Atopy: Seasonal Flare Allergy and Weeds

Atopy is caused by allergic reactions in the environment. These substances, called allergens, can include dust particles, molds, plant fibers, plant pollens, animal particles, and other environmental particles. Some of the signs of atopy may include scratching, licking, and rubbing of their feet, face, ears or body.  (Picture above:  Irritation and itching cause this dog to lick and chew his paw to the point of har loss.)
The release of pollens into the environment follows the seasons of the year. In the fall, weeds, and certain grasses and trees are especially active in releasing pollens and depending upon what part of the country you and your pet reside, pollens vary. On the homepage of www.animaldermatology.com is a tool that reports the pollen count in your zip code.
Atopy is often seasonal and may become more severe at certain times of the year depending on the allergen that your pet is sensitized to. In order to formulate allergy vaccine and to attempt to hyposensitize your pet, a blood allergy test or preferably an intradermal skin test can reveal the allergens that are affecting your pet.  
(Picture below:  The chest of this white dog has scratched intensely to relieve his itching.  Left untreated it often leads to secondary bacterial infection.)

Once the allergens are identified, hyposensitization (allergy injections) may be a course of action. These are a series of injections of dilute allergens that make the pet less sensitive to its allergies. After a brief demonstration in the clinic, most pet owners then administer these injections at home (See accompanying article). Alternative forms of treatment include: antihistamines, corticosteroids or other immune-modulating therapy. Antihistamines will help some allergic pets but not all will work for every pet and short trial period of various antihistamines may be used to determine the one that offers best relief. Corticosteroids can be used when antihistamines are not completely effective. However, long term use will almost always result in undesirable side effects. In order to minimize side effects, the lowest dose of steroid should be found and utilized only if other forms of therapy have failed.
Other treatments for relief of atopy may include topical therapy including shampoos, rinses and fatty acids. Allergy treatment may involve a combination of some or all the above treatments. 
   Most allergic dogs and cats require allergy injections, oral medications and topical treatments to achieve complete control. The combination varies with each pet and may vary with the season.
Source: David D. Dulcos, Canine & Feline Skin Diseases
Rusty Muse, DVM, ACVD, Animal Dermatology Clinic

Employee Spotlight:  Brenda Hernandez
 

“I joined ADC in October 2008 after finally finishing college and lots of traveling. After my travels I didn’t know what to do or where to go but a friend told me ADC was opening a clinic in Pasadena and they needed a tech. My employment at ADC has been a very rewarding and exciting chapter in life. I look forward to getting to work (minus the traffic), there is always a great atmosphere in the clinic which makes the work hours enjoyable, and since I’ve been here since we opened, I have a very close connection with our furry friends and their parents. Besides being an animal lover I am very family/friends oriented, so you’ll always find me running around doing all kinds of things with my loved ones: horseback riding, hiking, cooking and recently, biking. I share my home with many different beings, but my favorite individuals are our 3 dogs, cat, parrot and an awesome opossum, Santiago.”
 

Did you know?

You probably never thought about a cat as being either left- or right-pawed, but over 40 percent are either lefties or righties. That means there’s quite a few out there who are ambidextrous. Luckily for them, they can probably operate the can opener with both paws …

Dogs have a sense of smell that is one of the keenest in nature. Humans might smell a pot of stew cooking on the stove, but a dog can distinguish the smells of each individual ingredient, from the beef itself to the potatoes.