Canine Allergies

Veterinary Wellness Partners • Feb 06, 2013
Canine Allergies
Veterinary Wellness Partners
Wed, 02/06/2013 - 12:41am

Did you know that your pet can experience allergies to many of the same things that you do?  Atopy is the veterinary medical term that is used to describe the allergic response to environmental allergies.  Dogs can also experience food allergies.  Some dogs are even allergic to insect bites and bee stings.  An additional cause of allergies, which is called  Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) , is due to those pesky fleas!

Allergies in dogs show up in different ways than allergies in people.  People often experience respiratory and periocular (around the eyes) signs when reacting to allergens.  Allergens are the substance that triggers the allergic response by the body.  In dogs, allergies typically show up as skin infections, licking at the feet and recurrent ear infections.  

Allergies in dogs are often treated using a corticosteroid, such as prednisone.  While diagnostic and treating your pet, we also need to try to determine exactly what is triggering the allergic response by your dog.  This is often the challenging part.  Allergies are acquired to substances that the body has seen before, meaning that it is not a new substance that is triggering the allergy, but rather something that is likely 

We see a lot of allergies, especially this time of year.  There are many allergens present in the air in the areas surrounding Orrville, Dalton and Wooster.  The agricultural activity also serves to stir up many pollens, as farmers plow their fields throughout Wayne County.  Call our office for an appointment to discuss your pet if he/ she is itching or scratching.

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