One of the very important allergic diseases in dogs and cats is atopy (atopic dermatitis). Atopy is one of the most significant allergy-causing diseases in dogs and cats, especially in dogs. If your pet suffers from atopy and is not treated, it will disrupt its life and deprive it of comfort and ease; therefore, it is necessary to take action to treat this disease in the early stages.
Definition of Atopy in Pets
Atopic dermatitis is an allergy to inhaled substances. Any allergy to inhaled substances such as cigarette smoke, perfume, dust in the surrounding environment, etc., that enter the pet’s body through respiration and to which the pet is sensitive, is recognized as atopic dermatitis in pets. Therefore, it is essential to be informed about the impact of cigarette smoke on the respiratory health of dogs and cats.
The Most Common Symptoms of Atopy in Dogs and Cats
The primary symptoms of atopy in dogs and cats are usually skin-related; however, sometimes this condition may also manifest with gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms alongside skin symptoms. The most common symptoms of atopy in pets are skin-related, hence it’s important to have the necessary information in this regard.
Factors that increase the likelihood of atopic dermatitis in pets include cigarette smoke, perfumes, and pollutants in the air.
If your pet is genetically predisposed to be sensitive to these substances, signs will appear on various parts or all of its skin. These symptoms generally manifest as itching on the skin of household dogs and cats. Remember that there are different patterns of itching in various body parts; meaning you should not expect, for instance, if your dog’s tail or paw itches, that it will scratch it with its hand.
In fact, itching in each part of the body manifests different symptoms depending on its anatomical position. For example, itching in the tail area manifests with the dog biting its tail, itching in the paws is accompanied with frequent licking and biting of that area, itching in the ear occurs with the reflex of using a paw, and itching in the elbows, back, and belly also occurs with that area being scratched with a paw or rolling around, and itching in the snout of dogs and cats may be alleviated using their hands or by rubbing their snouts on the ground, along with similar cases that may exist in every pet.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the main symptom of atopy in dogs and cats is itching, which leads to skin lesions developing due to persistent scratching, and an area of the body may become wounded or infected. In pets with light-colored skin, the area where itching occurs may change to a brown color. To determine whether this discoloration is caused by atopic dermatitis, you should be familiar with the methods of diagnosing allergies in pets.
When to Seek Treatment for Atopic Dermatitis in Dogs and Cats
Diagnosing atopy in dogs and cats is challenging, and sometimes the veterinarian may suspect that your pet has a parasitic disease or a food allergy. In any case, if these symptoms persist in your dog or cat and you feel that they have not improved over several days, definitely consult a veterinarian for examination and an accurate diagnosis of atopy. After visiting the veterinarian for your pet’s examination, be sure to provide a detailed history of the onset of atopic dermatitis symptoms to help the vet identify the factors contributing to the disease in your pet.
How to Examine Atopy in Dogs and Cats
Human diagnosis of this disease involves tests that are not yet common in veterinary medicine. Although research has been conducted on these tests, they have not yet reached a wide practical application. However, there are tests that you can use to diagnose atopic dermatitis in your pet to find out which air pollutants they are allergic to, allowing for precise identifications to keep the pet away from them. In more advanced methods, once the allergic composition is identified, vaccines can be produced, and with vaccine therapy, this allergy can be completely treated in the pet.
Is Atopy in Dogs and Cats Dangerous?
Atopic dermatitis in pets is not a dangerous disease; however, it can disrupt their quality of life. It can also cause discomfort for the pet owner, as pets can suffer from skin diseases causing various ailments in their bodies. If the symptoms of atopic dermatitis in your home dog or cat become severe, chronic, and hard for you to bear, definitely consult a veterinarian so that the vet can accurately diagnose the atopy and take necessary actions for its control and potential cure if applicable.
Definitive Treatment for Atopy in Pets
Some people ask veterinarians whether atopic dermatitis in home cats and dogs has a definitive cure. In this regard, it should be mentioned that generally, there is no definitive cure for this disease in home dogs and cats; however, the symptoms can be somewhat controlled. There are three different methods for controlling atopic dermatitis in pets:
- If the factors causing atopic disease in cats and dogs are identified, the animal should be kept away from them.
- The use of certain medications such as antihistamines, corticosteroids, cyclosporine, etc. prescribed by a veterinarian.
- The use of allergy vaccines that should be administered under the supervision of a veterinarian.
You can largely control the symptoms of atopic dermatitis in most pets with these methods. If it is determined that the animal is allergic to plant pollen, try to keep the animal away from them during the seasons when trees and flowers are pollinating; therefore, observing all the above points and daily care of pets can help control this disease.
Final Words
Atopy is one of the diseases caused by sensitivity to inhalable substances such as dust, perfume, air pollution, etc. in pets like dogs and cats. The symptoms of this disease include itching in various parts of the body, and to treat it, the cause of the disease must be identified in pets. After that, treatment can be initiated. Currently, there is no definitive treatment for this disease, but it can be controlled by following certain guidelines. Our colleagues at the Central Veterinary Hospital are available 24/7 to provide services and treat skin diseases in animals.
