains per cubic meter, the highest count in 35 years. Tree pollen peaks from mid-March to mid-April. The National Allergy Bureau calls a tree count of 1,500 or more "extremely high."
The yellow dust on your car is mostly pine, but allergists say oak and birch usually cause the symptoms. If you suspect seasonal allergies, write down your pet's bad itch days and compare them with the daily count. Two or three weeks of notes often show the pattern before any test does.
When a Full Workup Isn't Needed
Plenty of itchy pets don't need allergy testing. A few days of scratching after a dog park visit, one hot spot, or a reaction to a new shampoo usually has a simple cause. Remove the trigger, treat the spot, and watch.
Pets with gaps in flea prevention should get back on schedule first, since missed doses muddy every result that follows. If testing won't change what the vet would do, it won't be recommended.
What Happens at an Allergy Visit
You describe where and when the itching happens, plus diet and prevention history.
The vet examines the skin, ears, and paws. You stay by your pet's side, and our Gentle Handling team watches for signs of stress in a pet that's already sore and adjusts the pace.
Quick in-house tests, like skin or ear cytology, check for infection.
The vet treats the current flare so your pet can rest and the skin can heal.
You leave with a plan: a diet trial, seasonal tracking, or allergy testing, plus a visit summary in the Petfolk app.
How Allergy Care Costs Add Up
Allergy care usually comes in stages, not one bill:
The exam and basic skin or ear tests, which rule out the common causes
Treatment for the current flare
A diet trial, where most of the cost is the food itself
Allergy testing, the largest single item, recommended only when it will change the plan
Rechecks while the skin heals
“The team explained costs and services clearly and gave me the info needed to make an informed decision.”
— Heather D., Petfolk client
You'll get an estimate before each step. PetfolkCare members get exams covered up to $99 per visit and 10% off lab work.
Find the Cause, Not Just the Itch
Book an exam at Petfolk Johns Creek, bring your notes on when the itching happens, and leave with a plan that starts with the simplest answer. Call (470) 964-6691 or book online.