How common are allergies in dogs?
Well, I would say they're so common that I would venture to say that it is the most diagnosed problem we have in dogs in the country.
Dr. Robert Gribble
Vets of East Texas
What are some common dog allergies?
So, we live in Texas, and the top three dog allergies are fleas, fleas, and fleas. When we can rule out fleas, we take care of a lot of allergies. We have a lot of clients that come in, their dog is scratching, has hair loss over its tail and rump, and they don't understand why. We take a look and find some fleas, and they are very surprised when we say their dog has flea allergies, which could even be caused by one flea.
In addition to scratching, what other symptoms should I look for with allergies in my dog?
So scratching is by far the number one symptom. Hair loss goes along with the scratching because a lot of times they are scratching their own hair out. But redness and swelling of the skin, irritation, and ear infections are also common. Dogs with allergies often have red ears and exhibit what we call helicoptering, which is when they start shaking their head and their ears are flopping around. That's a very good signal that your dog may have an ear infection, which could have started out as an allergy problem.
How will a veterinarian test my dog for allergies?
Most of it is going to be through a physical exam. There are some allergies that we can't quite be sure of, so we do allergy testing. It used to be very similar to skin testing in humans, where they put some allergens under the skin and see how the dog reacts. Now we have a much simpler test where we can just draw blood, send it in, and get a list of things that your dog is allergic to. If we can't tell right away or we've ruled out the most common causes and need to look for something unusual, we may have to send your dog's blood in to determine what they are allergic to.
If I have to do the allergy testing, about how long does it take for results to come back?
We usually have results within a week. We send those blood samples in, and we'll have a list of allergens within a week.
What are common treatments for dogs with allergies?
We have some great treatments for dog allergies now. I'll start out with the one that is of zero help to your itchy dog, and that is any over-the-counter antihistamine. It may make your dog drowsy, and when they are sleepy, they don't scratch as much, but it is not reducing the itch. Studies show less than 15% of dogs will even have that drowsy effect. So, it's a waste of money if you want to try an antihistamine. We have much safer and more effective treatments now. Seven years ago, a drug called Cytopoint came out, which is an injection. It's a monoclonal antibody that works only on itch. In the most recent study, 100% of the dogs that received Cytopoint had reduced their itch scale by 50% in two months.
Is there anything I need to do differently in my home environment for my dog's allergies?
Flea prevention is the first thing we recommend here in Texas, and anywhere in the South where fleas multiply rapidly. If the temperature is above 80 degrees for more than 21 days in a row, you're going to have a lot of fleas. Some dogs may be allergic to carpet cleaning powders or other cleaning products, but those are rare cases.
How are allergies in dogs different from allergies in humans?
They are very similar. The same molecule called Interleukin 31 has itch properties in humans as well, and there are monoclonal antibodies for that in humans too. Humans will respond more to an antihistamine than a dog will, so you might see some benefit with that antihistamine for yourself but not for your dog. We talked about Cytopoint; another drug called Apoquil has been out for about 10 years and does a great job on itching. The only problem with Apoquil is that it has to be administered every single day. If they miss a day, they will spend that entire day itching. Cytopoint, the injection, lasts for eight weeks. The label says between four and eight weeks, so one shot can last up to two months. We encourage that injection because it means you don't have to give your dog a daily oral medication. When we've run out of options and nothing is helping, we might use corticosteroids, which are effective but have long-term side effects. We try to avoid them, especially in young dogs.
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