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Allergy Testing and Treatment
Surprised? Didn’t think pets
suffered from normal allergies? They sure do!
And
the Dallas area is the “allergy capital” of Texas.
Allergies (also known as inhalant
allergies or atopy) vary a great deal in both their severity
and age of onset. Among dogs, allergies can start as early
as 3 months and progress through to old age. Symptoms may
be so mild at first that they are not noticed but are usually
progressive and become clinically apparent before 3 years
of age. Among humans, the nose is the primary target of
allergies - and hay fever symptoms predominate. Among dogs
and cats, the skin is the major target organ, so itching
and scratching are the main symptoms.
Depending on what they are
allergic to, some dogs and cats have seasonal allergies
while others are itchy all year long. The biggest offenders
are tree pollens, grass and weed pollens, mold spores and
the house dust mites. Food allergies are also a common
offender.
Allergies in dogs and cats
tend to run in certain breeds and along family lines, somewhat
like they do in people. If an individual’s parents have
allergies, then there’s a good chance that that individual
will develop them eventually as well.
Certain dog breeds, such as
the Cocker Spaniel and Golden
Retriever seem to be especially allergy prone.
Fortunately, there are now many options for diagnosing
and treating allergies.
 Veterinary Dermatologists
and certain general practice veterinarians - such as those
at the Chastain
Veterinary Medical Group - can perform intra-dermal
allergy testing. This is similar to
the intra-dermal
“skin
tests" done to detect allergies in people. Blood tests
can also be used to diagnose allergies in pets. Technically,
we must point out that blood test results may not be
as reliable as
skin test results when it comes to identifying specific
allergens; that's why we prefer intra-dermal allergy testing
when feasible.
Is it important to
treat allergies?
Mild allergies in a pet can sometimes be safely ignored, especially in the
early stages. However, in time, most animals will need some form of treatment.
This treatment is generally life long.
Allergies are rarely
cured. The goal is control.
Allergy treatment generally takes the form of some combination of the following:
- Medicated baths,
- Soothing cream rinses,
- Anti-itch sprays,
- Allergy shots (hyposensitization
injection),
- Antihistamines and special
fatty acid formulations
and when necessary corticosteroids in judicious dosages, with careful monitoring.
In some cases, a change in
lifestyle or lifelong treatment is necessary. As always,
prevention of flea and tick infestations, good grooming
and a healthy diet should strengthen your pet’s resistance
to allergies.
Remember!
Pet allergies can be serious,
so
call us today if your pet is itching!
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