Westcoast Veterinary Hospital/Naples Safari Animal Hospital & Pet Resort
Treating the itchy pet
1. Ectoparasites – All itchy pets should be treated for fleas whether or not fleas are seen. Topical monthly
products like Frontline, Advantage or Canine Advantix are effective in reducing flea populations. A new
monthly oral product called Comfortis has also proved to be very effective. We will discuss which protocol is
best for your pet. In order to get an infestation under control, product combinations plus continued
environmental control will be needed. If scabies mites are suspected, we will treat them empirically. If
ectoparasites are the sole source of pruritis , appropriate treatment will eliminate itching.
2. Allergies it is important to remember that , as in human medicine, allergies are not cured, only managed,
and most often require lifelong, owner intensive treatment. Allergy treatments involve 2 major modalities; 1.
avoidance & 2. modulation of the immune system.
Avoidance involves minimizing exposure to the offending irritant. While this sounds easy it usually isn’t. One
must first identify what the pet is reacting to. Often, the allergen(s) is something that the animal cannot
avoid like grass or even pet and people dander. There are some ways owners can help minimize exposure . If
your pet chews his feet after walking on the grass, make a point of rinsing the feet off after a walk. Avoid
outside exposure at dusk and dawn, or after lawn mowing when pollen counts are high. Cats can be kept
indoors to reduce exposure to pollens. Once or twice weekly bathing with a recommended shampoo can help by
removing offending allergens from the coat to prevent reexposure and absorption, as well as being soothing.
Many shampoos have medications or additives to help control itch. If mold or dust mites are suspected, a
dehumidifier to reduce populations may help. Do not allow animals to sleep in the human bed as this is where
the highest concentration of dust mites is found. Provide separate clean cotton bedding that can be
washed weekly.
Modulation of the immune system can be the most effective way of treating allergies. This can be
accomplished in a number of ways.
1. Drugs: Steroids are powerful immune suppressants and are effective at reducing itch immediately. They
play an important role in treating allergies but can have serious, life threatening side effects with prolonged
use or or at high doses. The use of steroids is usually reserved for severe itching or combined with
antihistamines for limited periods of time until other methods can be used. Antihistamines are more
important in treating human allergies than in pets, only about 20% of dogs will respond to any single
antihistamine, although they seem to be more effective in cats than in dogs. It is recommended that a 2 week
trial of various antihistamines such as clemastine fumerate, chlorphinaramine, or diphenhydramine be
initiated to determine which works best for your pet. These are extremely safe, relatively inexpensive drugs
with very few side effects. Fatty acid supplements are different than the oils usually added to make a pet’s
coat healthy. They work by being incorporated into the skin where they alter the production of inflammatory
chemicals. They take about 4 weeks to be maximally effective. It is thought that they may help
antihistamines work better. Cyclosporine is a drug that can be as effective as steroids for reducing itch. It
also suppresses the immune system but has fewer side effects than steroids. The drawbacks with
cyclosporine are that it can take 2-3 weeks to become effective and can be expensive, especially for larger
dogs. Cyclosporine is often used with oral antifungal mediations which can help reduce the dosage and treat
yeast infections as well. This is the often the best option for dogs with severe, chronic allergies.
2. Hypo sensitization – just like people, pets can get allergy shots. Your pets will have to be tested to
determine what allergens they are sensitive to. The most accurate test is done by injecting allergens into the
skin and noting the reaction. This procedure must be done through referral to a specialist. Testing on blood
is simpler and can be done in this office, but may be less accurate. Neither method can test for all allergens,
only the most common offenders in our area. Based on test results, a serum is formulated especially for
your pet. Injections must be given on a regular basis by the owner. 75% of dogs will benefit from hypo
sensitization, 25% will not. The earlier after onset of symptoms that treatment is started, the more favorable
the outcome. It will take 6-12 months to see a response during which time alternate therapies may be
required.
There are no accurate tests available to determine if and to what food a pet is sensitive to. The irritant can
be any ingredient or combination of ingredients that the animal has had previous exposure to, although the
most common culprits are beef, chicken, corn, pork, wheat or soy. These ingredients can be found in some
form in almost every commercial diet. In order to determine if a food allergy exists, the pet must be put on a
diet restricted to very few ingredients to which they have never been exposed to before exclusively for 10 weeks.
The ultimate diet would be homemade to rule out preservatives or additives as well but this is usually not
practical for most owners. Fortunately, there are a number of commercial diets available specifically for this
purpose. Please note that diets labeled lamb and rice or sensitive skin etc are not suitable for this trial as
they are not limited ingredient diets! The protocol requires the involvement of everyone that comes in
contact with the pet as nothing can pass by the lips except the diet and water for 10 weeks. Prohibited items
include treats, rawhide bones, heartworm chews, flavored toothpaste and (yuk) “litterbox treats” . Diet
changes can be especially challenging in felines and must be done gradually. Often multiple diets may be
tried. Once improvement is noted, the pet can be challenged by adding various ingredients to the diet for 2
weeks at a time to see if a relapse occurs. Avoidance is the only effective treatment for food allergies. While
this may seem like a difficult protocol, it must be said that animals with this condition will often show
marked improvements if the owners are willing to be strict. In animals with multiple sensitivities an
elimination diet may reduce the “itch threshold” to acceptable levels.
3. Secondary infections may be treated with topical medications, systemic (oral) medications or a
combination of the two. Until or unless the predisposing cause is identified and addressed, multiple rounds
of treatment will probably be required.
Please keep in mind that realistically we will probably not stop the itch forever, but with proper attention, can
substantially improve the quality of life for you and your pet.
Lesli R. Reiff, DVM