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Allergies are very common in pets and can range from mild to severe in intensity.  The most common types of allergies in dogs and cats are inhalant, flea, and food allergies.  This article will discuss how to identify the type of allergy, the treatment for each, and product recommendations.

Food Allergies

To determine if a food allergy is causing your pets' symptoms, you can either have your veterinarian perform an allergy test, or you can conduct a "food trial."  The former, although more expensive, is less time-consuming, very accurate, very specific and all-inclusive. 

A food trial is much more time-consuming.  To conduct a food trial you'll need to eliminate all the most common food allergens from your pets' diet by switching to a food that contains protein and carbohydrate sources they've never eaten before.  Almost all commercial pet foods use beef, chicken or lamb as the protein source; and rice, wheat, corn or soy as the carbohydrate source.  You'll want to switch to a food with novel ingredients, like Venison & Potato or Rabbit & Peas, etc.  Most veterinarians, and some pet stores, carry novelty diets specifically for this purpose.

Your pet needs to stay on the novelty diet exclusively for at least 3 months.  That means absolutely nothing else can be fed to your pet - no treats, no rawhides, no table food, and no chewable medications (beef is usually the "tasty" part).  You need to ask your veterinarian about using alternatives.  And don't forget when you trade in the chewable medication for the tablet form, you can't wrap the tablet in cheese (or hide it in a hotdog, or anything else)!  The novelty diet must be strictly adhered to or the food trial means nothing.

If, after 90 days on the novelty diet, your pet is still suffering with allergy symptoms, it's probably not a food allergy.  If, however, the symptoms have subsided, you should switch back to the original diet to see if they return.  If the symptoms return after the original diet is re-introduced, a food allergy is confirmed.

The only effective treatment for food allergy is to eliminate the culprit from your pets' diet.   There are several things you can do.

Also called Atopy, inhalant allergies usually start out as seasonal (lasting only a few weeks during certain times of the year), and then gradually last longer and longer until they finally extend throughout the year.  Allergies of this type usually initially present themselves when the animal is young (under 3 years of age). 

Typically, skin irritation is the major symptom of inhalant allergies.  The areas most commonly affected in dogs tends to be the paws, the muzzle, the armpits, the abdomen, the ears and under the tail.  Cats, on the other hand, may develop hair loss and/or tiny scabs all over their skin.

If an inhalant allergy is the cause of your pets' symptoms, it will respond to steroids, but there are serious adverse effects attributed to their long-term use.  Before you resort to steroids, or if your pet requires frequent steroid use (more than three times a year), you may want to consider alternative treatments.

By far, the best approach to inhalant allergy symptom relief is to use a combination of treatments.  Although none are as reliable as prescription steroid use, there is little risk of adverse side-effects if used properly.  The effectiveness of each mode of treatment increases significantly when used together.

Topical treatments involve using shampoos, rinses and ointments or sprays to soothe irritated skin.  We recommend Douxo Calm Products which are designed specifically to aid in allergy symptom relief.  These products contain unique ingredients that reduce inflammation and help to minimize recurring flare-ups.

Antihistamines, such as chlorpheniramine, can be given once or twice a day to help block the immune systems' over-reaction to allergens. 

Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements made from fish oil disrupt the production of inflammatory chemicals in the skin and can sometimes offer remarkable results.  It's important to understand these fatty acids are not the same thing as adding cooking oil to your pets' food.  Omega 3 is a very specific kind of fatty acid so be sure to read labels/descriptions carefully.  Some other fatty acids, like Omega 6, can actually make allergy symptoms worse.

Consider adding an enzyme supplement like Prozyme to your pets' diet as well.  These products help animals break down vitamins, minerals and fatty acids allowing them to be better absorbed and utilized by the body, increasing their effectiveness.

Flea Allergy

An allergy to fleas tends to show up a little later in an animals' life (between the ages of 3 and 5 years) than inhalant allergies.  And as with food allergies, the only cure is avoidance.  What the animal is actually reacting to is the saliva of the flea which comes into contact with the skin when the flea bites.

Dogs with flea allergy typically chew and scratch at the base of their tail causing hair loss and "hotspots."  Cats may develop small, red crusts over their skin or symmetrical hair loss on their sides or over their back.

Eliminating fleas from your pets' environment is vital, and should include treating not only the pet, but the house and the yard as well.  Frontline Spray is one of the best products on the market for killing fleas and is safe to use on both dogs and cats.  Your local home & garden center can advise you on the most effective products to use in your house and yard. 

Cat owners must be careful not use products containing permethrin. 

No flea control program will keep your pet flea free 100% of the time, and it only takes one flea bite to set off an allergic reaction.  During those times you can use an antihistamine, like chlorpheniramine, to keep itching under control.