Treatment depends largely on the length of the dog’s allergy season. It involves three approaches:
Anti-inflammatory. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids, or antihistamines, will quickly block the allergic reaction in most cases. Fatty acid supplementation of the diet can improve the response to steroids and antihistamines in some cases. Newer drugs such as oral cyclosporine may hold promise for severely atopic dogs.
Shampoo therapy. Frequent bathing with a hypoallergenic shampoo can be soothing and helpful. The bathing may also rinse out allergens in the coat that could be absorbed through the skin. Some therapeutic shampoos contain anti-inflammatory ingredients that may further benefit your pet.
Hyposensitization therapy. The third major form of allergy treatment is hyposensitization with specific antigen injections or “allergy shots”. Once the specific sources of allergy are identified by allergy testing, very small amounts of the antigen are injected weekly. This repeated dosing has the objective of reprogramming or desensitizing the immune system. Results are sometimes good but success is variable. Approximately fifty-percent of treated dogs will see significant improvement in their clinical signs while approximately twenty-five percent more will see a decrease in the amount or frequency or corticosteroid usage.
What is Food Allergy and how is it treated?
Food allergy can develop to almost any protein or carbohydrate component of food. It most commonly develops in response to the protein of the food of a particular food origin; beef, pork, chicken, or turkey are commonly associated with food allergies. Food allergy can develop at almost any age. Food allergy may produce any of the clinical signs previously discussed including itching, digestive disorders, and respiratory distress. Food allergy may occur with other allergies, such as atopy. Food allergy does not respond well to corticosteroids or other medical treatments. Treatment requires identifying the offending component(s) of the diet and eliminating them. Testing for specific food allergies involves IgE allergy testing and/or a hypoallergenic diet trial. Because it takes at least eight weeks for all other food products to be removed from the body, the dog must eat the special diet exclusively for eight to twelve weeks. If a positive response and improvement of your pet’s clinical signs occurs, your veterinarian will advise you on how to proceed. It must be emphasized that if the diet is not fed exclusively, it will not be a valid test. All table food, treats or vitamins must be discontinued during the testing period. There may be problems with certain types of chewable tablets such as heartworm preventative. Your veterinarian will discuss this with you.
Caution:
The manifestations of allergies can be confused with other disorders, or occur concurrently with them. Therefore, do not attempt to diagnose your dog without professional assistance. Be prepared for your pet to receive a full diagnostic evaluation by your veterinarian. If an allergy is diagnosed and identified, the whole family must follow your veterinarian’s advice very closely if success in controlling the problem is to be achieved.
