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Find out where the patient spends time, e.g. multiple homes, travel, indoors vs. outdoors, and if clinical signs change in specific situations. In particular, the diagnosis of some types of allergies can be supported through historical information about a patient’s clinical signs in different environments. For example, a cat with environmental allergies may have improvement in clinical signs when staying at the client’s secondary home in Canada versus their primary home in Florida. Some atopic dogs will purposefully avoid grassy areas as their clinical signs increase when they walk through grass. Seasonality of signs suggests environmental causes. However, some patients with environmental allergies will have seasonal signs when they are younger that progress to become year‐round as they age. Specific questioning of owners may be needed to discern details like this that can help to direct diagnostics and therapy.

Figure 2.2 A visual analog scale for owners to report their pet’s level of pruritus.

The patient’s lifestyle should also be considered. Travel history, particularly to foreign countries or different climates, is important, as certain infectious diseases are more prevalent in particular areas. Patients that primarily live outdoors will have an increased risk for insect/wild animal bites, solar dermatitis, and exposure to the elements. They may also be under less direct observation by their owners, making it more challenging to get a complete history.