To perform a skin test, an area of your dog’s fur will be shaved, and your vet will inject small amounts of allergens into her skin to see what she reacts to (basically the same as a human allergy skin test). Harbour said.įor a blood test, blood’s drawn and analyzed for allergens. “Skin testing is preferred, as this gives us a live clinical reaction and tends to be more accurate, but blood allergy testing is also a suitable method,” Dr. Once these causes are ruled out, your vet will either perform a skin test (intradermal allergy test - IDAT) or a blood test (serology). They might also have you feed your dog a hypoallergenic food for a few weeks to see if she has a food allergy that could be causing her symptoms. Your vet will check your dog for other possible causes of irritation, like fleas or infections. Typical frequency is every two to three weeks at a maintenance dose.”īefore your pup can get allergy shots, your vet will have to perform allergy testing to identify what she’s allergic to so they can create the serum for the shots. “Sometimes we can decrease the frequency of injections. “If it's working, this is typically continued long-term for maintenance,” Dr. When your dog first starts getting allergy shots, she might need them a few times a week, but eventually it’s possible that she’ll only need them around once or twice a month.
The amount of allergen in the shots is gradually increased so your pup slowly builds up a tolerance.
#Itch relief for dogs in pill form how to
“Over time, the immune system starts to change how it responds to the allergen and develops ‘tolerance.’” Mites Dry skin Skin infections Autoimmune diseases Nuts and dairy products Dog Allergy Symptoms To learn how to help an itchy dog suffering from allergies, you should first identify the symptoms. “Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) works by giving the patient small doses of what he/she is allergic to,” Dr. The formula’s injected periodically so your dog becomes desensitized - and ideally no longer allergic - to the allergens. With allergy shots, your vet will test your dog first to find out what substances in her environment she’s allergic to, then create a formula based on her allergies. Keep in mind, though, that allergy shots are only effective for pets dealing with environmental allergies and won’t work for pets with flea or food allergies. Allergy medications only control symptoms, but shots work by actually building immunity to specific allergens. “Once the medications are stopped, signs will return,” Dr. Immunotherapy is a great option for many dog parents because it’s the only thing that can permanently change a pet’s immune response to environmental allergies.
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