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Dog and Pet Allergies—What You Should Know and How to Dealwith Them
Among the major reasons why pet parents seek veterinary help is atopy(inhalant) and food pet allergies. Allergy symptoms are usually observed in our pets between 6 months and 4 years of age and as late as 6 or 7. The symptomsresult from the all-important immune system being hyper-sensitive and over-reacting to allergens or antigens to which it's exposed.
The symptoms
The reaction that is often observed to these foreign irritant substances is itchingskin (pruritis), mostly affecting the paws, lower legs, armpits (axillae), groin andface.Less common but not unusual is sneezing, maybe wheezing along with other possibilities that can include eye (ocular) and/or nasal discharge when therespiratory system is involved; and when the G.I.T. (gastrointestinal tract) isinvolved, diarrhea and/or vomiting.It is very distressing to watch your pet being uncomfortable, and to identify theexact cause of the symptoms requires a process of elimination detective work for you in concert with your vet. Itching that is subtle in the early stages andgradually worsens is more often associated with atopy, food allergy, bacterial or yeast infection, and seborrhea.Symptoms that seem to wax and wane with the change of seasons are a goodindicator for being atopy; but be aware that 70% to 80% of dogs with atopy willdemonstrate continual, year-round symptoms. Scratching, licking the feet,chewing, and red irritated skin are all symptoms of atopy.
The Figure-it-Out Stage of the Allergy Detective
The veterinarian will likely suggest a hypoallergenic or homemade diet for weeksto months to look for any improvement in the symptoms; this is done to help ruleout allergies associated with food that is responsible for approximately 10% of allallergies diagnosed in pets, and will aid in narrowing the possibilities pointing toatopy (the canine equivalent of hay fever affecting around 10% of dogs).However, the detective process is complicated by the fact that 10% of dogs withatopy can also have food allergy, and up to 80% of the dogs that are diagnosedwith food allergy also have atopy. It is because of this complication that there is ahigh rate of failure that exists when treating food allergies with diet alone.Dogs with food allergies react to one or possibly more of the ingredients in their diet. Common culprits are milk, fish, wheat, whey, corn, beef, pork, chicken,
 
eggs, soy, and, one of the biggest offenders, preservatives. Many animals havealso shown to be allergic to lamb as well, once thought to be a hypo-allergenicfood.
What Else Can It Be?
Besides the flea bite allergy which, as with scabies or drug hypersensitivity,typically begins suddenly and rapidly gets worse (one single bite can cause areaction for five to seven days), atopy is the most common cause of allergies indogs.A dog, by scratching or licking an allergic skin rash, can develop further problemsin the area by creating an opportunity for secondary bacterial skin infections(pyoderma), ringworm, and fungal infection such as yeast (Malassezia) that alsoitches.
Then What?
Conventional prednisone treatments can work to suppress symptoms and bringrelief in 12-24 hours from the time of injection. Prednisone may also be givenorally and may be medically necessary for some suffering dogs dealing withflare-ups. Prednisone is not without risk for long term treatment. Steroids maybecome less effective over long term use and can possibly cause completeimmune system suppression and weakening, liver damage and diabetes.Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine alone and, depending on the severity,along with steroids to lessen the amount of steroids used, can be implementedfor relief. It is also accepted that the omega fatty acids along with any treatmentcan have a significant affect on improvement by reducing inflammation that maylead to skin sores. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids do nottreat the allergy; they just offer relief from the uncomfortable conditions createdby the symptoms.There are holistic allergy care solutions available that can help deal with theproblem at its root cause that work extremely well and can often alleviatesymptoms or, even better, heal the problem without the risk of serious sideeffects a good percentage of the time. That information will be given at the endwith a warning.
When to Test
Allergy testing leading to treatment is certainly recommended when your pet issuffering from apparent allergies that occur for more than four months, and doesnot respond to traditional treatment, after a complete diagnostic workup isperformed. The diagnostic workup is necessary for ruling out other potential
 
causes of skin problems such as fleas, mites, and bacterial, fungal and yeastinfections, as well as hypothyroidism.
The Blood Test
A customized solution starts with a blood test that checks for antigen-inducedantibodies. A blood sample is taken and sent to a lab where it is screened for areaction to a broad range of allergens that are common to the geographical areawhere the dog lives to establish a positive diagnosis for a few contact allergiesand those allergens that are breathed in (inhalant dermatitis) such as ants, dustmites, mite feces, mosquitoes, cockroaches, moths, dust, pollen, grass, mold,human dander, wool, feathers and tobacco. Allergy testing is rarely done todiagnose food allergies.There are two standard and very similar blood tests that are used. The first iscalled a RAST test (radioallergosorbent), and the other is called an ELISA test(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Most veterinarians seem to prefer theELISA test for more accurate results.The ELISA test is usually preferred over the RAST. However, neither is a perfectdiagnostic tool without potential reliability problems. Since both tests wereoriginally developed for humans, there is a lot of potential for false positives,meaning allergens may be identified that are not. Those possible limitationscause some veterinarians, especially those specializing in dermatology andallergies, to prefer when possible a third type of test that offers the most reliableresults, called intradermal skin testing.Intradermal testing does require sedation and an area on the dog's side to beshaved in order to expose the skin, and it is best performed during the seasonwhen allergy symptoms are the most severe. For the test to show accurateresults, the dog must not have been treated with steroids or antihistamines for several weeks to months before the test. A small amount of antigen is theninjected into the dog's skin and is then observed for a resulting reaction that mustbe evaluated by a trained eye.There are circumstances where even the preferred intradermal skin testing wouldnot be appropriate and the ELISA or RAST would be the best option. This wouldbe the case where the dog is very young, and where a long period withoutcorticosteroids or antihistamines cannot be sustained, to name a few.Avoidance is the best method of control even with allergy shots; it is best to avoidthe allergen altogether. Molds can be reduced by using a dehumidifier. Dusts andpollens can be controlled with an air cleaner with a HEPA filter. Air conditioningcan reduce significant amounts of airborne allergens because windows areclosed.
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