Allergy of the dogs and cats

Allergy (hyperergia) is the body's hypersensitivity (abnormally increased immune response) against foreign proteins. The excessive reaction is dose-independent, so any small amount of foreign protein can trigger such a reaction. A precondition for the development of allergy is that the body has met the allergen at least once before.

Dogs can be hypersensitive to a wide range of allergens, with the main groups being:

• inspiratory allergens
• pollen
• fungal spores
• tobacco smoke
• food ingredients (e.g. chicken, tomato, soy)
• contact allergy (e.g. wool or cotton)
• cat hair
• dust mites
• flea, cockroach
• bacterial metabolites

 

In principle, an allergic reaction can occur to anything. There are hundreds of allergens, listing of them is almost impossible.

There are some breeds of dogs in which allergies are more common (e.g. west highland white terrier). The allergic predisposition is genetically inherited and basically accompanies the animal until the end of his life, with various seriousness - where it is weaker, or even higher - through the course.

Symptoms appearing are similar for all allergens: dermatitis, redness, hair loss, itching. Itch may appear on any part of the body, most often starting with the chewing of the feet. The cheek, the abdomen and the lower part of the chest are also typical places. Itching occasionally increases to almost intolerance level. There is also frequent inflammation of the external auditory canal, as well as the involvement of the respiratory system in the form of cough, sneezing and runny nose. Diarrhea may also occur in case of food allergy. Flea allergy can be triggered by a single flea bite, so it can even develop without obvious flea infection. Typically, it appears on the back area, or in a German shepherd dog on the outside of the thigh in the form of a sudden developing exudative, highly itchy dermatitis ("hot spot"). With licking, the situation will be exacerbated by a self-reinforcing process that the animal cannot escape without treatment.

Since the symptoms are similar in all cases, it is not possible to determine what is the cause of the allergic reaction.

In more severe cases, in addition to symptomatic treatment, it is necessary to perform an allergy test to identify the allergens that cause itching. One of the methods is based on injecting allergens into the skin and detecting local skin swelling. Because of its disadvantages I suggest the other alternative. This is a blood test that can identify 91 potential allergens. In my experience, dogs are not sensitive to only one allergen in these severe cases, but also up to 5-25 allergens give positive reaction. The next step is to prepare a patient-specific hyposensitiser solution to gradually adapt the body to the proteins in question, thereby adjusting the immune system slowly. This may take several months, even years, but the therapy has no side effects.

The therapy of the feed allergy is possible with the elimination diet with dietary feed. Nowadays a wide selection of hydrolysed proteins is available, but the ingredients should be checked before buying.

Finally, a practical tip for dogs who are susceptible to allergy: to control the content of the perianal gland and to ensure continuous flea control. The large amount of substance accumulated in the perianal gland often causes itching, or makes the symptoms more serious. Consider this as a basic starting point.

Pillars of allergy cure:

- empty of the perianal gland

- flea control

- topical treatment with ointment

- systemic treatment: symptomatic attenuation of the itch

- elimination of the allergen, removal of it from the animal's environment or feed (if possible)

- protective collar against licking

- hyposensitizing treatment