Dogs and Allergies

Allergies are becoming more and more common in the human population in industrialized countries, and the same is sadly true for our four legged companions. Dogs can just like us develop allergies to pollen, dust mites and even certain protein sources in food, among many other things. While there are no certain answers to why there's such an increase in allergy prevalence, at least more and more effective treatments for allergies are found.

Symptoms to look for in your dog if you suspect it might be allergic. 

Picture borrowed from http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=75

Just like in humans, where antihistamines and cortisone can be used to alleviate the symptoms of allergy, it doesn't remove the allergy itself. The only way to get rid of the allergy, or at least make the individual less sensitive to a certain allergen (substance that can cause an allergic reaction) is a process called hyposensibilization. That used to imply going to the doctor, or veterinarian in the case of dogs, to get an injection of the substance you/the dog were allergic to with certain intervals (usually every 14 days). This is often both time consuming and quite often unsuccessful in treating the allergy in question. Not to mention the fact that some people and dogs (yes dogs too) are actually scared of needles. What is worse, some extra sensitive individuals can actually get a very severe allergic reaction to the injection. Thankfully a new method of hyposensibilization for dogs  have been found and was presented this summer: Oral drops. They are simply dropped under the tongue twice a day. It has show to be comparable to injections in effectiveness but without the risk of strong allergic reactions. In some cases where allergy shots haven't worked, the oral drops did, so it appears to have a different mode of action. The treatment still has to be supervised by a veterinarian, but it is a good alternative to allergy shots. The drops also apparently taste good, so the dog won't mind taking them. Which I can tell you from personal experience is a very good thing.. I've seldom been as exhausted and sweaty at work as after I've tried to medicate a dog with pills it doesn't want..

I for one hope that more research will be done in this area for the sake of allergic people and dogs alike. Hopefully some time in the future we will find a treatment for allergy that is both more effective and safe. But maybe we should start in the other end, to find out why we and our dogs get allergic in the first place.

Source: 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120724144429.htm