Is your cat scratching and over-grooming? Cat allergy symptoms are distressing for your pet.

Skin allergies are one the most common skin diseases we see in cats, and can have a negative impact on your pet’s life. Atopic dermatitis is a reaction to environmental aeroallergens like pollens from grasses, weeds, trees, mould spores and house dust mite. 

What are common cat allergy symptoms?

  • Over-grooming the trunk and flanks with excess hair shedding

  • Excessive loss of hair

  • Itchy, crusting rash

  • Raised itchy, moist and red lesions in the groin or armpit region

  • Severe scratching involving the head, ears and neck

  • Greasy and unkempt coat

  • Change of diet makes no difference

What should I do if I suspect my cat has atopic dermatitis?

If you suspect your cat has atopic dermatitis, discussing it with your Perth vet is a good idea. It’s important you get a correct diagnosis. If your vet suspects dermatitis, they may refer you to a specialist veterinary dermatologist.

A specialist dermatologist is trained to know how to diagnose, manage and prevent relapses of ear and skin allergy problems. Your dermatologist will assess the cause of the allergy, barrier dysfunction and/or infection in your pet, then devise a treatment plan for your pet so he/she can begin to heal.

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How do we diagnose atopic skin disease?

We identify allergies by intradermal allergy testing. This involves clipping a patch of hair from the side of the flank and pricking the skin with a tiny amount of purified allergen extract.  If the skin swells thirty minutes after the injection, it means an allergy has been detected. Another way we identify allergens is to perform blood serology testing. Using the results of both intradermal and blood tests gives a more accurate allergy profile for your pet and a better outcome with immunotherapy.

*Please note: Intradermal Allergy Testing is affected by a number of drugs including antihistamines and corticosteroids (cortisone tablets, injections, lotions, eye and ear drops). It’s important that your pet is withdrawn from treatment prior to testing. Please talk to our technicians about drug withdrawal times for your and cat.

How do we treat atopic dermatitis?

The best treatment for allergies is usually Immunotherapy (desensitisation), or avoiding allergy triggers. Immunotherapy involves creating a vaccine for your pet. Once we have identified what your pet is allergic to, we formulate an allergy vaccine (immunotherapy) containing the allergens that your pet has reacted to. As the vaccine begins to work, there will be fewer allergic signs (such as infections and itching). We prefer using Immunotherapy to medications, as it minimises further reactions.

 

Is your cat experiencing allergy symptoms? Bring them in for a consultation. We treat your pet like one of our own. Call now on: +61 08 6277 9430 (Murdoch) and (Balcatta) or email: dermnurses@adcmg.com