Is your dog scratching, biting, rubbing and chewing? Dog allergy symptoms are distressing for your pet.

Skin allergies are one of the most common skin diseases we see in dogs, 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. 

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Atopic Dermatitis: What dogs are commonly affected?

  • Dogs under the age of 3 at the onset of the problem

  • Purebred or crossbred Labrador, Golden Retriever, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Bichon Frise, Boxer, German Shepherd, French Bulldog or Beagle are particularly susceptible.

  • Other breeds can also be affected.

Atopic Dermatitis: What are common dog allergy symptoms?

  • Itching, most commonly around the muzzle, eyes, earflaps, armpits, groin and paws (especially if the itch affects the feet, face, ears, bottom, legs or areas that contact the ground when the dog lies down)

  • Recurrent skin or ear infections

  • Inflamed skin prone to secondary infections with bacteria and yeast (as a result of chewing, licking, rubbing and scratching)

  • If your dog becomes “smelly” within days of being washed

  • If symptoms started or are worse in warm weather

  • If your dog becomes itchy after touching grass

  • If your dog gets itchy after being washed

  • If your dog has persistently greasy skin

  • If a change of diet makes no difference

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

If you suspect your dog has atopic dermatitis, discussing it with your local 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.

How do we diagnose atopic skin disease?

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We identify allergies by intradermal allergy testing. This involves clipping a patch of hair from your dogs’s side and under light sedation, 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.

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 dog is withdrawn from treatment prior to testing. Please talk to our technicians about drug withdrawal times for your dog.

How do we treat atopic dermatitis?

The best long term treatment for environmental airborne allergies is immunotherapy (desensitisation), or avoidance of allergy triggers. Immunotherapy involves creating a vaccine for your dog. Once we have identified what your dog is allergic to, we formulate an allergy vaccine (immunotherapy) containing the allergens that your dog has reacted to. As the vaccine begins to work, there will be fewer allergic signs (such as infections and itching). We prefer using immunotherapy for long term maintenance as it reduces reliance on drug medications.

 

Is your pet experiencing dog 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