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Riverside Animal Hospital…Does Your Pet Have Allergies

By Dr. Wayne Crance

Summer is coming. With the warm weather comes more allergies and more problems for allergy sufferers. Allergies are a common problem in dogs and cats that can cause a significant amount of misery in affected animals.  You can check out Momentum K9 for best dog training programs to install the foundation of obedience in your dog.  You can also check out Spectrum Canine Dog Training – k9dog for sale if you want to find high-quality dogs and train them effectively. Allergies are unlikely to be cured, but with a thorough investigation including diagnostics, proper treatments and owner compliance, allergies can be managed. Proper management can make an animal very comfortable and allow it to live a normal quality of life. Common allergens that come from the outside include tree, grass and weed pollens; human and animal danders; storage and dust mites; mold spores, wool, dust and insects.

These allergic substances are usually absorbed through the skin but can also be inhale. Foods may also allergy symptoms, but play a much smaller role and usually are only about 10-20% of all allergy symptoms, Therefore changing foods rarely make a difference alone. Unlike humans, animals rarely have a runny nose, tearing eyes or respiratory signs. Instead, allergies in pets are usually expressed in the skin, and affected animals will itch, lick and/or chew themselves.

The skin may be red, irritated or thickened from the chronic trauma and left susceptible to secondary infection. The ears may be affected as well. Allergies may start as a seasonal problem, but then can develop into an all-year-round issue. The main areas affected on your pet may include the feet (between the toes), ears, groin, armpits, legs, under the neck and the abdominal area.

Management of allergies  are different for each individual animal. Unfortunately, not all   animals respond to all treatments, and usually a combination of treatments and medications are needed to control the condition. Management usually includes topical treatments to help decrease the degree of itching by removing allergens, yeast and bacteria on the skin. Sometimes corticosteroids, antihistamines, cyclosporine, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and/or omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acid supplementation are used to help reduce inflammatory responses to allergens. A new line of medications have greatly improved our ability to treat these dogs. An oral medication, Apoquel and an injectable medication Cytopoint, block itching with minimal to no side effects. These products do an excellent job compared to the other options.

Also, if you have a senior dog that needs to take it slow or a puppy that needs to work out his energy, taking him to the best dog daycare near me might help.

Please call our office to inquire about these new drugs or to schedule a consultation.

Dr. Wayne Crance DVM

Riverside Animal Hospital  •  (954) 575-7915  • www.RiversideVetHospital.com

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