Itchiness, dry skin, sneezing and runny noses--the reasons why fall is the season that people who suffer from allergies dread. But humans aren't the only ones that allergy season affects. According to the Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Overland Park, Kan., skin and ear problems are the most common reason pets see their veterinarians, and those problems include allergies.
"Pets with fall allergies usually start to get bad when the ragweed starts flying, which is roughly around August 15," David Senter, D.V.M., said.
Senter, who specializes in dermatology, said that allergies in the fall tend to be much worse than allergies in the spring. This is because of the abundance of allergens in the air, including weeds like marsh elder, kochia, Russian thistle as well as pollens, dust, dust mites, danders, grass, molds, and insects.
"Pets that suffer have a generalized itchiness on their face, feet or belly," Courtney Gibbs, D.V.M., said.
The pet will scratch, lick and bite themselves to help relieve the itch. Some will scratch or bite themselves until they get raw spots on their skin.
"Allergies are genetic so they tend to occur year after year," Senter said. "They are often a 'slippery slope' that worsen as pets age."
The only way to prevent allergies is by breeding pets that do not suffer from allergies. For pets with already known allergies, the only way to prevent the symptoms is to avoid the allergen. Avoiding things in the air is hard, but there are many different treatment options to help pets that are suffering. The simplest option is a topical bath.
"We know the pet is inhaling the allergen," Gibbs said. "But sometimes they are laying in them too."
An anti-hystimine or an anti-inflammatory paired with omega-3 fatty acids is a common treatment to help alleviate the itch that costs less than $1 a day.
"I try to get them to cold weather. Most allergies around here are late summer or fall," William Bayouth, D.V.M., said. "When it gets really cold or snowy then it should let up."
Dogs with more severe itchiness can be placed on steroids or be given a steroid injection, but steroids have side effects that include increased drinking and urination as well as an increased appetite that can lead to weight gain. Steroids are not usually recommended for long term use because they affect the whole body, and can lead to liver damage and muscle loss.
"If I'm seeing the dog in June I would give it an injection to relieve the itch and pills until August or September," Bayouth said. "I try to keep it so I only see them a few times, so the cost is only around $150."
The most effective treatment for allergies is immunotherapy. A specialist performs intradermal allergy testing, a type of skin testing, to find out what the pet is allergic to. Based on these results an allergy vaccine, the immunotherapy, is made and given to the pet. The immunotherapy de-sensitizes the pet to the allergen so the next time they are exposed to it their immune system won't overreact and cause allergy symptoms. Immunotherapy is considered to be very safe as well.
The price for immunotherapy is considerably higher than that of other treatments though. The intradermal allergy testing costs between $250 and $300 and the immunotherapy itself costs about $1000.
Senter said the newest way to utilize immunotherapy is through a rapid desensitization called "rush immunotherapy".
"The allergic pet is rapidly exposed to the allergens it is allergic to over a one day period while in our clinic," he said. "After this, an injection is given every 7-14 days at home to continue the desensitization process."
Some breeds of dogs are more susceptible to allergies than others. Retrievers, Labradors, Shar-peis, terriers and spaniels tend to be the breeds that suffer the most.
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