Vet Speak: Soothing the itch that dogs prone to allergies may suffer can be a real challenge
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Antoine was a handsome three-year-old bichon frise who every year, around spring, was brought into the surgery with an irritating problem, writes vet Alison Laurie-Chalmers.
His skin was very itchy and inflammed, particularly under his tummy and around his groin and armpits.
Investigations revealed a lifelong skin condition called atopic dermatitis, an allergic skin disease caused by hypersensitivity to common substances in the environment.
Allergic reactions can be brought on by normally harmless substances such as mould spores, house dust mites, food storage mites and other environmental allergens including grass, weed and tree pollens.
Certain breeds of dog such as West Highland white terriers, golden retrievers, poodles, French bulldogs, Chinese shar-peis, bichon frises, shih tzus and cocker spaniels are more prone to developing this disease.
Dogs can show first signs of the disease between three months and six years of age, though atopic dermatitis can be so mild during their first puppy year that often it does not become clinically apparent until their third year.
Atopy usually presents with intense itching, scratching, rubbing, licking and overgrooming as well as rashes, sneezing, watery eyes, paw chewing and generalised skin inflammation commonly affecting the skin around the eyes, muzzle, ears, lower limbs, paws, abdomen, armpits, and groin.
Saliva staining on the licked coat is commonly seen in these animals, noted as a red-brown staining of hair. The skin itself may also change colour, with a black mottling slowly developing, especially if the skin has been inflammed for some time.
Secondary bacterial and yeast infections are common, causing painful, chronic ear infections, and sometimes also eye problems.
Finding out exactly what your dog is allergic to can be particularly challenging. Your vet will want a complete medical history to determine the underlying cause of the skin allergies, including a full physical examination to rule out other obvious causes of intense itching – for example, fleas!
Blood tests, involving serology allergy testing, may be performed, but do not always have reliable results. Intradermal allergy testing, where small amounts of test allergens are injected under the skin and any reactive weal response measured, may also be used.
Treatments can include medications to reduce inflammation and relieve itching, baths, topical treatments, skin supplements and often a special diet. Allergen avoidance is useful if the actual allergens are known. Desensitisation therapy and immunomodulatory medications can be given. Along with these, antibiotics or antifungal medicines are often required to treat the secondary skin infections that result from the allergies. Treatment is often more about long-term management rather than finding a cure.
Thankfully, the handsome Antoine responded very well to his advised treatments for his annoyingly recurrent springtime itch and his skin was monitored regularly at the surgery.
If your dog is showing any of these signs of atopic dermatitis, do contact your vet for a check up as this can quickly progress into a painful skin condition.
– Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant at Crown Vets.
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