Allergies

Treatment depends largely on the length of the dog's allergy season and involves five approaches:

1. Treatment with natural holistic therapies are often an effective means of controlling atopy. Omega fatty acids ("fish oils"), gamma linoleic [lin-oh-LEE-ic] acid, vitamins A, E, and Zn in conjunction with natural anti-inflammatories such as quercetin [KWER-set-tin] and bioflavinoids frequently can control symptoms.

2. Anti-inflammatory drugs. Anti-inflammatory therapy will dramatically block the allergic reaction in most cases. Natural anti-inflammatories should be tried first in conjunction with a fatty acid supplement. Antihistamines combined with the other therapies are frequently very effective, though they can cause mild temporary sedation. Steroids ("cortisone") can be used as a last resort in combination with appropriate supplements and antihistamines. If steroids are appropriate for your pet, you will be instructed in their proper use. When supplementation, antihistamines and steroids are combined, most allergic dogs are significantly improved. This is a non-specific approach which does not treat the allergy, only the result of the allergic state (itching).

3. Shampoo therapy. Many dogs are helped considerably by frequent bathing with a hypoallergenic shampoo. It has been demonstrated that some allergens may be absorbed through the skin. Frequent bathing is thought to reduce the amount of antigen exposure through this route. In addition to removing surface antigen, bathing alone will provide some temporary relief from itching and may allow the use of a lower dose of steroids. Some of the hypoallergenic shampoos incorporate fatty acids; these may be absorbed through the skin and offer a localized anti-inflammatory action. The role of the fatty acids in allergy treatment is an area of active research interest in veterinary medicine.

4. Antibiotics. Dogs that damage their skin by licking, chewing, and scratching are quite susceptible to bacterial infections in the skin. If this occurs, antibiotics should be given until the infection is controlled. The skin infection itself can be quite irritating and cause a dog to itch even more.

5. Hypo sensitization. The fifth major form of allergy treatment is hypo sensitization with specific antigen injections (or "allergy shots"). Once testing identifies the specific allergens, very small amounts of the antigen are injected weekly. The purpose of this therapy is to reprogram the body's immune system. It is hoped that as time passes, the immune system will become less reactive to the problem-causing allergens. If hypo sensitization appears to help the dog, injections will continue for several years. For most dogs, a realistic goal is for the itching to be significantly reduced in severity; in some dogs, itching may completely resolve. This therapeutic approach is recommended for the middle-aged or older dog that has year round itching caused by inhalant allergy Although hypo sensitization is the ideal way to treat inhalant allergy, it does have some drawbacks and may not be the best choice in certain circumstances and for these reasons:


1. Cost. This is the most expensive form of treatment.

2. Age of Patient. Because many dogs develop additional allergies as they get older, young dogs may need to be retested 1-3 years later.

3. Success Rate. About 50 percent of dogs will have an excellent response, about 25 percent get partial to good response, and the remaining 25 percent get little or no response. The same statistics are true for people undergoing hypo sensitization.

4. Food Allergies. Although tests for food allergy are available, the reliability of these tests is so low that it is not recommended at this time. A food trial remains the best diagnostic test for food allergy.

5. Time of Response. The time until apparent response may be 2-5 months, or longer.

6. Interference of Steroids. Dogs must not receive oral steroids for two weeks or injectable steroids for six weeks prior to testing; these drugs will interfere with the test result