Itchy Pet? It Could be Seasonal Allergies

Itchy Pet? It Could be Seasonal Allergies

               We’ve been seeing lots of itchy dogs and cats at Patton in the past few weeks. While fleas, proteins in dog and cat foods, and contact allergies are common causes of itching, many pets have seasonal allergies which appear in late summer and early fall.

               Dogs and cats can be allergic to many things in their environments.  Grass, trees, weeds/pollen, and molds are all common culprits.  Contact with these plants can cause your pet’s skin to lose hair and to become red and itchy.  Commonly affected areas include paws, legs and the belly and chest.  When pets scratch, the surface of the skin becomes broken and irritated and vulnerable to infection.  If these infections are not controlled, the skin remains itchy and permanent changes such as thickening and darkening of the skin can occur.

               While it is not usually possible to eliminate allergens from the environment, there are things that can be done to make your pet more comfortable and help keep allergy symptoms under control.

               Bathing pets with a mild oatmeal-based shampoo in cool/tepid water 1-2 times a week may reduce itching and soothe dry skin.  Wiping pets’ paws with an unscented baby wipe or damp towel after they’ve been outside may help to remove pollen from paws.  Keeping long haired pets well-groomed can also help.

               While antihistamines may help with mild itching, most pets need stronger medications to stop the itch.  If an infection is present, appropriate treatment must also be started for any yeast or bacteria on the skin which is why it is important to have pets checked by your vet if they are exhibiting signs of allergies.  Steroids used to be the mainstay of treating allergies and itching in dogs but drugs like prednisone can cause serious side effects like increased drinking and urination and occasionally symptoms like anxiety or aggression.  Today, a variety of newer medications exist to help tame itchy skin for our furry friends.  Apoquel is a tablet that works by blocking a protein from bonding to a cell receptor called a Janus Kinase receptor.  If the protein can’t bind, the itching stops.  An injectable medication called Cytopoint is also effective at controlling that itch and it lasts for 4-8 weeks providing long lasting allergy relief.  Cytopoint is an antibody that targets and neutralizes a cell protein that causes an itchy sensation.  These drugs are not approved for cats, so steroids are still used for our feline friends. Luckily cats tolerate steroid side effects much better than dogs.   Steroid use in dogs or cats is meant to be short term.

               What if your pet has frequent, chronic or severe allergies?  Blood tests to determine what plants or environmental allergens trigger your pet’s allergy symptoms can be performed.  The idea is not to remove triggers but rather to create a serum that is injected under the skin to desensitize pets to allergens thus reducing the reaction to grasses, pollens, trees and molds in future allergy seasons—basically, we create allergy shots for pets.

               Seasonal allergies can cause pets to be itchy and uncomfortable but luckily, we have many ways to keep pets calm and itch free this fall!  If your pet is itchy, make an appointment today and let our vets help.

               This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.