Allergies

Allergies in Dogs, Cats, and Horses

Allergies, among the most prevalent pet diseases, are increasingly recognized as a significant global animal health issue. An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to substances (allergens) that either enter or come into contact with the pet's body, often resulting in symptoms associated with the disease.

Essential Knowledge for Pet Owners:

Identifying Allergy Signs in Pets
Understanding the Severity of Pet Allergies
Avoiding Unsubstantiated Allergy Tests and Obtaining Accurate Veterinary Diagnoses
Available Allergy Treatments

The Allergy Test for Your Pet is Highly Recommended as It:

Pinpoints the Allergens Responsible for Their Reactions
Enables a Customized Treatment Plan to Control Symptoms Better
Enhances Your Pet’s Well-Being by Tackling the Underlying Cause
Alleviates the Stress of Pet Owners That Comes With Managing an Allergic Pet,
The Test Results Pave the Way for the Creation of Personalized Immunotherapy to Effectively Treat Allergies.

Common Allergy Symptoms in Pets:

itchiness, itchy & runny eyes, itchy, inflamed, or infected ears, chronic ear infection, red & inflamed skin, hives and unusual bumps, swelling (face, ears, lips, eyelids, or ear flaps), coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, sneezing, hair loss.

Anaphylaxis, a severe and rapid allergic reaction, can occur and be fatal if untreated, though it is rare in dogs.

Types of Allergies in Pets:

Environmental Allergies: Common allergens include seasonal tree, grass, and weed pollen, dust mites, mold, animal dander, saliva, feathers, and cleaning solutions. Exposure can cause atopic allergic reactions or atopic dermatitis.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD): Caused by a specific protein in flea saliva injected during bites, leading to an intense allergic response in sensitive pets. FAD is a leading cause of skin diseases like eczema in dogs.

Food Allergies: Common food allergens include beef, dairy, and wheat. Food allergies often result in atopic dermatitis but can also cause varying gastrointestinal symptoms.

Atopic Dermatitis in Pets: Atopic dermatitis, also known as skin allergies, refers to skin inflammation and irritation. Common symptoms in dogs include itching (especially in ears), red & inflamed skin, biting skin, hives and skin bumps, excessive hair loss, visible rashes, excessive chewing and licking (especially paws), and swollen paws.

Dog Breeds Prone to Allergies: terriers, golden retrievers, pugs, bulldogs, boxers, dalmatians, beagles, Irish setters, German shepherds, Pekingese, Bichon Frise, English cocker spaniel, Brussels griffon, shih tzu, Lhasa apso, Chinese crested/powderpuff, poodles.

Allergy Testing for Pets:

Diagnosis: The initial step in treating allergies is confirming the diagnosis and discovering the harmful allergens.

Skin Test: Involves injecting small quantities of allergens into the skin, typically under sedation or anesthesia. This test, which can cost between $1,500 and $3,000, is suitable for detecting airborne substances and some food allergies.

Blood Test: Involves sending a blood sample to a veterinary diagnostic lab to measure allergen-specific antibodies (IgE). Different labs use various techniques, which can vary in accuracy. Momentum Diagnostics utilizes advanced technologies to test for antibodies against environmental, insect, mold, pollen, and food allergens.

Treating Allergies in Pets:

The best approach to managing allergies is reducing exposure to detected allergens. Complete elimination is often impractical, but the number of harmful allergens can be minimized.

General Avoidance Tips:

House Dust: Regular vacuuming (keep pets out of the room)
Dust Mites: Use plastic covers on pet beds, wash bedding in hot water, avoid stuffed toys, keep pets in uncarpeted rooms, run the air conditioner in hot weather, vacuum carpets with hypoallergenic powder.
Mold: Keep pets out of basements, indoors during lawn mowing, avoid open-air food storage, use dehumidifiers, clean and disinfect humidifiers, limit houseplants.
Pollen: Keep grass short, rinse pets after exposure to high grass and weeds, keep pets indoors during high pollen seasons.

Elimination Diet: Avoid ingredients in pet food that cause symptoms like dry, itchy skin, ear infections, excessive scratching and licking, bald patches, skin infections, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Tests to Avoid:

Certain online tests lack scientific backing and should be avoided:

Hair analysis. Some companies offer hair analysis test requiring a hair sample. However, several studies did not support the accuracy of hair analysis diagnosing allergies (Conventional and alternative concepts. The Royal College of Physicians, London, in Clin Exp Allergy: 22 : suppl 3; Oct. 1992).
DNA/genetic tests can predict an allergy but are never associated with a clinical picture. Prediction does not always mean that an allergy will develop.
Leucocytotoxic tests found no diagnostic accuracy.
Electrodermal tests involve measuring electromagnetic conductivity in the body and have no reproducibility or diagnostic accuracy at all (Conventional and alternative concepts. The Royal College of Physicians, London, in Clin Exp Allergy: 22 : suppl 3; Oct. 1992).

Anecdotal tests to avoid and to save your hard-earned money:

Urine test is not accepted by the World Allergy Association
The saliva test is not recommended by veterinarians.
Bio-resonance test. Several companies claim that bio-resonance hair tests can detect nutritional deficiencies; overexposure to heavy metals; and food and environmental intolerances and that the test results will provide a roadmap to better health. Tests are available for pets as well as for humans. Physicians and veterinarians never approve of this test and often describe it as anecdotical.