Does your pet keep you awake at night scratching? Does he or she bite or lick at their skin or paws and rub their face on the carpet? Is their coat shiny and healthy looking or does it look dull and have a distinct odor? If any of these problems are present your pet may be suffering from allergic dermatitis.

Pets commonly suffer from allergies much the same as people, however dogs and (to a lesser extent) cats often manifest these allergies by having itchy skin. The most important step in approaching these problems is to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Many factors can cause itchy skin and some are relatively common and easy to treat.

The first step is to be sure that fleas are not the culprit. One flea bite from one flea can make most animals intensely itchy. This is because most animals are highly allergic to the flea saliva. An intensive, complete examination of all parts of your pets’ body as well as multiple exams with a flea comb must be done to be certain there are no fleas present. Those little guys can really hide, and move quickly!

Once the doctor is sure there are no external parasites, there are some other problems that must be ruled out. Sarcoptic mange (caused by microscopic mites in the skin) and ringworm (a fungal disease of the skin) can also cause itching and hair loss. Skin scrapings and cultures may be necessary to check for these problems. If these are all negative a presumptive diagnosis of allergic skin disease is made.

Most animals are allergic to inhaled allergens in their environment. These include flowers, trees, weeds and grasses. Some animals have contact allergies to wool, carpet sprays and cleaners, grasses, house dust mites and many other materials. Less commonly, animals can also be allergic to food, which can manifest as skin disease or gastrointestinal signs. There are no reliable diagnostic tests for food allergies at this time, so hypoallergenic elimination diets must be tried.

Allergic skin disease is really a diagnosis of exclusion. There are no easy tests that can be done. There are two methods to try to diagnose certain inhaled allergies. A blood sample can be drawn and sent to a special lab that looks for certain antibodies in your pets blood. These are reactive antibodies to inhaled plant allergens. If positive, a vaccine is made to desensitize the pet. This method is helpful in about 60% of cases. In addition a board certified Dermatologist can do skin testing where a patch of skin is shaved and injected with tiny amounts of the allergic substances and the skin reaction is measured. If positive, again a vaccine is made for desensitization. This method helps in about 70% of cases.

If an exact diagnosis cannot be made symptoms can be managed with various medications. Since secondary skin infections are often present, antibiotic and antifungal medications are often prescribed.

Hydrocortisone injections and oral preparations are very effective in controlling itching and inflammation, and if used correctly and for short term treatment, are extremely safe. Antihistamine medications can also be used and although not as effective in animals as in people can be used long term and will provide some relief.

Some animal hospitals try to use a combination of natural treatments with vitamins, herbs, soothing shampoos and fatty acid supplements as well as the correct traditional medicines. To treat allergies correctly takes spending the time to make sure the diagnosis is correct as well as trying different treatments to determine which is effective. In many cases a cure is not possible, but many of the symptoms can be controlled to allow your pet to live a happy comfortable life.