Options for treating dog's allergies
Q: This April, we adopted a basset hound from a private shelter. We were told he had seasonal allergies and to give him Benadryl to ease the symptoms. Once at home, he would rub his nose and chew his feet. We took him to our vet, who prescribed Vanectyl (an antihistamine and prednisone combination medication), two pills every other day, and we put him on a hypoallergenic diet of lamb and rice dog food.
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Q: This April, we adopted a basset hound from a private shelter. We were told he had seasonal allergies and to give him Benadryl to ease the symptoms. Once at home, he would rub his nose and chew his feet. We took him to our vet, who prescribed Vanectyl (an antihistamine and prednisone combination medication), two pills every other day, and we put him on a hypoallergenic diet of lamb and rice dog food.
His allergies over the summer went from tolerable to worse by late July and August, when it got so bad that he had to go on prednisone for a couple of weeks plus take three Vanectyl pills a day! At present, I have been slowly weaning him off the Vanectyl pills and he is taking one pill every other day. I hope to have him completely weaned in a month or so.
Is there anything we can do next year to prevent another bad year? Will changing his food to a hypoallergenic formula dog food really make a difference?
A: Your dog has a disease called atopy, an allergic condition that can occur seasonally or be present all year long. Atopy affects 10 to 15 per cent of the canine population.
The primary clinical sign of canine atopy is pruritus, a term used to denote scratching, licking, biting, chewing and rubbing. The most common areas targeted are the face, ears, paws, groin and underarms. When atopy is seasonal, the patient becomes sensitized to allergens in the environment such as grasses, weeds and trees. The reason your dog got worse in late July and August is because that is the start of the ragweed season.
In preparation for the allergy season next year, you have three options. First, you can restart the Vanectyl early in the spring. If you opt for this option, it is a good idea to give frequent oatmeal shampoos as well as omega fatty acid supplementation at the same time.
Shampoos are very effective in reducing the level of pruritus because they help remove allergens from the skin surface. Colloidal oatmeal shampoos (especially Avena Sativa Oat Shampoo) administered every two to three days will help reduce itching and lower the levels of medication needed.
Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to be very effective in reducing the level of pruritus in about 30 to 40 per cent of allergic patients.
Using omega three fatty acids will help decrease the amount of Vanectyl required to reduce pruritus (and thereby unwanted side effects).
A second option is to start your dog on a drug called cyclosporine (Atopica) in the spring. It is a very effective alternative to steroids with much fewer side effects. However, since it can take up to four to six weeks in some dogs to become effective, Atopica is usually reserved for dogs with non-seasonal, year-long allergy symptoms. In dogs that show a poor response to Vanectyl, this drug is a good alternative, but should be started about one month before the allergy season starts.
Your third option is to have your dog allergy-tested to determine which allergens he is allergic to and then start allergy injections, a procedure called "immunotherapy." This is a very reliable and highly effective treatment for dogs that have allergies throughout the year, but is also indicated in dogs with seasonal allergies if steroid therapy proves ineffective (as is the case with your dog) or there are too many side effects associated with drugs.
Since your dog appears to be symptom-free during the winter months, it is unlikely that a hypo-allergenic diet would prove helpful, but speak to your veterinarian about whether or not your dog would benefit from one. Some dogs can suffer from both atopy and food allergies and a hypoallergenic diet could prove beneficial in these cases. Likewise, some hypo-allergenic diets have ingredients such as omega fatty acids, which can benefit a patient with allergies.
Dr. Bernhard Pukay is an Ottawa veterinarian. Questions and comments are welcome. Address letters to Pet Care, Ottawa Citizen, Box 5020, Ottawa, K2C 3M4.
E-mail: pets@thecitizen.canwest.com.
- Ask Dr. Pukay questions about your pets Tuesday at noon online at ottawacitizen.com
