b'Allergies In Dogs:Scratching The SurfaceBy Timothy Hodge, DVMTimothy Hodge, DVM is theowner/practitioner ofHarbourside Animal Hospitaland Cross Creek AnimalMedical CenterHave you noticed your pet scratching a lot lately, shaking ownerswillnoticefromtheirpetisexcessivelicking,their head or chewing/licking at their paws?Are there skin scratching or chewing, odor from the ears or skin, hair loss,sores, scabs and crusts?Does the skin feel hot or look red crusted skin lesions, greasy or oily skin, scaly, dry or redand inflamed. If so, most likely it is due to allergies, or med- skin, stained or inflamed paws.ically known as atopy. This condition is very disturbing to Recurrence of skin infections and/or ear infections isboththedogandowner,andnegativelyimpactsthe also common in allergic pets. These infections can be bac-human-animal bond.Some dog breeds are predisposed to terial or fungal (yeast) infections, and commonly both.Forallergies and thus it is thought they may have some genetic somepets,thesesymptomsareseasonaloronlycertaincomponent,(Bulldogs,WestHighlandWhiteTerriers, times of the year, but for many, unfortunately, they are year-ChineseShar-Peis,WirehairedFoxTerriers,Golden round.Once the cause of the allergy (and secondary issues)Retrievers, Dalmatians, Boxers, Boston Terriers, Labrador is better known, you and the veterinary team can maintainRetrievers, Lhasa Apsos, Scottish Terriers, Shih Tzus), but the best health for your pet by helping to control how theany dog can have allergies.body reacts and the discomfort that your pet is feeling.A diagnosis of allergies is based on clinical signs andSo, specifically, what is allergies/atopy, how is it diag- ruling out other similar looking issues. To diagnose aller-nosed and what can we do to treat the condition?gies/atopy, a comprehensive exam to evaluate the coat, skinA simple definition of allergies is a state of over-reactiv- and fur is needed. This helps to establish if there are anyity or hypersensitivity of the immune system to a particular specific patterns of disease that can better narrow the diag-substance knows as an allergen.Most allergens are plants nosis and rule out certain issues.Flea combing to check for(tree pollen, grasses, weeds), dust, dust mites, grain mites, parasites is a must, as these are so common. There may bedander, mold/mildew, parasites (fleas, ticks, lice) or food. several diagnostic tests done to best determine the cause(s)Basically, the body over-responds to these substances. of their allergy problems, look for secondary infections andThisover-reactivityleadstoclinicalsignsassociated disease to determine aspects that need to be addressed.with the release of numerous chemicals (histamines, mast Several diagnostic tests can be done by the doctor incells, cytokines, etc) that start an inflammatory cascade, or your veterinary office (many with results on the same day).chain reaction effect. The most common symptoms that This is needed to indicate how to best treat your pet.80THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'