Pets not immune to allergies

This time of year people frequently suffer from allergies. They aren’t alone. Their pets may be just as miserable.

For dogs and cats, licking, head shaking and scratching are often signs of allergies and are common reasons for pets to be presented to a veterinarian.

The most common allergy nationwide in dogs and cats is flea allergy. However, since flea infestation is not as common in the Inland Northwest as in other areas, we see more “itchiness” due to inhalant allergies (atopy) or food allergies.

Many dermatologists think food allergy is more common in cats while inhalant allergy is more common in dogs. It is possible for a pet to suffer from both types of allergies.

Inhalant allergies can cause itchiness in just one or two areas or all over the body. It can result in hair loss, ear infections and skin rashes and infections. It usually occurs in young to middle-aged dogs and cats.

Your vet may do skin scrapes, ear swabs or even skin biopsies to rule out other conditions. Skin testing or blood testing is done for definitive diagnosis. Often these tests reveal that animals are allergic to the same sorts of things people are – pine pollen, dust mites, grasses and molds – things that are hard to avoid and therefore require medication to alleviate symptoms.

To treat the allergic animal, your vet may suggest antihistamines, fish fatty acids, shampoos, antibiotics and steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs. Allergy testing allows veterinarians to develop a hypoallergenic vaccine to try to minimize the body’s response when it encounters an allergen, thus decreasing the need for these other medications.

Hypoallergenic vaccines help about 75 percent of dogs but can take several months to work. Usually this is not necessary in dogs with mild allergies that tolerate symptomatic therapy and do not require long courses of steroids to control their itchiness.

Food allergies usually show up in younger animals. Food allergy can cause skin lesions that look just like other allergies or can cause intestional signs such as vomiting and diarrhea. Usually, a food allergic animal is allergic to the protein source in the food they have been exposed to the most. Allergies to carbohydrates are less common, and allergies to preservatives in the food are quite rare. A blood test will not tell you if an animal is food allergic. Only decreased itchiness in response to a hypoallergenic diet trial and then recurrence of itchiness when the old food or suspected allergen is reintroduced can confirm food allergy.

If your pet has been diagnosed with allergies, then he probably will always have allergies. But don’t be discouraged. Allergies are extremely common, and you and your veterinarian can usually come up with some regimen of baths, diet and maintenance medications that will keep your pet comfortable and happy.