Helping Pets Live Allergy-Free
Just like humans, allergies are quite common in pets. They include food allergies, environmental allergies, or even allergies to fleas and ticks. Is your pet scratching, chewing, or licking excessively? Are you noticing discolored fur or hair loss? While it is often hard to tell if a dog or cat is being playful by rolling around or if they’re actually uncomfortable, these can all be symptoms of allergies in pets. Believe it or not, at North Oatlands Animal Hospital & Reproduction Center, about ten percent of all allergy cases that we see in dogs stem from allergic reactions to their food or treats!
Looking for a vet near me that can help determine whether your pet is suffering from allergies? Visit us so we can perform tests to get to the bottom of the issue. Our clinic can perform dog allergy testing, cat allergy testing, administer the appropriate medications, and provide nutritional counseling to make sure your dogs and cats are allergy-free and living their best lives.
What Are Pet Environmental Allergies?
Environmental allergies occur when there is an exaggerated immune response to an allergen. An allergen is a protein that comes from exposure to things like tree pollen, grass pollen, dander, and flea saliva. Your pet can develop antibodies to an allergen and then overreact to it. This leads to skin inflammation and itchiness.
Before treating a skin infection, one of the first things your doctor may recommend is cytology and cultures to best differentiate between fungal and various bacterial infections. This will allow for the most effective treatment recommendations.
By having your Leesburg, VA veterinarian perform dog allergy testing in Leesburg, VA or cat allergy testing in Leesburg, VA, it’s possible to get to the root cause of your dog or cat’s allergy issues rather than just allowing them to incessantly scratch themselves, which can be counterproductive to their health.
How Do You Diagnose and Treat My Pet’s Environmental Allergy?
Looking for a vet near me that offers allergy testing? North Oatlands Animal Hospital & Reproduction Center can perform specific procedures on your pet to determine exactly what they are allergic to. One way we test is through blood allergy testing.
Once we know what your pet is allergic to, we can consider a combination of homeopathic supplements, topical therapies, allergy medications, and possibly injections. This form of treatment is considered cutting edge in the veterinary field and has some awesome results. Environmental allergies can also be treated with medication or medicated baths for symptomatic control. We will discuss your pet’s unique condition and work with you to determine the best treatment.
What is a Food Allergy?
Food allergies are quite common and occur in your pet when there is an overreaction of the immune system to a particular ingredient in their diet. This can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms including gastrointestinal issues, chronic ear inflammation, diarrhea, gas, scratching at the face, constant paw licking, and more.
We also have the ability to run blood tests that can help identify food sensitivities and allergies. This is sometimes recommend in replace of, or in conjunction with a diet trial.
In order to diagnose the exact reason why your animal may be experiencing these symptoms, your Leesburg, VA veterinarian will likely perform dog allergy testing in Leesburg, VA or cat allergy testing in Leesburg, VA.
How Do You Diagnose and Treat My Pet’s Food Allergy?
With food allergies, we typically see that common culprits are protein related such as beef, chicken, and fish. Unfortunately, these ingredients are all very common in dog and cat foods along with fillers like sweet potato and wheat, which could also be the cause of your pet’s allergies. If we suspect that your dog or cat has a food allergy, we may recommend a dietary elimination trial using a specific food for a period of time. This is not simply a change of food, rather it is considered a diagnostic test and should be performed under the supervision of a veterinarian.
As it often happens, dogs and cats may very well be allergic to more than one thing, which makes planning an appropriate diet more difficult. That said, we will determine the best food to trial based on your pet’s age, general health, previous diet, and the symptoms they are exhibiting. We may recommend a food that is composed of a hydrolyzed protein, which is a protein that is broken up into tiny molecules that the immune system is unlikely to recognize as the “problem ingredient.” In some cases, we may recommend an elimination food trial using a single protein source.
Looking for a vet near me that can provide compassionate support in determining the best way to treat animal allergies? At North Oatlands Animal Hospital & Reproduction Center, we understand how much you love your pet. No matter the reason for your visit, we will make sure they receive the best care available from professionals who truly care. To learn more about pet allergies and treatment or to make an appointment, contact us today!