Itchy Pets and Allergies 

Your pet may suffer from an underlying allergy. Unlike humans who often have respiratory signs from allergies, dogs and cats with allergies often are extremely itchy and have secondary skin and ear infections. 

Common Symptoms:
Itching all over  
Excessive licking of the feet
Shaking head/scratching the ears +/- otitis (ear infection)
Scooting or chewing at the rear end
Rubbing excessively on the belly and back
Bacterial and fungal skin infections
Skin changes including redness, hair loss, thickening and darkening

For all causes of allergies, treatment includes relieving the patient's itch and treating the secondary infections with antibiotic and possibly antifungal medications. It is important to understand that just like in people, allergies cannot be cured, but they can be managed to decrease the frequency and intensity of “flare ups.” How allergies are managed depends on the type of allergy (or allergies - pets can have more than one!) 

Types of Allergies:
Flea allergy (Flea Allergy Dermatitis) THIS IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF ITCHING
While all flea bites itch, some pets are extremely allergic to flea saliva and one bite can trigger a significant allergic response. Veterinarians often suspect this allergy when we see itching, hair loss, and skin infection in the back half of the body. After treating infections, keeping ALL pets in the household on a monthly or quarterly flea prevention can virtually eliminate this allergy. 

Common flea prevention we use include Simparica, Bravecto, Revolt and Seresto. We do not generally recommend over the counter flea medications, such as Frontline or Hartz, as we find many no longer provide any protection, and some can be deadly, especially to cats.

Food Allergy
Just like people, pets can be allergic to foods! While animals can be allergic to anything, it is most often to the protein source in their diet - such as chicken, beef, turkey, etc. Food allergies often start quite young in life but may also develop later in life. It is common to see licking at the feet, reoccurring ear infections, and anal gland sacculitis (infection/inflammation) in these patients. Food allergies are more expected if the symptoms occur year-round.
The only way to diagnose food allergies is a strict food trial. This involves switching foods to a hydrolyzed or novel protein prescription diet (often Hill’s Z/D or Royal Canin Ultamino) and feeding exclusively that diet - with NO treats or flavored medications - for 8-12 weeks. Please speak with us for more details about food trials if this is something you would like to pursue. 

Environmental Allergy (Atopy, or Atopic Dermatitis)
It is very common for animals to have seasonal or year-round allergies to the environment. This is commonly set off by the same allergens as in people - pollens, dander, dust mites, and mold spores, although technically anything in the environment can be responsible. Because it is impossible to completely eradicate allergens from the environment, these allergies often require long term medications to keep pets comfortable. 
Medications often used for atopic dermatitis include steroids, Apoquel, Atopica, Cytopoint, and specially formulated allergy shots/drops. Long term use of most of these medications does require routine lab work monitoring your pet’s red and white blood cell counts and organ function. This is often performed every 6-12 months depending on patient age.
 
There are also a few at home treatments that you can try.  Options can include:

• giving 50 mg/pound of fish oil once daily.  
• making a skin soothing spray by mixing 1 part witch hazel with 3 parts liquid aloe and keep it in a spray bottle in the refrigerator to spray on itchy hot spots.  
• soothing baths with soothing shampoo (oatmeal or aloe).

There are a few things we can consider doing to manage itchiness:
 - Antihistamines:  Over the counter or prescription antihistamines can be effective in dogs with mild allergic skin disease or as an adjunctive treatment.  There are several different types, and effectiveness can vary dog to dog.  Please be careful that there are no additional drugs in the pill (as there sometimes are in “cough and cold” formulas) as these may be harmful.  The most common side effect is sedation.  

The following are doses that are appropriate for canine use:

• Cetirizine (Zyrtec): 10mg/30lbs up to 20mg ONCE a day
• Loratadine (Claritin): 10mg/30lbs up to 20mg up to TWICE a day
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl): 1mg/pound up to TWICE a day 

Dogs are much less sensitive to antihistamines than people are. Try each antihistamine for 2 weeks before trying a different one.

As allergies cannot be cured and can be frustrating to treat, and we absolutely understand that. While it can sometimes take time to discover the best treatment option, our goal is to keep your pet as comfortable as possible, minimize the flare-ups and infections, and avoid any medication side effects. This is best accomplished by administering the full course of any prescribed medications, attending any scheduled follow-up appointments, performing routine recommended lab work, and keeping your pet on a routine flea preventative.