myEvery day, itchy dogs shuffle into Elizabeth Falk’s veterinary office. Some can’t stop biting their feet or scratching their bellies. Others have red, smelly ears or skin rashes. Everyone feels intensely uncomfortable due to environmental allergies. “They’re sitting in the waiting room and everyone else backs away for fear it’s contagious,” she says. “He’s very busy helping everyone we can.” Until recently, Falk was a veterinary dermatologist at Cornell University Veterinary Specialists, where she saw about 15 allergic pets a day and was booked up six months in advance. Demand is so high that in April she will open her own pet dermatology practice.
More and more dogs are suffering from atopic dermatitis, also known as environmental allergies: according to a 2018 report from Banner Pet Hospital (the latest US figures on the subject), there has been a 30% increase in cases in recent 10 years. In 2021, a university hospital in Brazil reported that 25% of dogs tested had allergies. Although dog allergies are not consistently tracked, anecdotally, they are increasing. “Allergic skin diseases are probably the most common thing we see,” says Erin Tate, vice president of clinical development at CityVet in Dallas. “I’ve been doing this for 25 years and I’ve definitely seen a dramatic increase in the last few years.” Dogs with environmental allergies tend to be “miserable,” she adds, sometimes scratching so aggressively that their hair falls out. Spring is a particularly difficult time. “I tell people that if their allergies get worse, their dog’s allergies get worse,” Tate says.
But what is causing the increased itching? And what helps relieve the agony of allergic dogs?
Some dogs are allergy magnets.
There is a strong genetic component to atopic dermatitis, says Falk. Certain breeds are prone to them, including German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, French Bulldogs, English Bulldogs, West Highland Terriers, Shih Tzus, Pit Bulls, Pugs, and Boxers. Allergies look different in different breeds. German shepherds, for example, tend to get scabs around their lips, Falk notes, while Labs develop bumps between their toes.
Read more: Dog owners live longer, healthier lives
Environmental allergies typically first appear when a dog is between 6 months and 3 years old, says Matthew McCarthy, founder of Juniper Valley Animal Hospital in Queens, although there are atypical cases. Allergies are the result of a dysfunction of the skin barrier or a defective outer layer broken down by inflammation. “The way we used to think about this in the old school was that these guys inhale (allergens), they get into their bloodstream and they react, and that’s what causes histamine to be released,” McCarthy says. . “Now we know that’s probably not the case.” Instead, airborne allergens, such as grass or tree pollen, are likely absorbed through dogs’ skin. This causes symptoms such as excessive itching, which can cause dogs to constantly lick or chew their paws or rub their faces. In some cases, atopic dermatitis manifests as frequent skin and ear infections instead of itching; An especially unlucky group of dogs experiences all of the above.
Climate change plays a role
The main reason why more and more dogs suffer from allergies has to do with global warming. “Allergy season has been extended due to climate change and the dramatic change in temperatures,” says Tate. During the winter, where she lives in Texas, there can be a couple of cold days in the 30s or 40s, immediately followed by a jump into the 70s or 80s. “Every time we have that heat wave in between the cold, things start to bloom again,” she says. “Nothing ever has a chance to die.”
Read more: Why allergy seasons are getting worse
Research suggests that warmer weather and rising carbon dioxide concentrations extend the growing season for mold spores and plants like ragweed, while worsening air pollution. In North America, pollen seasons now start 20 days earlier and are 10 days longer than in 1990. Additionally, there is an average of 21% more pollen. during every allergy season. Cue the frantic calls to your pup’s vet. “Climate change is affecting humans and dogs,” says Tate.
Dogs Used to Get Dirtier Than Now
Early exposure to microorganisms (through things like dirt, germs, and even dogs) can help protect babies from developing allergies. The same goes for dogs, says Matthew Levinson, a veterinary dermatologist who owns Pet Derm in Chicago. Research suggests that dogs that live in a rural environment, take regular walks outdoors, and have contact with farm animals are less likely to have environmental allergies, while atopic dermatitis is more common in urban environments, where dogs They tend to spend a greater amount of time. time inside.
“We’re cleaner and more hygienic; the dogs don’t spend as much time outside,” Levinson says. “It’s not like in the past, where you had a dog house in the backyard and the dog spent most of the day in the yard.”
Meanwhile, dogs that live in a house with other dogs also seem to benefit from a protective effect. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should adopt another dog or try to expose your pet to more germs. It’s difficult to separate all the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to allergies, Levinson says. There is simply “too much variation between individual dogs, and a lot of things are subjective,” he says, which makes general recommendations complicated.
A silver lining: better treatment options than ever
On any given day, Levinson treats 14 to 17 allergic dogs. He says he feels so guilty knowing how many others are suffering that he often schedules appointments twice. When an itchy dog comes to his office, he first takes a detailed history: What areas of the body are itchy and what time of year do they break out? He will do a physical exam looking for redness in the paws and groin, and may suggest an elimination diet to rule out food allergies. Once he is sure that the dog has environmental allergies, he will usually recommend allergy testing. That means he injects dozens of small amounts of allergens under the dog’s skin, and if the pup is allergic, hives will form at the site, pointing to the culprit.
Managing allergies is a “marathon, not a sprint,” Levinson emphasizes, and most dogs require lifelong treatment. There is no cure, but treatment options are much better now than they were a decade ago. Most dogs respond well to immunotherapy: personalized injections, like the allergy shots humans receive, that train the immune system to become desensitized to certain allergens. However, it could take more than a year to see results.
Read more: Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Here’s what experts say works best
There are other options. In 2013, an oral medication called Apoquel was approved to control itching and inflammation in allergic dogs. “It was like a miracle,” Falk says. “We had been waiting for it for so long.” It’s safe and well-tolerated, she adds, and is a “reasonable long-term medication” for dogs that itch and get skin infections.
A few years later, in 2016, another treatment option emerged: Cytopoint, a targeted therapy administered by injection every four to eight weeks. It’s a monoclonal antibody against an itch signal called interleukin (IL)-31, Falk explains. “It binds to that itch signal,” she says. “It does not affect the rest of the immune system in any way, which makes it very safe.” The downside, he adds, is that it’s only intended to control itching, so dogs who are allergic and prone to infections caused by inflammation will still get them. That’s why it’s important to align medication choices with how a dog manifests allergies: Itchy dogs who never get infections generally do better with Cytopoint, while Falk often prescribes Apoquel to those who develop infections, since It is a good anti-inflammatory option.
However, canine dermatology is not cheap and pet insurance generally only covers the treatment if dogs are insured before they show symptoms. Allergy tests can cost more than $1,000 out of pocket, Apoquel costs around $90 for 30 tablets, and a Cytopoint injection can cost between $50 and $200, depending on the size of the dog.
Is there a way to prevent allergies?
Having an allergic dog usually boils down to bad luck. If a dog is born predisposed to bite, he will bite. But if you’re considering purchasing a puppy from a breeder, it may be helpful to ask if there are any allergic dogs in a potential pet’s pedigree, Falk advises. Research suggests that when two dogs with atopic dermatitis are bred, 65% of their offspring will have environmental allergies; if only one parent has the condition, the figure drops from 21% to 57%; and if neither parent has allergies, 11% will develop problems.
If your dog has allergies (and even if he doesn’t), be sure to bathe him regularly, about once a month, to remove potential allergens from his skin, Tate advises. She thinks dogs are “little dust mops” who pick up a lot when they wander outside. Some people like to clean their pets with unscented wipes to remove pollen, she adds.
And, most importantly, if your dog is suddenly scratching a lot more than usual, take him to the vet. Depending on the severity of the situation, your veterinarian may refer you to a specialist, but many cases can be treated by your regular veterinarian. “The sooner you start immunotherapy, the better the success rate,” Levinson says. “When the dog is younger, you can shape the immune system much more easily, compared to if you have a dog that has had allergic symptoms for several years.” The sooner you take care of your dog’s health, he stresses, the happier you’ll both be.
