Scratch, scratch, scratch…it’s pawsatively miserable for pets!
I recently attended the Central States Veterinary Conference in Kansas City to get information on new developments in veterinary medicine. It was a good conference and I thought over the next few months I would share some things I learned about common but irritating afflictions affecting out furry family members. One topic of discussion was that, even with all the advances in the profession, many pets continue to be plagued with the “itchy/scratchies” or are “pruritic.” This can be an especially bad time of year for this irritating and uncomfortable malady.
We have made progress—we can now remedy some of the causes of this condition. Fleas are a prime example. In the past, during summer and fall it was unusual for me to see a pet that was NOT bothered to varying degrees by fleas, no matter how hard the owners tried to prevent it. Now with our monthly topical like Frontline, we see fleas only in those pets whose owners have failed to apply these products. I am happy to report that most of you in this practice do take advantage of this medicine so I see very little fleabite dermatitis.
Food allergies often have also caused itchy skin. The culprit is usually some proteins contained in many commercial foods. Now we have hyposensitive allergy diets, and usually they contain only one protein source and one carbohydrate source. Some common non-allergenic proteins are venison, elk, kangaroo, alligator, duck, ostrich and emu. Some common carbohydrate sources are sweet potatoes, rice, oats and barley. Sometimes a pet may even be allergic to one of these. For those animals we have had good luck at the clinic with Hills Z/D prescription diet. This food features a manufactured protein so small in size that the animal’s immune system doesn’t recognize it as a protein and therefore many if not most allergy problems are eliminated.
What causes the most itchy/scratchies is a condition called Atopic Dermatitis or simply Atopy. Nearly 9% of all dogs have atopy; when we see dogs with skin and ear problems, 22% of those have some degree of atopy. It is not quite as common for cats.
During most of my professional career, it was believed that pets acquired the allergen by inhaling it from the air, and in fact much of the literature refers to atopy as “allergic inhalant dermatitis”, or simply AID. While it is still commonly inhaled, studies indicate that pets also acquire the allergens through the skin or by ingestion.
No matter how pets acquire allergens, the consistent clinical sign is itching (pruritis). Nearly all of the patients incessantly lick and chew their feet. Common allergens include dust mites, pollens (tree, grass, and weed), mold spores, danders, and insects (cockroaches, moths, etc.). Some pets have seasonal allergies while others are afflicted year-round. Some allergens, such as ragweed pollen, are much worse in some years than others. Ragweed is a problem during most years from around mid-August until late September. If ragweed is a pet’s only allergen, treatment is usually successful and relief is possible. Dust mites, on the other hand, often cause a year-round problem.
There are currently two treatment options. One is to test and identify what the pet is allergic to. A vial then is made of these allergens and is injected into the pet every one to two weeks. This is referred to as immunotherapy and is an attempt to build up your pet’s immunity to the allergen causing the itch. Results can be mixed. If your pet is allergic to just one or two allergens, chances of success run as high as 70%. If your pet has multiple allergies, the chances for success decline greatly. Also, it may require up to two years to know if immunotherapy will work or not, so this treatment requires a very patient owner (and pet).
The second option is to treat the symptoms and for this we have two choices. The first involves steroids, which have been used successfully for years. The primary advantage is low cost, as steroids are relatively inexpensive and can give great relief. The disadvantages are possible side effects. Pets on steroids consume a lot of water and urinate more frequently, which could become problematic if owners are unaware of this possibility. Pets on steroids also have increased appetite and tend to gain weight. Steroids can be hard on the pet’s liver, so careful monitoring of blood values is important.
The other medicine available to treat symptoms is cyclosporine, which is available in a product called Atopica®. This drug is a pill given orally once a day for 60 days, then once every 3–4 days. The major advantage is fewer side effects, although it is still necessary to monitor the liver with periodic blood work. For those of you who think it is hard if not impossible to give your pet pills, we now carry “pillpockets,” healthy treats that will make this drug easy to administer. The major disadvantage is that Atropica is more expensive than steroids, especially for larger dogs, although the price has recently been falling on this drug. The treatment results have been good, bringing relief to the beleaguered pet.
Antihistamines have not produced good results in my practice. When I see a new client whose pet is on antihistamines, the client has usually come to me because the antihistamine is not working and they want to seek other remedies. This finding was confirmed at the conference I attended. Other specialists who attended said the second generation antihistamines such as loratadine did not work any better than Benadryl®. All they do is make your pet drowsy and sluggish.
Constant itching and scratching is miserable for your pet. It is also no fun for the owner to watch this all the time, day after day—it can be downright irritating and unsightly. Itching can result in broken skin, sores and bleeding which then become another problem. As a result the pet may become nervous and cranky. Atopy is rarely a simple problem and is often complicated by secondary invaders such as bacterial or fungal organisms that must be addressed. It might be necessary to use medicated shampoos, antifungals, antibiotics and other treatments. Overcoming atopy requires a dedicated owner, but with patience we can greatly improve your pet’s health and comfort level.
If you have questions or concerns about your own pet’s itching, give me a call at 727-5757 or e-mail me at dreberle@eberleanimalhospital.com. We can discuss what might be causing it, from the pet’s diet to environmental factors. Wellness and prevention measures can be evaluated to learn what might work for you and your pet. I am happy to report that you and your pet do not have to put up with the itchy/scratchies!
Click here to visit the index of previous issues of Paws and Reflect.
Click here to sign up to have Paws and Reflect e-mailed each month.
Home • Boarding
Services • Wellness
Packages • About
Dr. Eberle • Pet
Gallery
Contact
Us • Directions/Map • Paws
and Reflect • Site
Map
