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Atopy, also known as
atopic dermatitis, is an inherited
condition in which the affected dog
develops a hypersensitivity to
environmental allergens, such as
pollens, molds, and/or certain
insects like house dust mites.
Atopic dermatitis is one of the most
common skin diseases in the dog and
second most common hypersensitivity
in the cat. Commonly affected breeds
include terriers, golden retrievers,
Labrador retrievers, Lhasa apsos,
and Shih tzu.
Clinical signs most
often develop between six months and
three years of age, are often
distinctly seasonal in the
beginning, and commonly involve the
ears, distal extremities, and
face. Atopy often cannot be
distinguished from food allergies
without a history of seasonability.
Recurrent bacterial skin infections,
Malassezia skin inflammation, and
ear inflammation are often present
in allergic dogs.
Common clinical
signs and symptoms include:
-
Pruritus
(itching, face rubbing, paw
licking), with or without visible
skin lesions (redness)
-
Alopecia
(hair loss)
-
Lichenification (leathery development
and thickening of the skin)
-
Hyper-pigmentation (darkening of the
skin)
-
Other
allergies that may be co-existing:
flea
allergy dermatitis
and adverse food reaction
-
Symptoms
typically begin during young
adulthood, between 1 and 3 years of
age
Treatment:
-
Essential
Fatty Acids
and
antihistamines may be
recommended to manage the mind
symptoms of atopy.
-
More
severe symptoms may require oral
corticosteroids or
cyclosporine for
effective management.
-
Chronic
symptoms can be effectively managed
with allergen-specific immunotherapy
(allergy shot).
Hyposensitization (also called
desensitization or allergy
vaccination) involves subcutaneous
injection of relevant allergens at
intervals and in increasing
concentrations (induction period),
until the target maintenance dose is
reached.
-
Any
secondary bacterial infection
requires antibiotic therapy.
-
For
those dogs with a particular
predisposition to bacterial and
yeast infections, frequent use of
shampoos containing antibacterial
and antifungal agents is often
beneficial.
Chlorhexidine,
benzoyl
peroxide,
Malaseb
-
There is
no single uniformly effective
therapeutic agent or management
approach for canine atopy. The
successful remedy is usually a
combination of topical treatments,
systemic therapeutics and
environmental changes.
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