Alleviate Your Pet's Allergies

Dr. Debbye Turner Gives Tips On How To Make Your Furry Friends Feel Better

(CBS) 
Pets are often allergic to foods such as beef, corn, soy and wheat. When you take these things out of the pet's diet, you can determine what they have reactions to. But the allergic effects of food can stay in the system for eight weeks. According to HealthyPet.com, you may have to keep your pet on a special hypoallergenic diet for eight to 12 weeks to see how he reacts. You might have to repeat the process several times before you figure it out.

Contact Allergies

Contact allergies, which could be caused by the polish on the floor or wool rugs, are the least common allergy in animals. The chemicals in flea collars can also cause this problem. The skin at the point of contact will be irritated: It could itch, become thickened or discolored, smell or lose hair due to constant biting or scratching, according to HealthyPet.com.

Contact allergies are not a huge problem because they're usually limited to a specific area of an animal's body and the allergen isn't hard to find.

Testing

Scratch tests involve making small abrasions in an animal's skin and inserting small amounts of materials that the veterinarian thinks the pet might be allergic to. According to HealthyPet.com, if the animal is allergic to one of the substances, that scratch will become irritated. There are also several blood tests your veterinarian can use help identify whether the pet's problem is allergies or something else.

Treatments

Symptomatic Treatment

Soothing shampoos, oatmeal baths and Epsom salts can provide your pet some relief. Your veterinarian could also suggest ointments, ear treatments or sprays. HealthyPet.com says to consult with your veterinarian before a treatment. Symptomatic treatments will only provide temporary respite from the allergy. Ask your veterinarian for long-term treatment ideas.

Antihistamines

These drugs, much like the allergy medication people take, block histamines, but they can cause sedation. Turner said you can also use over-the-counter antihistamines.

"You need to talk to your veterinarian, because they are dosed for a human being," she said of the size differential between people and their pets. "But antihistamines work."

Steroids

Steroids suppress the immune system, thus reducing allergic reaction. Steroid treatment can work even if you can't determine what your pet is allergic to or how he's being exposed. But steroids can cause weight gain, increased thirst and urination, and increased aggression, according to HealthyPet.com. Steroids are used if the allergy occurs for a short amount of time, because long-term use makes animals more prone to infection, and susceptible to diabetes and seizures.

Immunotherapy

According to HealthyPet.com, immunotherapy is one of the best ways to treat allergies, but it takes the most time to work. Just like people, animals are given regular vaccinations that contain small amounts of the substance they're allergic to and the immune system gradually becomes desensitized to the allergen, says HealthyPet.com. It takes some time for the immune system to readjust, sometimes six to 12 months.

For more information, visit HealthyPet.com and
The Humane Society of the United States Web sites.