Allergies in dogs

Allergies are one of the most common complaints among dog
owners. Truly, not too many puppies have allergies their first
year but many are already becoming sensitized to things in their
environment. If your puppy already shows signs of allergies, and
some do, don’t hesitate to get it treated. You may head off a
lifetime of trouble if you get a handle on it early. Allergies
get worse every year if left untreated.

Allergies usually materialize in the form of small skin
eruptions, rashes, hair loss, itching, moist or oozing
dermatitis, and ear infections. Dogs will over wash themselves,
chew, scratch, and rub to alleviate the sensations which in turn
makes them worse. HOW ALLERGIES DEVELOP Allergies are such
that your dog may be exposed to a pathogen one year and show no
outward signs of ailment…this time. Next time he comes in
contact, it will create a reaction, maybe small at first, but
each time he is getting more sensitized and each time the
reaction will be a little, or a lot worse. We often hear owners
saying, “he never had this problem before”. Yeah, we know,
that’s how it works.

Dogs can develop allergies to any number of things such as
grass, trees, shrubs, dust mites, molds, and most
commonly…fleas. If your dog has an allergy to something, it
will take very little to set of a histamine reaction in his
body. Dogs are most commonly allergic to things their skin
touches rather than something they inhale. They may be allergic
to pollen but it is usually a contact problem, not an inhalant
one like with people.

MOST COMMON CAUSE Fleas are the most common cause of allergies
by far. You may not even think your dog has fleas but it could
only take one bite to set him off. One of the most important
things you can do is protect him against fleas. Protect him
aggressively and often. There are excellent products on the
market now such as Advantage, Frontline, Revolution, and
Sentinel. A couple of these require simple blood tests before
they can be used because they also protect against heartworms.
You must always make sure your dog is not infected before
starting on heartworm medication.

TREATING FOR FLEAS It is also vital that you treat not only your
pet but also his environment as best you can. Fleas can live
anywhere. They reside quite nicely in your yard, grass, sand,
dirt, carpet, bedding and anywhere else you can think of. And
the are resilient. Persistence is a must. One study showed fleas
that were found in Arctic Turns nests which were thawed out and
found to be still viable after having been frozen for a long
time.

The fleas life cycle must be broken to gain any sort of
advantage at depleting their population. Treat the house, the
yard, and your pets. Make sure you use products that are safe
for all your pets. Cats and other small animals can be very
sensitive to toxins. Please NEVER use over the counter products
unless they are recommended by your veterinarian. Many of the
products sold in stores are very dangerous and can be deadly,
especially to cats.

TREATING THE ALLERGY There are many ways to treat your dog if he
develops allergies. If it is not too bad you may only have minor
flare ups in the summer which can be treated with oatmeal baths
and antihistamines. The dogs who really suffer often require
year round treatment, or at least aggressive treatment through
their sensitive times of the year. A regimen may include
injections of steroids, antihistamine and steroid tablets, a
special diet, flea products, and frequent soothing baths.

FOOD ALLERGIES Less that 10% of dogs who have allergies are
allergic to what they eat. We often make that leap on our own
because there are so many allergies with the human population.
Not so with your dog. While it is quite possible. It is not
usually the best place to start looking for solutions. Many dog
food companies have created diets for those dogs who are
sensitive to their diets however. Hills and Nature’s Recipe are
among the leaders. They make a variety of foods with ingredients
that your dog won’t have come in contact with. They may include
venison, duck, whitefish, lamb, rice and potato.

The trick to ruling out a food allergy is to eliminate
everything else they may put in their mouths and it will take up
to 60 days to clear everything from their system. You must only
change their diet but also eliminate treats unless they are just
hand outs of the same biscuits he gets at meals. You must have
him eat from stainless bowls. You must remove any chew toys,
like rawhides, and cows hooves. This sounds easy but it must be
maintained without hesitation or fail or else it will all be for
not. Any contact will set you back to the beginning.

ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES Dogs and usually allergic to more than
one antigen. Most will react to varying degrees to a number of
different things the come in contact with. While dogs are often
allergic to pollens, it is not usually due to inhalation, but
due to contact with the skin. If your dog has a severe
sensitivity to grass for instance, you may need to wash off his
feet every time he comes in from outside. Even just rinsing them
will help prevent further involvement. He may need baths several
times a week but only with specific types of treatments and
direction from the veterinarian. The wrong things could
aggravate instead of help the problem.

Dog allergies usually come in the form of dermatitis, some form
of skin inflamation, itching, redness, hair loss, scratching,
oozing, and ear infections. The animals are truly miserable and
inconsolable. If you can get by with a few treatments in a
season you should consider yourself lucky as allergies go. If
you have a dog who is sensitive to something all year or hyper
sensitive at certain times of the year you may need to explore
allergy testing and injections.

ALLERGY TESTING Allergy testing is the best way to determine
what exactly you are battling and how best to handle it. The
tests are done either in the form of skin testing where part of
the dog is shaved and tiny amounts of possible allergens are
injected under or applied to the skin to see what he might react
to. The areas are checked regularly for signs of reaction.
Another is a blood test where the dogs blood is drawn and sent
to a special laboratory who just does this type of blood work.
The results can take a week or two but the answers come without
further insult to the dogs skin.

An blood test will tell you not only what they are allergic to,
but HOW allergic they are. It will show a titer, or a number out
of normal range to help you and the vet understand how severe it
is. The test will cover 20 or more different possible pathogens
which are prominent in your part of the country and test the
blood to all of them. You can also test for food allergies this
way.

One other benefit of blood testing is that you have not only the
vet and his experience but you also have the laboratory to help
guide him with their vast and focused expertise. The labs will
guide you through the many types of treatments that may be done
at home and by the vet.

ANTIGEN THERAPY Once the blood work has determined what the dog
is allergic to, the lab can make an antigen therapy which the
dog will undergo to begin de-sensitizing him. The antigen vial
will contain an injectable and sterile form of what the dog is
allergic to. Tiny amounts are injected under the skin and
regular intervals and strengths to allow the dogs body to start
to build a tolerance to it. This can take months and may have to
be done every so often to maintain the effect but it is the most
promising form of treatment.

If your dog has severe allergies you and your vet will become
well acquainted so make sure you and your dog are comfortable
with them and their office. Allergies can be expensive,
infuriating, frustrating, and time consuming but they can almost
always be alleviated.

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