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Coping with an itchy pet can be an extremely frustrating experience for you, the pet owner and can truly test the limits of the human-animal bond. Persistent scratching and chewing by the pet can also result in self-excoriation and open wounds. The following information is intended to provide the pet owner with a basic understanding of the most common underlying causes of itching and allergies in the small animal.
Objectives:
▪ Review the clinical reaction patterns associated with allergic dermatologic diseases in the feline patient ▪ Present an organized approach to diagnosis of allergic disease in the cat ▪ Review therapeutic options Key Points for cat owners: ▪ Infectious and parasitic causes must be ruled out before proceeding with an allergy work-up ▪ A methodical organized approach to diagnostics will provide a more satisfactory result than randomly trying different therapies  Canine atopic dermatitis (allergic dermatitis, canine atopy) is an inherited predisposition to develop allergic symptoms following repeated exposure to otherwise harmless substances, ”allergens”, such as dust mites, dander or pollen.
Most dogs begin to show their allergic signs between 1 and 3 years of age. Atopic dogs typically demonstrate pruritus (itching) by scratching, licking, rubbing and chewing at certain classic areas including the feet, muzzle, ears, armpits or groin. This can result in alopecia (hair loss), erythema (reddening) and lichenification (thickening) of the skin.  House Dust Mites of several species are microscopic arthropods present in every home. These mites feed off of skin scales and dander shed by humans and animals. Because they feed on skin scales, mites love bedding, carpeting, upholstered furniture, clothing, closets, stuffed dog toys and automobile seats …. in short anywhere they can find a hiding place with the likelihood of skin dander being present. Dust mites also require a relatively high humidity in the home to truly thrive.
 Staphylococcal Pyoderma
Bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are gram-positive cocci that exist as part of the normal cutaneous flora of mammals. However, due to a disruption in the skin’s natural defense mechanisms, these bacteria can proliferate and cause infection. Dogs harbor coagulase-positive staphylococcus on non-lesional skin and mucosal surfaces (carriage sites). Studies have shown that such carriage sites may be the source of pathogenic staphylococcus in dogs, resulting in the lesions of bacterial folliculitis.  Objectives:
Key Points for cat owners: Infectious and parasitic causes must be ruled out before proceeding with an allergy work-up A methodical organized approach to diagnostics will provide a more satisfactory result than randomly trying different therapies. Hairless Chinese Crested dogs are sometimes presented to the veterinarian with a complaint of “bumps all over the body” with white-heads and/or black-heads. The lesions are a genetic abnormality in which they develop cystic hair follicles that result in comedones (black heads) and inflamed nodules that can become secondarily infected.
Introduction
Coping with an itchy pet can be an extremely frustrating experience for you, the pet owner and can truly test the limits of the human-animal bond. Persistent scratching and chewing by the pet can also result in self-excoriation and open wounds. The following information is intended to provide the pet owner with a basic understanding of the most common underlying causes of itching and allergies in the small animal. Pemphigus Foliaceous (PF) is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies are directed against the structures which hold the epithelial cells of the skin together. This results in a severe crusting dermatosis that may wax and wane and is often mistaken for Staph infection or allergic skin disease.
Some patients with this disease will feel ill and have a fever while others will not. Achieving a diagnosis can be difficult as it is essential that the correct lesions be biopsied at exactly the right time. As with humans and small companion animals, there has been increasing awareness of allergic diseases in the horse. As with other species, equines may suffer from one or more allergic diseases such as insect hypersensitivity, atopy, food allergy and contact allergy.
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Author
Dr. Joseph A. Bernstein, DVM, DACVD
In addition to small animal and equine cases, Dr. Bernstein continues to publish research and acts as a consultant for zoos and research centers for the benefit of exotic animals and nonhuman primates. |
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