An Itchy Situation
Pet allergies are a bigger issue than you may think
When people think pet allergies, most envision the sneezing, wheezing and runny noses we humans experience, often set off by the fur of fluffy friends.
But when it comes to suffering from allergies, pets go through it more often – and sometimes more severely – than we do.
According to a review of medical claims by Veterinary Pet Insurance, Brea, Calif., skin allergy was the most common reason dogs were taken to the veterinarian in 2006, ahead of ear infections, upset stomachs and urinary tract infections. Among felines, skin allergies ranked fourth on the list, ahead of diabetes, respiratory problems and ear infections.
While people react to allergies with stuffy noses, watery eyes and respiratory problems, a dog or cat’s allergic reaction usually occurs on its skin.
“Their skin is more a sentinel on how their immune system is doing,” says Dr. Carol McConnell, director of veterinary relations for VPI (www.petinsurance.com).
“Scratching is the most common manifestation of allergy in dogs, but they also tend commonly to lick their paws, chew at their claws, rub their faces on furniture, etc,” says Dr. Daniel O. Morris, associate professor and chief of dermatology/allergy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “Cats may do all of these things as well, but the most common symptom of allergic disease in cats is excessive grooming of the hair coat. Since cats normally spend a great deal of time grooming themselves, the distinction can be difficult.”
Flea allergy, usually caused by the saliva in the fleabite, is the most common allergy in dogs and cats, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Inhalant, or atopic, allergy is the second most common allergy in dogs and the third most common in cats. Breathing in or directly contacting airborne particles such as mold spores, dust, tobacco smoke and seasonal pollens will activate inhalant allergies, which are more likely to affect a pet’s skin than cause respiratory problems.
Food allergies are the second most common type of allergy in cats and the third most common in dogs, the FDA reports. Food ingredients most likely to trigger allergies in cats are fish, milk, beef and eggs. Ingredients most likely to cause a reaction in dogs are beef, soy, chicken, milk, corn, wheat and eggs. Many of these ingredients are found in pet food. The wide range of allergies – and a pet’s similar reaction to each by scratching – may make it difficult to determine the specific allergy.
“There are blood tests now,” says McConnell. “They may help you isolate and get down to the problem faster, but it’s not always 100 percent. A lot of times the test may come back clear and miss something the pet is uniquely allergic to.”
As a result, many vets diagnose the problem by exclusion.
“First you make sure pet is on flea control,” McConnell says. “Then, to screen for pollen, you ask the pet owner, ‘Have you noticed any seasonality to this?’ Then you ask if there has been a change in the pet’s diet recently or if a new treat has been added.”
Depending on the allergy, treatment can range from flea control medication to antihistamines, allergy shots to a restrictive food diet.
“When it comes to flea-bite allergy the name of the game is to get rid of the fleas and keep them away,” says Dr. Wendy Brooks, educational director for VeterinaryPartner.com (www.veterinarypartner.com). “This really should be easy as there are so many excellent products available (including Program, Frontline, Revolution and Advantage). For very allergic pets, though, the newer super-fast products like spinosad are especially helpful.”
Restricting your pet’s diet isn’t as simple as just switching brands.
“No one gets allergic to a brand (of pet food),” says Brooks, who also runs the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, Los Angeles. “Changing brands is likely to just get a different configuration of most of the same ingredients.”
McConnell says a truly restrictive food diet includes unique protein (lamb, venison or duck) and carbohydrate (rice or potato) sources. Such a diet can be trying for owners.
“It’s really hard for pet owners because they express their love to their pets through food and treats,” McConnell says. “The pet is on nothing else for eight to 10 weeks. It’s a food trial. If it is indeed a food allergy, the scratching will slow down.”
The observant pet owner can help spot a pet that is suffering from allergies.
“For the overwhelming majority of cases, it will be very obvious to the owner that the pet has a problem that must be addressed,” Morris says. “They scratch, lick, chew and rub excessively, keeping the owners up at night, and have skin rashes with hair loss. Many dogs will develop a greasy coat with excessive dandruff and an unpleasant odor. Allergic cats that over-groom because of an itching sensation end up pulling out their hair – often in a symmetrical pattern – resulting in large bald spots.”
Failure to spot a pet’s allergic reaction can lead to big vet bills and, most important, pet suffering.
In fact, Morris says, recurrent infections of the skin and ear canals – caused by Staph, bacteria or yeast – are some of the most common and frustrating problems associated with canine allergies.
“Infections usually magnify the pet’s discomfort by several fold and must be treated with antibiotics for bacterial infections and antifungal drugs for yeast infections,” Morris says. “Severe ear canal infections can be extremely costly to treat, and may result in hearing loss.”
If your pet is showing any signs of any allergic reaction, experts say you shouldn’t try to treat it yourself, but get the animal to the vet. Many vets are dermatology specialists. To find one, contact the American College of Veterinary Dermatology (www.acvd.org)
“The scratching is usually the tip of the iceberg,” McConnell says. “Usually it’s going to be something deeper.”
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