It is said that in recent years, allergic dermatitis has been on the rise due to the diversification of pets indoors and pet food. Allergic dermatitis is a complex disease with many unknowns and treatment requires many aspects, so it is important for pet owners to understand this disease. This time, Kasubaki of Tamakawa will explain in detail what kind of disease allergic dermatitis is, how to diagnose and how to treat it. Let's learn about this disease and let your cute dog get rid of painful itching.

▊What is dog allergies?

Allergies refer to the excessive response of the immune system that usually eliminates viruses, bacteria, cancer cells, etc. to substances that are usually harmless, such as pollen, dust, indoor dust or food, which causes harmful inflammatory reactions in the body.    

The substances that cause allergies are called "allergens", and typical diseases include atopic dermatitis, food allergies, and hay fever.

▊Dog breed and age that are prone to allergies are considered to be related to the onset of allergic dermatitis. Common dog breeds include Shiba Inu, West Highland White Terrier, Shih Tzu, Golden Retriever, Yorkshire Terrier, Beagle, Labrador Retriever, Hiloty (Hillet Collie) and Maltese.

The onset age is relatively young, with about 70% of cases occurring under the age of 3 and about 85% of cases occurring under the age of 5.

▊Causes of dog allergies, allergic dermatitis in dogs include "flea allergic dermatitis", "food adverse reactions (food allergies)" and "canine atopic dermatitis". The names of these diseases vary according to allergens (foreign objects that cause itching).

Flea allergy

Flea allergy is an allergic reaction to flea saliva, which can cause abnormal itching even if you are bitten by fleas.

Food allergies

Food allergies can cause an allergic reaction to any ingredient, but it is said that this reaction is most likely to occur on proteins.

Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a disease that you may often hear about. It refers to dermatitis that causes allergic reactions to the environmental allergens contained in the air, such as indoor dust, dust, pollen, etc.   

As mentioned above, there are many types of allergens. Due to the involvement of a variety of factors, it is extremely difficult to identify allergens and requires time and patience.

▊Symptoms of allergic dermatitis in dogs

The main symptoms of allergic dermatitis are itching. On the contrary, if it doesn’t itch, it is not allergic dermatitis. Common irritation areas are around the eyes, mouth, ears, armpits, inner thighs, anus, and hands and toes. Exception is that flea allergies usually cause itching mainly in the back and tail.

Scratching can cause scratches and eczema. Additionally, if the condition becomes chronic, the skin may become thicker (called mossification) or darker (called pigmentation).

Asensitivity dermatitis begins with itching, so if you notice that scratching increases even without eczema, this may be a sign of allergic dermatitis.

▊Test and diagnosis of dog allergies

allergic dermatitis is not the only skin disease that causes itching. Therefore, it is very important to make an exclusion diagnosis when diagnosing allergic dermatitis. There are four diagnostic procedures for allergic dermatitis. The first step in diagnosis of

parasitic

is to rule out parasite diseases. Check the skin for fleas, ticks, or external parasites such as scabies, scabies. Fleas and ticks live on the surface of the skin, so check by visual inspection or using a flea handle.

Scabies and Demodex mites live deep in the skin, so skin scratch tests or hair removal tests are required. It is important to know if you are taking flea and tick preventive measures and what type of preventive medications you are using. The second diagnostic step for infectious diseases is to rule out infectious diseases. This mainly checks for infections of Staphylococcus and Malassezia. This test is called the Skin Imprint Test, and is stamped on the surface of the skin using cellophane tape.

The presence of Staphylococcus and Malassezi can be confirmed by staining with a staining solution and observing under a microscope. If you have checked so far, no parasites or pathogens are found, but you still feel itchy, then you are very likely to have allergic dermatitis.

Food allergy

The third item to be ruled out is food. To diagnose if you have food allergies, we will conduct an exclusion diet test. The test involves feeding only hypoallergenic food and water for two months and assessing the itching at the end of the test.

There are two types of hypoallergenic foods; one is a new type of protein food, that is, foods that use ingredients you have never eaten before. Another category is amino acid food, which is a therapeutic food that goes through a special process called hydrolysis to reduce the molecular weight of the protein.   

If the itching still exists after the above three conditions are eliminated, the possibility of atopic dermatitis is very high. According to the diagnostic criteria of the atopic dermatitis guidelines, there is a high possibility of atopic dermatitis in the dogs with itching caused by glucocorticoid preparations (steroids) before age 3. If five of the above eight criteria are met, the atopic dermatitis is highly likely.

As mentioned above, diagnosing allergic dermatitis requires time and effort. The shortcut to accurate diagnosis is to carefully check the skin condition and not to rush it.

Although there is an allergy test (alleger specific IgE test), it is important to understand that this test is not used to diagnose allergic dermatitis, but to estimate allergens. Therefore, you should not think that all foods that test positive for allergy are not eaten. For the health of your dog, be sure to test and choose what it cannot eat and cannot eat.

▊Treatment methods and types of drugs for dog allergies       

The treatment of allergic dermatitis requires a variety of aspects and there are four key points.

Anti-itting

The first treatment is to control itching. The symptoms of allergic dermatitis are itching, so it is important to relieve itching. When dogs feel itchy, they will scratch naturally. This can cause an inflammatory response and further exacerbate the itching. Once itching occurs, the itching cycle begins.

Treatment methods for inhibiting itching include oral medications and ointments, sometimes combined. Currently, oral drugs that inhibit itching include antihistamines, glucocorticoids (steroids), cyclosporine (immunosuppressant), and olatinib (anti-itching agent).

Topical preparations include topical steroid preparations (sprays, lotions, creams and ointments) and tacrolimus ointment. These drugs usually require long-term use, so it is important to understand their effectiveness and side effects before use. There are also some immunotherapy that promise to improve your constitution, such as interferon therapy and desensitization therapy.

Measures to prevent secondary infections The second step in treatment is to prevent secondary infections. In the case of allergic dermatitis, the skin barrier function is said to be very weak. This often leads to the proliferation of Staphylococcus and Malassezia that usually reside on the skin.

If a secondary infection occurs, it can aggravate the itching, so shampoo therapy, disinfectants, and in some cases antibiotics and antifungal drugs are used. In addition, daily moisturizing care is also important to enhance the skin's barrier function.

Improving the living environment

The third step in treatment is to improve the living environment. In addition to preventing fleas and ticks, you may also want to rethink your dog’s walking route. If you are allergic to house dust mites or pollen, installing an air purifier can also help reduce allergens.   

Currently, there are some sprays that neutralize indoor dust mites. By examining your living environment, you may be able to keep your dog away from allergens.

Nutrition Management The fourth step in treatment is nutrition management, including diet. A proper diet is extremely important for protecting skin health, because humans may experience rough skin if they are not healthy.

It would be even better if it contained omega fatty acids 3 and 6 that were said to be effective for allergic dermatitis, as well as vitamins C and E with antioxidant effects.

As mentioned above, there are several aspects to consider when treating allergic dermatitis.

▊Measures and prevention methods for dog allergies

Allergic dermatitis has a genetic background, so its incidence cannot be prevented. However, by understanding the disease, you can prevent it.

For example, it is important to “prevent fleas and ticks”, “using shampoo regularly to care for pets’ skin” and “do not feed them snacks containing additives”. Symptoms of allergic dermatitis usually depend on the season and weather. Observe skin condition every day and take measures before the condition worsens.

▊ Find the right treatment for your dog's allergies

Allergic dermatitis is a disease that cannot be completely cured, so treatment will last the patient's life. Dogs can’t take care of themselves, so the owner has no choice but to take care of them.

Therefore, it is important to have a deeper understanding of the disease and its treatments. The dog's personality, living environment and owner's lifestyle vary, so it is important to develop treatment methods based on specific circumstances. It is best to consult your veterinarian and find a custom treatment that allows both the dog and the owner to live in comfort.