Itching To Understand Your Pet’s Allergies? Our Pet Dermatologist Can Help
Are your pets’ allergies keeping them (and you!) up at night? Environmental and food allergies can greatly impact your pet’s day-to-day life and getting to the root of the problem can be challenging. At VERG, we have our very own Veterinary Dermatologist to help your pets achieve relief and greatly improve their quality of life. Our board-certified veterinary dermatologist, Dr. Michelle Piccione, specializes in the management of allergic skin diseases and will build a personalized treatment plan for your pet.
Allergies in Pets:
Allergies are adverse immunologic reactions to a substance (the “allergen”). When the body is exposed to the allergen, it creates an inflammatory reaction causing the clinical signs observed at home. Your pet can develop an allergy at any age. Our dermatologist is here to help at any point in your pet’s life!
Common Pet Allergens:
In most cases, that allergen itself can be from food, the environment, or ectoparasites. The offending food can be anywhere in your pet’s diet. Often it is not a new food, but rather something your pet has been eating for a while. Schedule an appointment with our dermatologist to discuss your pet’s history to try and localize the underlying cause.
Clinical Signs of Allergies in Pets:
The presence of allergies has numerous manifestations. Some pets exhibit clinical signs seasonally or year-round. The most common sign of an allergy is itching, however biting, rubbing, shaking the head, licking, and rolling are all signs of itchiness.
The most common areas affected are:
- Paws
- Face
- Ears
- Belly
- Anal area
- Armpits
Allergy Management:
No two patients are alike. What works for one patient may be completely ineffective or not tolerated in another. The personalized treatment plan will be determined by each individual patient’s severity of disease, response to therapies, and presence or absence of secondary infections. Communication between the client and dermatologist, and regular follow-up examinations are essential to the successful management of this condition. If your pet’s itching is keeping you up and making them miserable, ask your family veterinarian if a referral to our Dermatology and Allergy department is in order.