What is an Allergy?

An allergy is a disease in which the immune system overreacts or is hypersensitive to everyday substances. The substances are called allergens and can include dust mites, pollen, grasses, molds and certain food or chemicals.

How Do Animals Get Allergies?

Animals inherit the tendency to develop allergies from their parents. Most animals start showing the first signs of having allergies between the ages of 6 months and 5 years of age.

What Are the Signs of an Allergy?

The signs vary with the individual animal.  Dogs typically scratch, bite and chew their feet, flanks, tail area and face. Cats usually lick excessively. Both cats and dogs will develop rashes, skin infections, sores and scabs. It is common for dogs to develop repeated ear or paw infections. Severe allergies are very uncomfortable for your pet.

How Do I Know if My Pet Has Allergies?

Unfortunately many different skin diseases cause sores, itchiness, redness and rashes. So, your veterinarian will need to do a complete physical examination, take a good history of the problem and possibly test for other diseases before making a diagnosis of an allergy.

How Are Allergies Treated?

Every patient has his or her allergy treated in a slightly different way. Not every dog or cat responds the same way to the same treatment. It is important to realize that there is no cure for an allergy, but with help from your veterinarian we can control the allergy symptoms and make your pet more comfortable.

The following are some of the most commonly used products to help control allergies in pets.

Antihistamines: There are a variety of different types of antihistamines which can be prescribed for both dogs and cats. These work best when allergy symptoms are mild. One type may work for one patient but not for another, so you may need to try several types before finding one that works for your pet.

Fatty Acid Supplements: These are nutritional supplements that can help antihis-tamines work better in your dog. They also help certain dogs and cats with dry skin or a skin disease called seborrhea.

Medicated Shampoos and Soaking Solutions: A variety of skin conditions
respond to a properly prescribed medicated shampoo. Some dogs and cats will find relief from special soaks, rinses or sprays applied daily.

Steroids or Cortisone: Glucocorticoid type steroids are used for short or intermittent dosing periods to reduce severe allergy symptoms to the point that something milder like antihistamines can be used.

Allergy Desensitization Injections: If your pet responds poorly to all of the mentioned treatments or has to take too much of the glucocorticoid type of steroid to remain comfortable, we recommend testing for allergies. A skin test or blood test is done to look for specific trees, pollens, grasses or molds that your pet is allergic to. Then we teach you to give injections on a regular basis (weekly to monthly) to desensitize your pet to those specific allergens. This process often takes 8 to 12 months to become effective. 25 to 35% of pets do not respond to this type of treatment, so once again it is not a cure.

Flea Control: Pets that have allergies rarely are allergic to just one substance. If they have sensitive, itchy skin adding even one flea can really set off their allergy symptoms. Most allergy patients are severely allergic to the saliva in a flea’s bite. Using a high quality, effective monthly flea control program in the warm months is highly recommended.

Food Allergy: Many people mistakenly believe that a specific food or brand of food causes allergies. Actually, food allergies develop to specific ingredients that your pet has been exposed to for a long time. To detect food allergies your veterinarian will help you set up a special ingredient food trial. This trial usually takes 8 to 10 weeks. Fortunately, food allergies are fairly uncommon compared to inhalant allergies.

Avoidance of the Allergens: A variety of things can be done to reduce the number of allergens your pet is exposed to. For instance, keeping the pet in an air conditioned house, rinsing off the feet when they come in from outside, washing their bedding weekly and providing strict flea control. Sometimes keeping your long haired pet groomed short will make a pet with allergies more comfortable.

Important Points to Remember

-Allergies are not a curable disease. We can only control the symptoms.

-All of the medications can have side effects and all of the medications vary in their effectiveness in an individual animal. It is extremely important to
keep in contact with your veterinarian about which treatment is or is not working for your pet.

-Do not give your pet medications without talking to your veterinarian first.

-It would be best to neuter your dog or cat with allergies so this frustrating condition is not passed on to the next generation of puppies or kittens.