Atopic Dermatitis Treatments for Dogs.
June 21, 2010
Dog Allergy Treatments Tips. Atopic Dermatitis Treatments
If you think humans are the only ones who get allergies, you’re wrong.
My dog would lick his paws and even chew bald spots on his side. The poor guy was obsessed. We thought it might be fleas but deep down I believe it was allergies.
Did you know more than 25 percent of dogs in the United States are estimated to suffer from some form of allergies. Pets have problems with the same allergens as humans, and in a strange role reversal, can even be allergic to their owners.
But the most common allergic condition for dogs is atopic dermatitis.
Seven million U.S. dogs suffer and need treatments from the Atopic Dermatitis condition which is a severe, itchy skin disease that results in hypersensitivity to environmental allergens such as pollen, mold and dust mites. It is similar to Mange (see below).
Your veterinarian can tell if your dog has atopic dermatitis and requires treatment, but there are also some things for you to consider.
If your dog sheds a lot it does not necessarily denote ill health. It may be a sign of a simple flea infestion.
Dogs that spend a lot of their time indoors are also exposed to electric lights and central heat and air which can throw off their normal shedding schedule that nature built in. However, profuse shedding may have other causes like an unbalanced diet, a kidney or bladder infection or a parasitic ailment.
You may need to consider asking your vet about Atopic Dermatitis Treatments.
If your dogs shedding leads to bald spots it could be Atopic Dermatitis and you should seek help from your veterinarian as soon as possible.
All severe shedding conditions are either parasitic or non-parasitic.
Parasites can be as simple as yeast, mold and fungus.
Parasitic means caused by parasites such as mites or fleas.
Non-parasitic means conditions created by a hormonal imbalance and or poor diet, which can easily be treated with vitamins and a more controlled diet.
Eczema is a symptom of an underlying disorder, usually dietary, rather than a disease. In older animals and altered ones, it may be caused by a hormonal imbalance due to a change of body chemistry.
A veterinary dermatologist specializing in Atopic Dermatitis Treatments offers four tips:
1. Know the signs of Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dogs groom excessively, licking or chewing their paws, abdomen and hindquarters. Their ears may be red and hot to the touch. Watch for stains from licking or hair loss in the armpits, groin or between the toes of the paws.
2. See your veterinarian about a Atopic Dermatitis Treatment
While atopic dermatitis is one of the most common canine allergies, dogs can also have allergies to food, vaccines, insect bites or drugs.
Your veterinarian can help you determine why your pooch is suffering and suggest ways to alleviate the discomfort.
3. Consider Atopic Dermatitis Treatments among your options
If your dog is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, your veterinarian may prescribe treatments including medications given orally. Atopica® (Cyclosporine capsules, USP) Modified. It’s the only option approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long-term treatment of canine atopic dermatitis and blocks the allergic response that causes itching without the serious side effects of steroids.
Veterinarians also use immunotherapy, or allergy shots as treatments, to decrease a pet’s sensitivity to a specific allergen.
4. Control the allergens.
Do what you can to reduce the allergens in your dog’s world. Use allergen-resistant bedding; keep the humidity low inside your home to minimize dust mites and mold; keep your dog away from unmowed grass, high grass and weeds; and, during peak allergy season, limit outdoor activity in the early morning, when pollen levels are at their highest.
The skin becomes scaly and the hair falls out in patches. You must correct the cause by hormone injections or a change in diet, usually by adding fat supplements of Vitamin A and E.
Eczema can also be caused by fleabite allergy, or a parasitic condition. However, these bald spots usually appear suddenly and resemble lesions, or burns. To treat these, after veterinarian diagnosis, you must eliminate the fleas and use a local application of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medicines.
Bald spots can also be caused by mange.
There are two types of mange, ot mange, Sarcoptic mange or “Scabies”, which has a musty odor, often starts on the head and spreads to the ears, tail, the abdomen, chest and under the front legs. Skin eruptions may take the form of red dots or blisters, then scabs. Your veterinarian can provide medicated baths; generally sulfur preparations and anti-itch topicals.
The second type of mange is Follicular or Demodectic mange or “red mange”, caused by a different family of mites that burrows into the hair follicles and most often attacks young puppies.
Entire litters can be born with it. It is more serious and persistent that the other variety. In the most serious cases, pustules dot the skin where the hair has fallen out. Veterinary treatment will include oral medications and external treatments to kill the mites, but this type of mange takes a long time to cure.
Lastly, he may have contracted ringworm, a contagious fungal infection, (non-parasitic), that grows on hair follicles, rather like athletes foot.
Your vet will advise strict treatments and anticontagion measures, since it is communicable to humans.
Treatments include oral medications, anti-fungal shampoos or dips, and frequent applications of iodine.
Remember, shedding is a symptom of an underlying condition that is best diagnosed by your Veterinarian usually by microscopic analysis of skin scrapings and or blood tests.
While bald spots may not be life threatening, the animal is suffering and the conditions usually only get worse with time, so asking your veterinarian for his opinion is more sensible than just worrying about it.
I hope you found the information helpful and find Atopic Dermatitis Treatments to help your pet get over their allergic condition.
