Skin Disease: Flea Allergy Dermatitis

Skin Disease: Flea Allergy Dermatitis

This is the most common presenting problem in patients I see at Olive Branch. Florida ranks number one in the country for Heartworm Disease, Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopic Dermatitis. Florida’s tropical climate is a haven for mosquitoes which cause Heartworm Disease, fleas which cause an Allergic Dermatitis and various grasses, pollen, trees and dust mites which cause Atopy. In addition to Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopy is Food Allergy Dermatitis which also causes skin disease either alone or in combination with the other two syndromes. So, basically 3 things cause skin disease I see daily in my practice:
  • Flea Allergy
  • Atopy
  • Food Allergy
  • In this article we will discuss Flea Allergy Dermatitis.
Some pets are allergic to the saliva in the flea’s bite. If allergic, 1 bite can cause itching for up to 2 weeks in these pets. A study published a few years ago, when the topical flea preventions (Advantage, Frontline Top Spot) were initially being tested, showed up to an 80% reduction of allergic symptoms not only from fleas, but also from Atopy. Therefore, this is the first line of treatment for generalized skin disease…monthly flea prevention. Treating the home and enviroment help, but topical treatment on the pet is by far the most effective prevention. Some clients will say however their pet doesn’t have fleas. They may not see fleas on their pet, but a flea will bite their friend when they go outside, then jump off the pet. Fleas have been around for centuries and have a knack for survival. Remember, we are the number one state for fleas in this country. Companies who make flea prevention come to Florida to test their products.
In the next article, we will discuss Atopy which is the second most common cause of skin disease.

Skin Disease: Food Allergy Dermatitis

Skin Disease: Food Allergy Dermatitis

This is the most common presenting problem in patients I see at Olive Road. Florida ranks number one in the country for Heartworm Disease, Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopic Dermatitis. Florida’s tropical climate is a haven for mosquitoes which cause Heartworm Disease, fleas which cause an Allergic Dermatitis and various grasses, pollen, trees and dust mites which cause Atopy. In addition to Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopy is Food Allergy Dermatitis which also causes skin disease either alone or in combination with the other two syndromes. So, basically 3 things cause skin disease I see daily in my practice:
  • Flea Allergy
  • Atopy
  • Food Allergy
  • In this article we will discuss Food Allergy Dermatitis.
Food Allergy Dermatitis is becoming a more common problem in the skin disease arena. In my experience, it is seen more commonly in dogs than in cats. The most typical presenting clinical sign is either the ears or generalized skin are slightly pink and itchy. The offending agent is the protein component of the food being fed. Most commercial over the counter foods contain chicken, beef or a combination thereof. Treatment involves feeding a hypo-allergenic diet for 8 to 10 weeks and sometimes longer. The two current diets are Hill’s Science Diet Z/D(dry formula only) or Innovative Veterinary Diet’s Venison/Potato, Fish/Potato, Kangaroo/Potato and others (dry and canned formulas). Hill’s Z/D protein molecule is formulated to be so small in size, it is not recognized by the patient’s immune system. Innovative Veterinary Diets provide a “novel” protein (proteins not available in over the counter foods) that the patient’s immune system has not been exposed to, thus the pet should not be allergic when consuming. The most important thing is the patient can only be fed the hypo-allergenic diet for the trial period. Any variance from the diet renders the results less than optimal. Results are sometimes seen immediately and other times later in the trial. Unlike Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopy, Food Allergy Dermatitis is not very responsive to steroids. After the trial period, it is recommended removing the hypo-allergenic food and returning to the patients original diet. Owners usually balk at this notion since the pet’s skin looks the best is has in years. It is acceptable to continue to feed the hypo-allergenic diet long term, although more expensive than over the counter foods. I have found in my practice that hypo-allergenic diets help pets improve more quickly and sustain their improvement regardless of the true allergy cause.
For more information on skin disease, see the previous 2 articles which cover the 2 most common forms of skin disease, Flea Allergy and Atopy.

Skin Disease: Atopy

Skin Disease: Atopy

This is the most common presenting problem in patients I see at Olive Road. Florida ranks number one in the country for Heartworm Disease, Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopic Dermatitis. Florida’s tropical climate is a haven for mosquitoes which cause Heartworm Disease, fleas which cause an Allergic Dermatitis and various grasses, pollen, trees and dust mites which cause Atopy. In addition to Flea Allergy Dermatitis and Atopy is Food Allergy Dermatitis which also causes skin disease either alone or in combination with the other two syndromes. So, basically 3 things cause skin disease I see daily in my practice:
  • Flea Allergy
  • Atopy
  • Food Allergy
  • In this article we will discuss Atopy.
Atopic Dermatitis is a syndrome characterized by pruritus or itching. Atopy is an inhaled or contact type allergy similar to hay fever. Florida is a tropical, humid climate which is conducive to heavy pollenQA, thus this syndrome tends to affect pets year round. Other than blooming plants, dust mites, fleas, grasses and trees also contribute to atopic dermatitis.

There are two types of testing for Atopy:

  • Intradermal skin testing
  • Elisa (RAST) testing
Intradermal skin testing involves injecting small amounts of antigens (allergy particles) under the skin and observing for wheals (allergic responses).
Elisa (RAST) testing involves obtaining a blood sample and sending it to a special allergy lab to be evaluated. This is very common in human medicine, but is not as reliable for animals.
The goal of therapy is to keep the patient comfortably pruritic or itchy. It is almost impossible to rid the pet of all itching, but again the goal is comfort.
Recommended treatment involves treating concomitant disease such as flea allergy and pyoderma (skin infection). Desensitization injections based on Intradermal skin testing or Elisa (RAST) testing provides about a 50% improvement in about 50% of patients. Treatment is usually for the lifetime of the pet. Other studies cite 30% to 70% improvement and treatment cost can be in the several hundred dollar range.
Atopy is very responsive to steroid therapy. Prednisone given on an every other day regimen has proven extremely effective and economical. Most patients need only short infrequent courses of therapy certain times of the year. Side effects include increased thirst, urination and appetite and tend to be does dependent.
Antihistamines are effective in 10% to 30% of cases and may decrease the need for steroids. Examples include hydroxyzine, diphenhydramine, clemastine and others. In my experience, antihistamines have not proven very effective, but are always worth a try before steroid therapy. Another product that may help is Derm Caps (omega 3 and 6 fatty acids) given orally and is also found in some foods (IAMS Lamb and Rice).
Overall, my approach to skin disease involves a step wise progression through these past three months of health columns. I hope these articles have helped you to further understand the etiology and in turn the treatment of the most common diseases seen in veterinary practice.
In the next article, we will discuss Food Allergy.