The Scoop On Allergies

Easy To Develop, Getting Easier to Manage

By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, ASVJ

Allergies – that word, for a pet owner with an allergic pet, conjures up images of itchiness, chewing of feet and skin, sores, skin infections and more.

There will likely never be a magic bullet of one shot, pill or diet to manage allergies for pets or people, but advancing medicine is improving things.

First, what is an allergy? By definition, an allergy is an abnormal reaction of the body to a previously encountered allergen introduced by inhalation, ingestion, injection or skin contact. In pets, this can show as focal or generalized itchiness, skin infection, sometimes-runny eyes or nose, chewing of feet, and sometimes vomiting and/or diarrhea.

So what can be an allergen? Almost anything in our pet’s world from pollen, grass, dust, dander (including human – so yes, your pet can be allergic to you), food storage mites, mold, some medications and food ingredients. Most commonly, the allergen is a protein that induces a response from the patient’s immune system.

Many of our animal patients, like people, can start off being sensitive to one or two environmental allergens. But progress over time to become sensitive to not only more environmental stimuli but also to potential food allergens or vice versa.

Food allergies most commonly involve the protein or proteins, such as beef, chicken, etc. For food allergies, there have been some new advances in prescription veterinary diets. Our former only go-to was a change in diets that were often costly. That was due to how the new food was processed and often not well-liked by our patients; to make the proteins less visible, thus less likely to be reacted upon by the immune system, they were hydrolyzed or broken down to a very small molecular size. New manufacturing techniques and continued research have improved the palatability of the hydrolyzed diets. There are also new formulations with novel ingredients that are proving helpful for food allergy management.

Now we are also seeing new prescription diets that bolster the body’s own protective barriers with select ingredients including phyto or plant nutrients that help to create healthy skin from within. Whether you are covered in fur or a human, our skin is our biggest immune barrier – a diet that helps the skin maintain its best immune properties can be hugely protective against environmental allergens.

On the medication front, there’s been and continues to be exciting options. Apoquel™ was released about two years ago and after some supply-demand issues, is steadily available. Apoquel, also called oclacitinib, works to control the itch response to fleas, environmental allergens, food ingredients and contact allergens (including carpet deodorants, shampoos and insecticidal products) by inhibiting the release of a variety of proinflammatory cytokines that create the itch response.

The sci-fi future of allergy management is also becoming a reality with the release this fall of the Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic. This may be the closest we get to that magic shot for allergies as it is not a steroid, but works to suppress or neutralize canine interleukin-31 (IL-31). IL-31 is the antibody that sends the signal to the brain to respond with itch to many environmental allergens. If you block IL-31, you block the itch.

Allergies are obviously not simple to create or manage, but ask your veterinarian today if you have a pet with allergy issues, what might be best to create a more comfortable pet?

Dr. Margot can be reached at parkhillvet.com