What to Do If Your Canine
Suffers from Allergies

Does your dog scratch or lick excessively? Is your companion's coat thinning in patches? He or she could be suffering from allergies. This three-step guide will show you what you need to do to treat the symptoms, and get at the root cause of the problem.

Step 1: Identify the Allergen

Before you can effectively treat your companion, you need to identify the cause of the allergic reaction. Go to your vet and have a skin test performed. During a skin test, a veterinary dermatologist will inject small quantities of allergy-causing agents (like pollen) into the skin and monitor the response. If you object to skin testing, your vet can do a blood test, though this is considered less accurate.

Step 2: Treat the Condition

Treating your canine's allergies fall into two phases—treatment of the symptoms and treatment of the root cause. In this, as in anything, there are two schools of thought: treatment through traditional means, and treatment through a Holistic approach.

Treatment: the Traditional Approach

Depending on the allergy, your veterinarian will prescribe a treatment plan that can include dietary changes, and/or medication. The medications run the gamut from steroids and cortisones to antihistamines.

There are a variety of medications—your vet will try different combinations until one—hopefully—gives your canine some relief. Ask you vet about potential side effects.

If the allergy is food related, your vet will have you change you dog's diet. In most cases it is the type of protein in the dog food that can cause the allergic reaction. The normal course of treatment is to remove all of the common protein sources from your dog's diet—(beef, chicken, milk, soybeans, wheat and corn) for at least six weeks.

You can either use a type of dog food that uses hydrolyzed proteins (ask you vet--these are highly unlikely to cause an allergic reaction) or buy more exotic meats (lamb, duck, etc.) and make your own pet food. If the allergies continue, then most vets will tell you that the allergy is not food related.

If the symptoms cease, then after at least six weeks, you will slowly reintroduce the common proteins one at a time until you find the culprit. Unfortunately, not all dogs experience a relief from symptoms using the traditional approach. This is when some owners begin to consider other options.

Treatment: the Holistic Approach

Proponents of the holistic approach believe that traditional medicine treats the symptoms while ignoring the larger picture. Allergies, they argue, are a sign of a larger imbalance in the animal companion's body—and should be treated as such.

Treatment will usually begin with the diet. The animal companion is placed on a homemade diet, composed of human-grade, all natural ingredients, which are free of the chemicals and contaminants present in commercially prepared food.

Depending on the condition, various herbs may be added. The immune system, bolstered by a steady diet of wholesome, additive free food, is better able to fight off illness and allergic reaction to the environment.

If symptoms continue, then common sources of protein are taken out of the canine's diet and slowly reintroduced, as in the traditional treatment.

Step 3: Observe and Modify Your Dog's Diet as Necessary

You may find that a combination of holistic and traditional treatments work best for your animal companion. Keep an eye on how he or she reacts to different treatments, keeping in mind that it can take as many as 6-8 weeks before any relief occurs.

If you wish to discontinue any medication, consult your vet, and never stop any medication abruptly. Meanwhile, here are a few ways you can give immediate relief, while waiting for your particular treatment to work:

--Apply cool water to the affected area. Relief lasts, at most, 30 min, though adding Episoothe Oatmeal Shampoo, Episoothe Oatmeal Creame Rinse, Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal Relief Shampoo, or Domeboro's Solution help to prolong the effect. Use 1-2 tablespoons per gallon of water.

--Shampooing can sometimes help. Products like Pyoben and Oxydex reduce the bacterial level on the skin. Seba Lyt and other sulfer/salicyclic acid shampoos reduce scaling. Lytar, Clear Tar, and other tar shampoos reduce itching and oiliness. Use a moisturizer after the shampooing to lock in moisture and reduce itching even further.

Identifying the cause of and coming up with an effective treatment for canine allergies can be a long, frustrating process. But with patience and perseverance, you can effectively treat this common malady.

For more information on dog allergies from the FDA, read this government publication on pet itching.