About 10 percent of dogs have environmental allergies, and about 2 percent have food allergies.
Given that there are 68 million pet dogs in the United States, that makes for more than 8 million itchy pooches.
Although most people with allergies have respiratory problems-runny nose and sneezing-and no itchiness, in dogs, it’s the opposite.
This itchiness does not necessarily manifest itself as scratching, it also can be licking, biting and chewing. The feet, face, ears and belly are the areas most affected.
Northern California veterinarian Andrea Cannon, one of only about 150 vets in the United States who is board-certified in pet dermatology, says people should pay attention to their pet’s itchiness barometer.
“Does it seem worse after the dog plays outside, or is it worse early in the morning when the dog wakes up?” she asks.
“Do you notice the dog doesn’t itch when you visit Grandma on the Oregon coast? Or is the dog itchier when it eats a specific thing? It helps to notice what makes the itching better or worse.” Cannon says part of making a good diagnosis is making sure there are no secondary infections. Otherwise, she says, everything fails.
Treatment options
The technical term for environmental allergies is atopic dermatitis. It basically means that things in the environment like house dust mites, pollen and molds make your dog (or you) itchy. If your dog gets diagnosed with atopic dermatitis-something you should let your vet decide-there are four options.
Antihistamines
These are cheap and easily available over the counter, but they only work in 15 percent to 30 percent of dogs. The success rate is so low, they are not considered a good solution. Before giving any medication to a pet, even over-the-counter pills, check with your vet. Many allergy pills also contain substances such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), which can kill your pet.
Steroids
Varieties including prednisone work well for allergies. In fact, they have a 100 percent success rate with atopic dermatitis. However, steroids have bad side effects, with a shortened lifespan at the top of the list.
Immunotherapy
With immunotherapy, blood or skin tests are run on a dog to see what it is probably allergic to. These tests run about $300. Your dog will get specially formulated shots to minimize its sensitivity to the allergens. A three-month supply of shots costs about $160. Cannon says, “we tell people to consider it a lifelong therapy.” She says immunotherapy has about a 70 percent success rate.
Atopica
Atopica is a brand name for cyclosporine, found to help environmental allergies, working for 80 percent to 85 percent of dogs. Cannon says a 40-pound dog’s first month on Atopica would cost $200. “After that, we adjust the dosage based on response,” she says. “Long-term, for a 40-pound dog, you’re looking at $75 to $100 a month.”
