• Allergies
• Me and My Pet

Monday, June 9, 2008

Why is my dog scratching?

posted by csenay at 14h55

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Did you know that allergies are very common in dogs and cats?

Flea allergies, food allergies and contact allergies are well known in these pets. But the most reoccurring allergy in dogs and cats is atopic dermatitis, or inhalation allergy.

These seasonal allergies are caused by inhaled allergens, among them dust, dust mites, mold, mildew, house dust mites, and tree, grass and weed pollens.

In addition, dust mites are a leading cause of non-seasonal atopy in many dogs and cats. The mites live in mattresses, carpeting, dog and cat beds, cloth toys, and cloth car or other fabrics.

Unlike us, who manifest allergies through rubbing eyes and sneezing, dogs manifest inhalant allergies by chewing paws, licking skin and rubbing against carpet and furniture in an effort to relief atopy’s primary symptom: inflamed and itchy skin.

Atopic pets that continue to scratch, lick and chew can cause more severe complications, including hair loss, skin infections, ear infection (otitis), open sores, and often, sleepless nights – for the pet and you

What can you do to help your dog?

Well, there are three ways of treating atopy;

1) Avoiding the allergen. This is rarely possible since most of the allergens in the environment are impossible to avoid.

2) Symptomatic treatment consisting of a combination of the following: frequent use of hypoallergenic shampoos, administration of antihistamines (eg. Benadryl), cortisone, specific atopic drug (eg. Atopica), fatty acids supplements, and special commercial diet to help control atopy.

These, do not cure atopy, but help control the condition. And the major disadvantages of this approach in the long term, are the side effects of cortisone administration, and the cost of treatment.

That’s why hyposensitization is the ideal treatment in most cases: it involves the use of vaccines made if different allergens that caused a reaction during the allergy skin test.

Hyposenstization is beneficial in more than 75% of the cases, and helps decrease the use of cortisone.

If you have any questions on atopy, don’t hesitate to ask me questions, or contact your local veterinarian.