Diagnostic methods and therapeutic options in dog skin allergies – a short review

Abstract

Allergy is an exaggerated reaction of the body, which occurs after the contact with various substances that the immune system considers foreign and acts against them. Like humans, dogs can be allergic to various substances which, when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, airways or gastrointestinal tract, stimulate the immune system by releasing histamine that induces inflammation, erythema, edema and itching. It is considered that all the cases of allergies, whether low, moderate or severe, are genetic in nature. Dogs that become allergic to drugs, vaccines, food, dust, pollen, fleas, various household substances, etc., are "genetically programmed" to have an immune system capable of producing an allergic reaction. The allergic reaction is not due to medication, biological products, food or the environment, but it is considered to be a genetic trait inherited from parents. Because there are different types of allergies and many conditions that can cause skin problems in dogs, the symptoms they present differ from one allergy to another, from one patient to another, requiring both diagnosis and treatment to be made differential for each type of allergy and for each individual. The symptoms of allergic reactions can be diagnosed through allergic tests (intradermal or blood tests), the individual removal of allergens from the dog's living environment (in case of parasitic allergy), or by reagent therapy. Fighting allergies involves the use of antihistamines, antiinflammatory corticosteroids, topical antipruritic substances, leukotrienes inhibitors, as well as various plant extracts with antiallergic effect.