Condition

When you pets scratch occasionally, it is considered normal. But when there is relentless biting or scratching already, attention must be given to your pet as it may pose a health problem. Itching is only one of the major symptoms of pet’s skin conditions caused by a variety of factors including fleas, fungus, liver disease or lice.

As compared to humans, your pets do not have the symptoms of watery eyes or runny noses when encountered with allergies. As previously mentioned, itching is the main symptom for pet allergies. Your pet’s skin eventually turns red and raw as a result of chewing, scratching, and licking. This skin condition is called allergic dermatitis. The worse part is when open sores develop as a result of biting and scratching. This creates an environment suitable for yeast or bacteria which cause further infection.

According to medical studies, there are four known sources of allergies that can pester your pets. These are atopic, contact, flea, and food.

For household pets such as the common dogs and cats, flea allergy is the number one enemy. The allergen is specifically from the protein which can be found in the saliva of the flea that is left in the skin. Next in rank is the atopic or inhalant allergen. Airborne particles such as pollens, dust, mold spores or tobacco smoke can be inhaled.. These particles trigger the atopic allergies in your pets.

Usually pets which have acquired atopic allergies have histories of respiratory problems including sneezing and coughing. But atopic allergies still have itchy skin as their symptoms. There are certain dog breeds which are prone to developing atopic allergies such as Labrador retrievers, Dalmatians, and terriers.

Just like humans, pets can also acquire allergies due to food components. There are different food ingredients that are considered allergens for different animals. Take for example a dog; food allergens include eggs, soy, beef, corn, chicken, milk, and wheat. However for cats, a set of food ingredients can trigger allergies such as eggs, milk, fish, and beef.

Contact allergies are caused by physically touching an allergen. Your pets may have a variety of contact allergens which may differ from one time to another. The most common of contact allergens include plastic, grass, and wool. According to veterinarians, there are reported cases of “plastic dish dermatitis” which is caused by a reaction to antioxidants found in water dish or plastic food. This causes irritation to the skin particularly of the pet’s nose. In this case, the pet owners are advised to switch to ceramic or metal dish. Cats’ counterpart on this condition is that of allergies due to kitty litter. Although contact allergies with waxes, lawn fertilizers, carpet cleaners, and fluids are very rare, pet owners are required to keep their pets away from these potentially toxic products.

Symptoms

Diagnosis

From the numerous of factors and causes of dermatitis or pet itch, it is pretty much a challenge for veterinarians in determining which is the root source of such skin condition. Sometimes when the condition requires, the veterinarian may forward your pet’s problem to a veterinary dermatologist who specializes in both diagnosing and curing skin conditions in animals.

It has been a usual practice for veterinarians to inquire if the pet is under a flea-control treatment. It s because parasitic dermatitis is the most common of all types of allergies and is easy to diagnosis and manage. Pet owners sometimes deny such fact as fleas because their pets have been kept indoors. But what they don’t know is that the owners themselves can cause to bring fleas into the household through a piece of clothing maybe. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, a single fleabite can be as severe as it can cause a pet itching for five days.

If the pet doctors have concluded that the pruritus is non-seasonal and flea allergies are ruled out, the next to be checked are food allergies. Food allergies are not seasonal in nature as compared to other atopic allergies which are initially seasonal. Symptoms of atopic allergies usually appear during the 1^st and 5^th years of age while signs of food allergies can manifest at any time. When pets aging over 5 years or less than 6 months itch, food allergies are the top listed suspects for the conditions.

The procedure for diagnosing food allergies include the “elimination diet” which shall last up to 10 weeks. During this diet the pet’s food intake should be limited to carbohydrates and protein which the pet has not taken before. This meal may only include potatoes, duck, and venison. This diet can be bought on retail stores or can be prepared the vet themselves. However, the pet owner also has the option to feed the pet with the corresponding diet as prescribed the doctor. While the pet is under the “elimination diet, it should not be administered with any other treats such as table scraps, chewable medications, or rawhide toys. These materials may contain allergens which may aggravate the condition.

In diagnosing contact and atopic allergies, intradermal allergy test otherwise known as skin reaction test is conducted by the veterinary dermatologist. After mildly sedated, a part of the pet’s body is shaved where considerable amounts of suspected allergens are injected. When there is inflammation in the skin, then the vet can safely conclude that such is an allergen to be treated or avoided.

Treatment

Animal doctors have repeatedly stated that there is no treatment that can cure 100% of the allergies your pet may have. The object of treatments is to control the symptoms, avoid the allergens, or desensitizing the pet.

All the possible allergens including substances, fleas, and food ingredients are equally avoidable. However, with regard to atopic allergies, avoidance may be apparently impossible. Fortunately, over-the-counter (OTC) medications are now available in pharmacies to treat the constant skin itching and inflammation in your pets. Make sure that these drugs are approved by the FDA to be sure that they pass the scientific standards for safety.

Steroid products for dogs and cats have been approved by the FDA for short-term use to alleviate the discomforts in itching and inflammation. As much as possible, long-term steroids should be avoided because of its adverse effects on the immune system. It has suppressing results which can lead to vulnerability of the animal to diabetes, infection, and other complications. Oftentimes, veterinarians may prescribe common antihistamine for humans to be administered in pets in order to control the itching in pets. The FDA has secured the necessary standards in allowing this step for veterinarians. However, pet owners are always mandated to consult their veterinarians before they can give their pets other human medications.

Another effective treatment is immunotherapy. This stimulates the immune system which results to the body’s reaction being resistant to allergens. This treatment is now available to humans as well as to pets. Desensitization injections or “allergy shots” have in them small extracts or amounts of substances of potential allergens based on previous skin tests. These shots are given by the owner in their household and are usually placed on the back of the neck. These shots are certified by certain government departments for Veterinary Biologics.