Dog and Cat Allergy Treatments in Bloomfield Hills

Allergies don’t only affect us, they’re common for pets, too! Yet while we suffer from respiratory problems, pets are more likely to develop skin conditions. To relieve their discomfort, our dog and cat allergy treatments come to the rescue. We aim to not only treat the symptoms, but address the cause of their allergies, too.

Dr. Kristen Fox

What types of skin problems can dogs have?

Dogs can get a lot of different skin conditions. They can certainly have areas on the surface of the skin, hair loss, and hair coat changes. They can have areas of redness or infection, swelling on the skin itself. They can get a variety of different types of skin tags or growths on the skin. They can also get areas or growths underneath the skin that would all be part of that as well.

Dogs can have a variety of different symptoms or signs that show up that maybe indicate the skin is where we need to focus. You might see something on the skin where you notice a change to the hair coat, or you see that the skin looks red or irritated. You could see a growth, a skin tag, or a mass on the surface of the skin. You might visually see something. You might notice a change in how your dog's acting, especially if they're scratching, itching, or chewing. Those are all different manifestations of maybe something on the skin being part of the problem. And then sometimes you just notice that there's an odor or there's something that is just different. Even though you may not be able to pinpoint how it looks different, you can just tell based on how your dog's acting or a smell that there's something else going on with the skin.

What is mange in dogs?

Mange is kind of a broad term. There are actually two types of mange that we see in dogs. Demodex mange, which is a mite that naturally occurs in the skin, really mostly causes just hair loss in the skin. These dogs are typically not itchy unless there's a secondary skin infection. That type of mite is not considered to be contagious, but it is something that should be addressed. We usually worry about that more in puppies or older dogs, as some type of underlying immunocompromise is usually part of the concern.

The more concerning type of mange that people always worry about is sarcoptic mange. And that's the mange that we always think about. You might see the squirrel in the backyard that doesn't have any hair and is really itchy. That's what you worry about. Sarcoptic mange is something that is more contagious. It can also be contagious to people from your dog. So the big symptom you would see with that is really, really intense itching, especially on the back of the arms and the back of the legs. You might see hair loss because these dogs are so, so, so itchy. We can do additional testing, skin scrapings, which will help to diagnose that, and sometimes, even with sarcoptic mange, it may be hard to actually get a for-sure diagnosis. So there are even some different treatments that we would talk about if we were really worried that sarcoptic mange could be an issue.

What do bacterial, fungal, and ringworm skin infections look like in dogs?

Bacterial or fungal skin infections are common, especially if there's an underlying allergy. Sometimes, what'll happen is there'll be a bacterial overgrowth or a fungal, like a yeast overgrowth, that can cause those changes. So what you would see at home is typically going to be an area of maybe more redness. Typically, these dogs are going to be licking. They're going to definitely be uncomfortable, and it's going to definitely alert you that there's something there. When we see them in the hospital, we can do a skin cytology to look for yeast or bacteria, and sometimes we can even tell by the type of lesions we see. If we're seeing red, raised pustules or crusting, that can also help point us in a direction to kind of narrow that down.

You also have ringworm, which is obviously a fungus as well. We do not see ringworm a lot in dogs, which is good. We do see it more in puppies or kittens sometimes, especially if it's coming from an environment before coming into your home, where there was maybe some exposure. Ringworm in dogs does not necessarily look like the typical ring lesion that we see in people. It usually looks more like just some hair loss, maybe the skin's a little bit red. Most of the time they're fairly itchy. And we can do additional testing for ringworm to make sure that's not what it is.

There's a classic thing that happens every spring and summer where dogs will get these red-ringed lesions with almost like a little target lesion in the center, typically on their belly. And that's very classic with some of the different fly bites that will happen. So we always get a bunch of calls saying, "Oh my gosh, my dog has ringworm." It's not typically ringworm. Usually, we try to post pictures online as that season hits because it's really common, and people worry that their dog has ringworm. Like I said, ringworm is generally very, very rare, and luckily we don't see a lot of it.

What should I do if I find a lump on my dog?

If you notice a lump underneath your dog's skin or even on the surface of the skin, we always recommend getting it examined and checked out by your veterinarian. Based on what we feel, we typically will measure it. A lot of times, we'll do what's called a fine needle aspirate, which is basically a fine needle biopsy. What we do is just poke a little needle in it, and we look at the cells underneath the slide. That doesn't always give you a for-sure diagnosis, but it definitely points us in a direction of, is this something we need to be concerned about?

If we are concerned, we're going to be recommending surgical removal and a full biopsy. Or is this something that really looks to be more of a benign process, a lipoma, which is a benign fatty growth? Super common in dogs. A lot of times as dogs are getting lumps, we like to check and make sure that's what it is. But then at that point, we might just have you monitor it. It's always good to get it checked out first, especially if you notice a change.

Are allergies a common cause of dog skin problems?

Allergies are a very common reason for dogs to have any type of skin changes. We're actually going to be doing a separate video just to focus on that because it's a pretty involved conversation. Usually, when dogs have allergies, there is some type of cycle that goes with it. And usually, almost always with allergies, these dogs are itchy. You might have secondary skin changes, skin infections, redness, or even the skin could be kind of oozy or crusty. But usually, the itching is kind of what starts first. More common allergies are definitely a very common reason that a lot of dogs do manifest other skin issues and ear issues as well. A lot of times, that is also related to an underlying allergy, whether it be food or environmental. Both can cause flare-ups in the skin, ears, and other areas.

 Diagnosing Dog Allergies

Many pets are allergic to the same things we are, but determining the exact allergen is tricky. We can perform:

• Skin cytology (skin cell analysis)
• Fungal culture (testing for presence of a fungus)
• Food allergy testing through an elimination diet
• Blood or serum testing

Unfortunately, allergies often leave your pet vulnerable to skin infections, due to self-induced skin damage. Commonly, these infections are caused by bacteria or a fungus, and treatment for these will accompany your pet’s allergy management plan.

Signs Your Dog May Have an Allergy

Your dog or cat may have an allergy if they exhibit the following symptoms:

• Dry, flaky skin
• Red, irritated skin
• Hair loss
• Biting/chewing at paws
• Excessive scratching

Common Pet Allergies

Your pet could be allergic to any of the following:

• Pollens
• Trees and grasses
• Mold spores
• Dust or dust mites
• Certain materials (i.e. plastic, rubber, cotton)
• Cigarette smoke
• Perfumes
• Detergents
• Food ingredients
• And more

Dog Allergy Treatment Plans

Pet dermatology treatments, unfortunately, do not cure allergies, but they are often very effective at controlling them. They both ease your pet’s pain and discomfort and can help minimize future allergic reactions. Common dog and cat allergy treatments include:

• Immunotherapy/Desensitization based on diagnostic testing
• Daily allergy medication
• Monthly Injectable immune therapy
• Antihistamines
• Antibiotics (for infections)
• Medicated shampoos
• Topical creams
• Prescription diets

If you think your pet may be suffering from allergies, schedule an appointment with our veterinarians!

What should I do if I see a tick on my dog?

If you see a tick on your dog, the first thing to do is obviously you want to remove it. If it's not buried, and the head's not actually buried into the skin, removing it should be very easy. And if the tick never actually buried and implanted, then you have nothing to worry about. If the tick has been implanted, and you can kind of see the head's buried, you still do want to remove it. You do need to remove it properly, and there are some different tools you can use for that. Or you can always come into our hospital. We're happy to remove those for you.

Depending on if your dog's on a monthly tick preventative or any type of tick protection, we might talk about how worried we are about the tick. If your dog's not been on any type of tick preventative, and depending on when we think the tick attached, we might recommend actually having the tick tested to see if it's carrying any diseases. We hate to just be putting dogs on broad-spectrum antibiotics if we don't have any evidence of a tick-borne disease. But either way, you want the tick off. So if you're not comfortable removing it at home, let us know. We're happy to have you come in and can remove it pretty quickly.

If you’re looking for veterinary care you can trust, call us at (248) 609-1625 or email [email protected]. We’re here to keep your pet healthy, happy, and thriving!

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