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Allergy is a very common condition in the dog and cat.
Symptoms may include mild to intense itching and chewing
of the skin, irritation and inflammation of the skin,
hair loss, sores on the skin, and sometimes sneezing,
or irritated eyes with discharge. Some cats develop
large ulcers on their lips as a result of allergy (so-called
rodent ulcer).
Affected animals may have a genetic or inherited cause
behind the development of allergy. Cells responsible
for allergies in affected cats and dogs release substances
in the body known as "mediators of inflammation",
such as histamine.
Allergies can be divided into four categories.
Let's look at each of these types of allergies separately,
and how they affect both cats and dogs.
Food Allergies:
Dog or cat food allergies are usually caused by one
or more ingredient found in pet foods or human foods
given to the pet. These can consist of meat products,
dairy, soy or wheat, carbohydrate sources, or additives
found in various food products.
Symptoms of food allergy usually include non-specific
itch anywhere on the body, with or without sores, irritation,
or hair loss. Tests for food allergy include blood
tests and skin testing. Unfortunately, these tests
tend to be unreliable.
Often times, withholding certain food items, or simply
changing the pet's diet to a hypo-allergenic or restricted
diet can be diagnostic, and is the treatment for such
cases as well. Response to diet change can take
from 6 to 8 weeks for results to be seen.
Cats can also vomit on occasion, or more frequently
as a result of food allergy. The so-called cat
that vomits hairballs, may in fact be allergic to something
in the diet. Thus, when the intestines are irritated
by allergy, the cat will vomit food, fluid, or hairballs-whatever
may be in the intestines or stomach at the time.
Hairball remedies and even hairball diets may not be
the answer. Often times, these cats require a
diet that is restricted in certain nutrients that may
cause the offending allergic reaction.
Inhalant Allergies:
Inhalant allergies are common in dogs and cats, and
are caused by inhaling plant pollens, molds, house dust,
and house dust mites (small critters that live in and
feed on dust).
In the dog, itch usually occurs about the face and
the feet, but can also occur in other areas of the body.
Cats have non-specific itch, but itch about the face,
neck, and thighs will occur most commonly.
In each case, sores, irritation, and hair loss may
or may not be seen. Suspect pollen allergy in
your pet, especially if they seem to be bothered during
certain seasons of the year.
Diagnosis is made by skin testing. Blood tests
can be done as well, but are not as reliable.
Treatments include removing the offending agents from
the pet's environment (sometimes quite difficult to
do), anti-itch medications (by mouth or applied directly
on the pet), and in some cases desensitizing the pet
to the offending agents causing the allergic reaction
(Allergy shots).
Flea Allergies:
Flea allergy is caused by the saliva of fleas.
Affected pets react to the flea saliva after being
bitten, and can exhibit signs of itch, sores, irritation,
hair loss, and signs of depression.
Fleas are very irritating to our pets, and can result
in a pet that itches and scratches constantly.
Dogs will commonly display flea allergy symptoms of
hair loss, sores, and irritation over the rump area,
down the hind legs, in the groin region (area between
the back legs), and along the tail.
Cats can develop tiny scabs around the neck, face,
groin, and trunk of the body.
Diagnosis is obvious if these symptoms occur along
with noticing these parasites on the pet. Fleas
are tiny, black, fast moving insects, which like to
stay as close to the skin as possible. Heavy hair
coats can make visual diagnosis difficult.
Flea combs available in most pet supply stores,
or sold by your veterinarian, can pick out the
fleas and their waste products (known as flea dirt)
from your pet's hair coat. Flea dirt appears as
tiny black specks, and will appear rust colored when
wet.
Bathing the pet with any approved detergent, will result
in the death of the flea, and they can then be seen
in the bath water. Sometimes, a pet affected with
many fleas, will result in a heavy load of flea dirt,
which when bathed, will turn the bath water a reddish
rust color.
Treatments include removing fleas from the pet and
environment with medications applied directly on the
pet or given by mouth, agents applied to the environment,
and anti-itch medications (given by mouth, applied directly
on the pet, or both).
Contact Allergies:
Contact allergies can be caused by a number of substances
in the environment which your pet comes in contact with.
Grass, weeds, certain mulches, carpet fibers, along
with some chemicals found in chemicals, products applied
directly on your pet (shampoos or dips), are some of
the substances which can cause contact allergies.
Most pets are affected by itch and irritation in the
area(s) of skin in which contact was made.
Diagnosis is sometimes made from obvious exposure history,
or by reducing or eliminating the pet's contact to suspected
substances.
Treatments include avoiding known causative substances
and anti-itch medication (given by mouth or applied
directly on the pet, or both).
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