Is your dog or cat scratching and overgrooming? Dog and cat allergy symptoms are distressing for your pet.
Skin allergies are one the most common skin diseases we see in dogs and 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 belly and sides
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 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
*Dogs are under the age of 3 are susceptible
*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.
What should I do if I suspect my dog or cat has atopic dermatitis?
If you suspect your dog or 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 so he/she can begin to heal.
How do we diagnose atopic skin disease?
We identify allergies by intradermal allergy testing. This involves clipping a patch of hair from its side 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 dog 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 pet experiencing dog or cat 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