Copthorne VetsMention allergies to most dog owners and they will probably start to think about either food allergies or seasonal pollen allergies, both of which are very common causes of skin irritation in dogs, although many so-called dietary allergies are strictly intolerances rather than allergies, and may be associated with gastro-intestinal signs as well as cutaneous signs.
Now if your dog has had an upset tummy over the Christmas period, don’t jump to the conclusion that he has an allergy to turkey – the chances are it was the excess of food, or the offering of unfamiliar foodstuffs that was more than his gut could cope with. Interestingly, genuine dietary allergies can be very tricky to diagnose: blood tests are unreliable, and often a presumptive diagnosis is made on the grounds of clinical improvement in response to a strict exclusion diet fed over a number of weeks.
Blood tests can be useful in evaluating other types of allergy, however. These tests measure the levels of certain types of antibody in the blood – proteins the dog produces in response to a range of substances associated with canine allergy, such as pollens and components of house dust. In the summertime, pollens are the usual cause of allergy, in the same way that they cause hay fever signs in people.
But even in the depths of winter, we seem to be identifying more and more dogs with so called indoor allergies, and these are to substances difficult to avoid for any dog allowed to share the warmth and comfort of an indoor lifestyle.
Common indoor allergens include various house dust mites found in the carpets and soft furnishings, certain moulds (particularly a problem in the winter when doors are kept closed to keep the heat in), the skin dander of cats, and storage mites found particularly in dry feedstuffs.
Although, with the best will in the world, it is difficult to eliminate these things from most pets’ environments, it is possible to reduce exposure to some extent. One thing we’ve done for a number of sufferers is to put them through a desensitisation course. This involves giving serial injections of the substances that the pet is allergic to, starting with low doses and gradually increasing.
Continuing this controlled exposure over a number of months potentially re-educates the immune system to respond more calmly when exposed to the allergens in natural situations, and we have had appreciable success in reducing itch levels in a number of sufferers. The nice thing about this approach to allergy management is that it provides a safe and practical alternative to the repeated or continuous use of steroids and anti-histamine drugs.
Martin Hall is a partner at Copthorne Veterinary Clinic in Shrewsbury
