Tis the Season for Allergies By Jaime Smoot Speed
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imagine a few readers have been in this position… sitting at the Veterinarians office, explaining that you have religiously used the flea prevention they recommended, fed the best possible food you can afford, checked blood work yearly, and given your heart worm prevention regularly. Yet, despite all these efforts, your pet is balding, shaking his head, itching like it’s his job, licking his paws, or simply has a terrible odor from his ears, skin, or anal glands. These visits to the Veterinarian can be quite costly, as they must not only find the underlying cause of “Fido’s” problem, but also determine what secondary factors are adding to his discomfort, such as bacterial or fungal infections. Then they must determine the appropriate oral medications, topical medications, or combination of the two. One of most common causes of these problems is an allergy. Unlike people, dogs and cats exhibit allergies more through the skin than the respiratory tract. This means they will itch far more often than they sneeze or cough. There are several different types of allergies. The most common is to insects and the least common allergy is to an ingredient in the food. But between those two types is an elusive allergy called atopy. This is an allergy to something in the environment… Grasses, molds, trees, dust mites, storage mites, weeds, bacteria, or yeast. While insect allergies do exhibit a certain pattern, atopy and food sensitivities can look identical. Animals can develop these allergies at any time in their life. However, it is most common for Atopy to develop between ages 1 and 3. This is considered a heritable condition, so certain breeds of animals are more predisposed than others. The more popular your dog breed is, the more likely they are to develop atopy. If
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you have a German Shepard, Boxer, Shi Tzu, Dachshund, Lab, or Golden Retriever, this is one of the times of year to be on the lookout. People tend to assume their pets allergies are standard and constant. We most commonly hear that a dog has “ear mites” when they have itching ears or that a certain food caused this flareup. The reality is much more complex. Allergies can present for many more reasons than the average person considers, and even if your pet has had this problem for years, the way a Vet treats them can vary based on time of year, the expected cause, and the type of infection they have secondary to their allergy. Trade Secret: your dog RARELY has ear mites. They most often have a combination of yeast and bacterial infection that takes testing and proper medication to treat. This is why your Vet asks to see them and do testing to properly treat the problem. Some of you may ask, “Well, I have had many pets over the course of my life and this is the first pet that has had so many problems!” Yes, allergies are ever increasing in humans and in pets. This is due to a variety of factors, including breeding practices, changing environmental exposures, and the increase in close human to pet contact. There has been an explosion of research in pet allergies, and new oral and injectable medications can help to reduce the inflammation in your pet’s skin. However, truth be told, allergies take a multifaceted approach. Supplements and bathing are very important in allergy management. In general, omega fatty acids are great oral supplements that help. Your veterinarian can help you determine if you need moisturizing, follicular flushing, or antimicrobial shampoos, and they can direct you on how often to bathe. Often with allergies, your pet will need a bath at least once weekly. Supplements, medicated bathing products, and insect control products can be found at your Veterinarians office or local pet stores, such as Clayton Claws & Paws in downtown Clayton.
Jaime Smoot Speed was born in West Virginia, went to James Madison University with a BS in molecular biology, then worked at Johns Hopkins doing research until attending UGA for Vet School. She graduated 2010 and moved to Clayton with her husband who is a native five years ago. She works part time at Rabun Animal Hospital. She opened Claws & Paws in December 2020. You can reach Claws & Paws at 706-212-7322 or visit their website: claytonpawsandclaws.com or on facebook and instagram: @claytonclawsandpaws
