Spring is here! Unfortunately this is also the time of year that our four legged friends become increasingly itchy with the snow melt and change in weather. There are many reasons as to why your dog could be itchy. Some of the most common causes are external parasites including Fleas, mites and lice. Other causes include bacterial or fungal infections, contact allergies and food allergies.
An Allergy is a state of hypersensitivity of the immune system to a particular substance referred to as an allergen. Dogs with allergies develop a hypersensitivity reaction or response to substances such as pollens, flea saliva and many others. It is common that dogs develop skin symptoms, especially itchiness, though it can cause affects to the respiratory or digestive tracts or even the eyes.
It is common for there to be multiple causes for itchiness at the same time. Having your pet on year round flea prevention can help to lower the itch threshold, by removing one of the possible allergens.
Diagnosis of allergies is not an easy process. A large portion diagnosing is based on the clinical signs and ruling out other causes for their itchiness. For this reason a thorough medical history will help to narrow down the causes.
To find out the exact cause of your dog’s itchiness allergy testing would be required. In 80% of cases allergy testing provides a specific diagnosis. In approximately half of the serum treated dogs showed significant improvement in the itch factor.
Other treatments include Anti-inflammatory medications including corticosteroids and antihistamines.Certain omega fatty acids (omega 3) have shown relief for many pets with allergy skin. In some cases antibiotic may be required if there is a secondary bacterial infection. However, it is important to know these medications only treat the clinical signs, not the underlying allergy.
There are other medical conditions that can be connected with atopy. Hypothyroidism or low thyroid gland production has effects on the skin and can worsen the skin conditions in those patients with atopy. If your dog has chronic skin infections they should have a blood test to check for hypothyroidism. If your pet has hypothyroidism, desensitization therapy and anti-inflammatory medications will often fail to help unless the underlying thyroid disease is treated and controlled.
For more information regarding allergies or to learn more about hypothyroidism please visit our website at www.muskokaveterinarygroup.com
