One of the most widespread medical issues affecting humans and animals is allergies, the immune system’s reactions to proteins that are not naturally present in the body. Allergies occur in animals for the same reason in humans: an overreaction to a foreign substance like pollen, dust, a dietary protein, or an insect bite. Extremely high numbers of white blood cells and histamines are released into the bloodstream due to this reaction. The resulting symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and persistent ear infections.
Which pet allergies resemble human allergies?
It’s very uncommon for pets to suffer from allergies, but there are many misconceptions about these cat and dog skin problems. If you can arm yourself with knowledge of pet allergies, you will be better equipped to give the necessary care to any affected pets.
Sneezing and watery eyes are not common in allergic pets, who often have abnormally itchy skin with symptoms such as skin lesions, hair loss, and constant scratching, chewing, licking, and rubbing. Chronic ear infections are also common in allergic pets. Some food allergies in pets cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea or chronic gas, but itchy skin is the most prevalent symptom.
Persistent Food Allergies in Pets
Many pet owners believe that food allergies are common in animals, yet only approximately 0.2% of dogs and 0.1% of cats are allergic to a food ingredient. The most usual allergy in pets is flea bite hypersensitivity, which happens when the pet is allergic to a flea’s saliva and a single flea bite causes an intense allergic reaction. Flea bites are most commonly observed on the pet’s tummy and groin, and your pet’s hair may fall off at the tip of its tail. Only complete eradication of fleas from your pet’s coat and environment will resolve their symptoms, and they should be placed on year-round flea preventive medicine at the Villa Rica Animal Hospital to prevent a recurrence.
Flea Presence for Diagnosis
Most pets with allergies groom themselves often, and when they do, they often get rid of all the fleas on their fur. You should also check your pet and their bedding for flea dirt. The tiny black dots are flea poop; if you find flea dirt on your pet and its skin is very itchy, your pet has an allergy to fleas.
Grain Free Diet to Lessen Allergies
Most pets are allergic to protein sources, like beef, dairy, chicken, or eggs. If a protein causes your pet’s allergy, a grain-free diet is just as likely to cause a reaction as other diets if the protein is the cause. Dietary elimination is the only way to know for sure what is causing your pet’s allergy. This means giving them a diet with only things they’ve never eaten. You can also use a hydrolyzed diet, in which the protein source is broken up into small pieces that the immune system doesn’t see as a threat.
Six to eight weeks are required for the trial diet. If their symptoms disappear during the treatment, they may have a food allergy, but they must return to their regular diet to see if they return. Symptoms will indicate a food allergy. They’ll then return to the trial diet and eat their original diet to see what prompted their reaction.
Frequently Switching Foods
Changing your pet’s food regularly will not prevent them from acquiring a food allergy, and it may expose them to an allergen that causes a reaction. Furthermore, changing your pet’s food regularly can cause gastrointestinal problems. For more information, you may read more regarding food allergies emergency situations.
Allergy Skin Testing
Allergy testing is performed on pets with environmental allergies (i.e., atopy). Atopy is suspected when a flea allergy is ruled out and the pet’s symptoms improve with symptomatic therapy. Intradermal skin testing or blood tests identify the allergens causing your pet’s reaction. Your veterinarian will use this information to develop hyposensitization therapy to address your pet’s atopy. Allergy injections and gradual doses of the causative allergens will be used in treatment to help desensitize your pet to the substances. Most pets require allergy shots for the rest of their lives, and 75% of cases improve.
Steroid Based Treatment
While steroids are frequently used to manage an acute allergic reaction, they can have serious side effects, such as immunosuppression, if used long-term. As a result, these treatments should be administered at the lowest effective dose and gradually tapered off as your pet’s condition improves. Washing your pet once a week with a moderate, non-irritating shampoo will help eliminate allergens from their skin and reduce inflammation.
