READERS' EXPERIENCES AND SUGGESTIONS
INTRODUCTION
Allergies are the most common cause of skin disease in dogs. There are three
main types, but dogs can be affected by multiple allergies.
1. Food Allergy.
2. Atopic Dermatitis
3. Contact Allergy
Other causes of skin problems include lice or mites, fungal infections, auto-immune
or internal disease and cancers, but these are much less common than allergies.
SYMPTOMS
Skin allergies are common in dogs. There may be all or some of these symptoms.
A general itchiness so that the dog is chewing, licking and scratching in a
frenzied way, sometimes even stopping to scratch during eating or during a walk.
The hair is chewed away to leave bald patches. The skin becomes red and inflamed
and in extreme cases the skin is broken. The damaged skin eventually becomes
darkened and thickened. Paws are red and moist between the toes and cysts may
form. The back of the paw above the stopper pad, the equivalent of the human
wrist, goes bald. The damaged areas then get bacterial or fungal infections
and may begin to smell. Recurrent ear infections mean the dog is scratching
or shaking its ears. There may be discharges from the ears.
FIRST LINE DIAGNOSIS
Your vet will want to rule out parasitic infections like fleas and mites. Even
if there are no visible signs of fleas, the dog should be treated with prescription
flea medicines like Stronghold, Frontline and Program. Over the counter flea
preparations are not effective enough. Treat the house and all other animals
in the household with products containing an insecticide and growth inhibitor,
such as Indorex, Acclaim, Canovel Pet Bedding and others. Proper flea control
is important, even if the cause is not direct allergy to flea bites. Any bacterial
or fungal skin infections must also be treated. If these first line treatments
succeed, then the skin problems are probably not due to an allergy.
REFERRAL
At this point, it is usually a good idea to ask your vet to refer you to a veterinary
skin specialist if the skin is no better. This is the same principle as a GP
referring a patient to a consultant. Referral must be made through your own
vet, but most vets will be happy to do so and indeed cannot refuse to do so.
There are three main causes of skin allergies - food allergy; atopic dermatitis;
contact allergy. Food allergy and atopic dermatitis are often found in combination
and usually start with an itch, which becomes a rash. The skin inflammation
may be anywhere in the body. Contact allergy usually starts with a rash, which
later becomes an itch. The skin inflammation is on an area of the body like
paws or tummy which is in contact with something causing the allergy.
1. FOOD ALLERGIES
Dogs can become allergy to something they have been eating for years without
trouble. They rarely, if ever, become allergic to a completely new food. a)
The specialist will put your dog onto a completely new diet, either a commercial
one or a home cooked one like, say, fish and potatoes. This is sometimes called
an exclusion diet. For up to six weeks the dog must eat NOTHING else _ no treats,
no chews, no bones. However, if the skin gets better, this indicates but does
not confirm it was a food allergy. b) The next stage is to put the dog back
on its ordinary diet for up to two weeks. This is called a re-challenge. If
the skin inflammation returns, then this is proof that the diet was causing
it. c) Your dog will go back on the exclusion diet and a new ingredient will
be added, one at a time. If the new ingredient causes skin inflammation, then
the cause of the allergy is identified. The cause is identified, the specialist
will help you choose a new diet for your dog - probably a commercial diet which
excludes the problematic ingredients. Sometimes this process is short circuited,
and after feeding the exclusion diet, the owner is helped to try out different
commercial diets with varying ingredients to see if one can be fed without causing
the allergy.
2. ATOPY OR ATOPIC DERMATITIS
The dog is reacting to something in the environment which is normally harmless.
Possible causes or allergens can include dust-mites, skin dander, insects, pollens
or moulds. The specialist will normally do one or both of these tests. If the
dog has already been given steroids, then a delay may be necessary till these
leave the body. a) Skin testing. Your dog is given a sedative then an A5 size
patch of fur from the side of the chest is shaved. Up to sixty possible allergens
are injected into the skin. After 20 minutes the skin will redden at the spot
where the allergen was injecting. This shows which substances are causing the
allergy. Some sites may react after 24 hours. The dermatologist will usually
ask you to watch out for these and let him or her know. b) Serological tests.
A blood sample is taken and sent off for laboratory testing. The tests show
which allergens are producing antibodies in the blood. Serological tests are
not quite as exact as skin tests but are useful if skin tests fail, or if the
dog's skin is in such bad condition that a skin test cannot be run.
TREATMENT
Allergies cannot be cured and require lifelong treatment. However, with the
appropriate treatments the prognosis is generally very good. There must be proper
flea control and any skin infections must be treated. If a food allergy is partly
or wholly involved, a non allergic diet must be chosen.
1. Immunotherapy
If the cause of the allergy has been identified, then the dog can be treated
by injecting it with increasing amounts of the allergen. This will take up to
ten months of treatment and works in two thirds of the cases. The initial injections
will be given at a vet's surgery, to make sure the dog doesn't have an allergic
shock reaction. While this treatment is going on, your dog will continue to
need treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs like antihistamines or steroids.
Shampoos and ear cleaners will also be useful. If immunotherapy isn't suitable
or doesn't work, then the allergy has to be managed rather than cured. This
means a system of trying various things to see which works best.
2. Anti-inflammatory treatment
a) Antihistamines.
These are the same drugs used to treat allergies and sea sickness in humans,
although they should only be given under veterinary supervision. Your vet may
want to try several different drugs to find which works the best. They are generally
safe but may make the dog sleepy or cause tummy upsets. Unfortunately, only
50% of cases seem to respond.
b) Essential Fatty Acids
These are fish and plant (e.g. Evening Primrose or Borage) oils. Veterinary
products are preferred over cheaper brands that vary from batch to batch. The
initial course is usually eight weeks, as they take time to have an effect,
although again no more than 50% of cases tend to respond.
b) Steroids
These are very effective in stopping skin inflammation but in the long run may
have side effects. Given by mouth in as low a dose as possible and only every
other day they are usually well tolerated, although dogs on steroids should
have regular check ups.
c) Local applications
Peppermint oil, menthol compounds and camomile lotions can be soothing when
put on skin that is acutely inflamed.
3. Lifestyle management
The aim is to reduce the allergens in the dog's environment. This can involve
anti-dust-mite sprays, heavy hoovering, plastic dog beds, regular washing of
bedding, reducing the heat in the house (dust-mites thrive in heat); removing
carpets, keeping the dog out of bedrooms.
3. CONTACT ALLERGY
This is rare. It can be caused by carpet dyes, household cleaners, grass or
flower pollen. Other possible causes include a reaction to eye drops, ear drops
or shampoos. It is usually found on the underside of paws, the underside of
the body, or any part of the dog which has been in direct contact with the allergen.
Diagnosis
a) The dog is hospitalised for up to a week away from its environment. If the
skin improves, then a contact allergy may be suspected. b) Patch testing. The
dog is sedated and a large area of skin on the side of the body is shaved. The
suspect allergens are applied to the skin and secured there by a piece of gauze.
The area is bandaged and left for two to three days. (The dog has to wear an
Elizabeth collar to stop it tearing off the bandage.) The skin will become inflamed
where it has been in contact with an allergen.
TREATMENT
If possible the dog is kept from all contact with the allergen. This may involve
getting rid of carpets or avoiding certain places during the pollen season.
If this isn't possible then the dog may be treated with steroids either in pill
form or in ointment form.
BELLA. "Bella was originally taking antibiotics with steroids for her eczema but our vet felt he should eliminate the steroids. Now she is on half an antibiotic tablet twice a day for ten days, then ten days without, and no steroids. Paw licking is a problem and a compulsion. We lightly apply Vetsovate ointment. If severe we use baby's scratch mitts kept on with Micropore adhesive tape at night. We obtain these from Mothercare and they are washable. Sometimes her ears are inflamed and for this we use Panalog. She also has four Evening primrose capsules a day, as recommended by the Royal Veterinary College. To avoid flea bites, she is sprayed with Nuvan Top after every bath (and she is bathed at least once a week). We use Acclaim throughout the house and her bedding is regularly washed. She is allergic to grass, and as going on grass is unavoidable we wash her paws fairly frequently. Bella is five and a half years old and has had this problem since she was two, but this seems much happier and fitter because of the new routine. It could be this routine would help other people but obviously it is important to consult their own vet."
Animal Alternatives 020 8 940 3725 do a skin supplement with
omega oils.
Allergy testing. TLC Pet Allergy Testing http://www.animal-allergy.com
Vedbed now has an inbuilt Permafresh which is said to inhibit dust mites , might be good for dogs who are allergic to dust mites.