Your pet’s skin is a barrier between internal tissues and the outside world, defending them from bacteria, parasites, and environmental influences. Allergies can cause chronic skin inflammation, disrupting barrier function, and causing chronic discomfort. Although allergy symptoms range in severity and persistence, they often negatively impact a pet’s quality of life. The Advanced Veterinary Medical Center team offers pet owners a guide to allergy signs, diagnosis, and management to improve pet comfort and overall health.
What causes allergies in pets?
Allergies are an abnormal immune response against harmless, everyday substances that cause allergies. In pets, allergies typically fall into three main trigger categories—environmental, food, and flea bites.
- Environmental allergies — Environmental allergies (i.e., atopy or atopic dermatitis) may be seasonal or year-round, depending on the specific allergens. Common triggers include pollens, mold spores, grasses, dust mites, other pets, and sometimes humans.
- Food allergies — Food allergies can develop to any ingredient in a pet’s diet at any time. “Leaky gut,” or conditions that cause inflammation in the intestinal tract, may contribute to food allergy development. Frequent culprits are the most commonly used pet food ingredients, including beef, chicken, dairy, egg, soy, wheat, and corn.
- Flea allergies — Some pets develop a flea saliva allergy, triggered by only one or two flea bites. Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is extremely common in dogs and cats.
What are allergy signs in pets?
Recognizing allergy signs is the first step toward effective management. Although allergic humans more frequently suffer from itchy eyes and sneezing (i.e., hay fever), allergic pets often suffer from chronic or recurrent skin and ear inflammation. Signs your pet could have allergies include:
- Itching — Persistent scratching, biting, chewing, or licking, particularly around the face, paws, belly, or rear, can indicate allergic inflammation.
- Skin irritation — Allergies may cause red, thickened, darkened, flaky, bumpy, or moist skin in focal or widespread areas. Hair loss is also common.
- Skin and ear infections — Recurrent ear infections and bacteria or yeast-related skin infections often indicate an underlying allergy.
- Eye irritation — Some pets may develop red, itchy eyes (i.e., conjunctivitis).
- Gastrointestinal problems — Chronic vomiting, diarrhea, or poor appetite may occur in pets with food allergies.
- Respiratory problems — Occasionally, allergic pets can develop sneezing, coughing, or wheezing.
How do veterinarians diagnose allergies in pets?
Allergy diagnosis typically involves a combination of clinical history, physical examination, and diagnostic tests. Unfortunately, no single test can diagnose allergies, but a minimal testing database helps rule out other skin disorders and directs treatment. Tests may include:
- Flea combing to rule out flea infestation
- Skin scraping to rule out mite infestation
- Skin and ear cytology to rule out bacterial or yeast infections
- Skin culture to identify bacterial pathogens
- Blood tests to check overall health
- Elimination diet trial to rule out or identify food allergies
Are allergies in pets curable?
Unfortunately, allergies cannot be cured, so they are a lifelong condition in pets. However, we can offer management strategies and keep pets comfortable. Most pets benefit from a multi-modal treatment approach to reduce itching and prevent or clear secondary infections. Treatments may include:
- Avoidance — Avoiding contact with allergens may include frequent inside cleaning, air purifiers, indoor living, and wiping pets down after going outside.
- Medications—Antihistamines, corticosteroids, immune modifiers, and targeted anti-itch medications help control itching, while antibiotics and antifungals help manage secondary infections.
- Topicals — Frequent bathing with medicated shampoo is a treatment mainstay. Sprays, creams, or mousses can help between baths.
- Diet changes — Switching to a hypoallergenic or novel protein diet can diagnose and treat food allergies.
- Flea control — Flea preventives are essential to rule out or treat flea infestations on itchy pets and prevent flea allergies from exacerbating skin irritation.
- Allergy immunotherapy — A blood or skin test can identify allergens that then can be included in immunotherapy shots or oral drops to gradually desensitize pets.
Can I prevent allergies in my pet?
Research into why some pets develop allergies and how to prevent them is ongoing. Some studies point to genetics, while others note connections between gut health, the microbiome, and allergies. Probiotics may help prevent or treat allergies, but more research is needed to determine if this can benefit future pet generations.
Successful allergy management requires a strong partnership between pet owners and our Advanced Veterinary Medical Center team. Contact us to schedule a thorough evaluation if you suspect your pet has allergy signs, would like to reassess your pet’s allergy treatment plan, or to learn more about options for long-term pet allergy management.
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