Coping with allergies
My cat grooms himself excessively and my vet suggested that it might be allergies. How do allergy tests for animals work and do they help?
Dr Lizahn von Zeuner of Tygerberg Animal Hospital (TAH) Sitari replies When it comes to diagnosing allergies, the symptoms differ vastly between pets. Dogs, for example, will often develop a rash or red discolouration of the skin. The skin also becomes very itchy, which leads to the animal scratching, rubbing or shaking its body or head.
Cats, on the other hand, often don’t scratch when they have itchy skin but will groom excessively, which leads to hair loss. Cats with flea bite allergies can also develop secondary crusty lesions all over the body.
Most allergies occur in spring and summer, but it depends on what allergen your pet is sensitive to. This can include anything from pollen, mould spores, agricultural chemicals and detergents to fleas, food and grass.
Allergen tests require testing the skin itself or blood tests to determine the number of antibodies produced against the allergen. Thereafter, an allergen-specific vaccine can be formulated. The principle behind these vaccines is to induce tolerance and decrease sensitivity to the allergen.
Treatment for allergies is done on an individual basis and depends on the allergy and your pet. The animal’s body will remain sensitive to the allergen and one needs to ensure avoidance, which is possible with certain food and flea allergies. An immune reaction can also be counteracted or reduced with the use of medication. In certain cases, pets will require chronic medication to ensure that symptoms are managed.
People often ask if they can give a pet Allergex. Antihistamine (such as Allergex) can reduce the effects and in certain cases be sufficient treatment, but it would be best to phone your vet and discuss the dosage options with him or her as you should never give pets human medicine without consulting your vet first.
It should be noted that allergy testing in pets has its limitations and the accuracy can be influenced by the region that you live in. Consult your veterinarian about whether an allergy test is feasible for your pet.
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