Environmental Allergies

What Is Atopy?

Atopy, or Atopic Dermatitis, is a condition where there is an exaggerated immune response to common substances in the environment such as grasses, dust particles, pollen, dander or molds to name a few. These allergens will land on the skin, which then causes inflammation, itching, scratching, and irritation.

It is different than a food or flea allergy (although your dog could have 1, 2 or all 3 allergies), so be sure to rule out these or any other conditions with your veterinarian. Atopic Dermatitis usually presents at a young age, is seasonal or you see a specific pattern with weather changes (hi, Southern California weather), they chew and lick paws, have a yeasty smell or infection, and you’ve ruled out other conditions with your veterinarian. Unfortunately, there is not one simple test that is definitive for environmental allergies. There is allergy testing (see below), but even dogs without allergies can test positive for some substances.

Daily Steps to Take to Minimize Issues

Since allergens cause issues by coming in contact with the skin, one thing you can do is wipe off your dog’s paws and coat after being outside. This reduces the load of pollens and irritants on their skin. I use Pure and Natural Pet or Earthbath wipes for dogs. In a pinch I use my son’s wipes, Coterie, since I usually have those on hand. You can bathe your dog more often if needed. Pure and Natural Pet and Earthbath (I prefer fragrance free) have shampoos.

There are a few medicated wipes I reach for during peak season like Dermabliss Wipes that are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Great for paws and skin folds!

You can use 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar to 2 parts water as a soak for itchy/yeasty paws. You can either place their paws in a bowl if they’ll stand there, or I soak a cotton ball and wipe Huey’s (my Frenchie) paws because he won’t stand still ;) I put on his cone afterwards so make sure it all soaks in and he doesn’t lick them!

*Before you start any supplement, ALWAYS discuss with your own vet!

A daily Fish Oil supplement can help your dog’s skin and coat. Fish oils contain Omegas, which help with cell components in the skin (among other things), and also contains anti-inflammatory properties. Dogs utilize cold water fish sources far greater than say a flaxseed source, so be sure to choose the right one. Brands I like are Nordic Naturals Pet, Fera Pet Organics, and Welactin.

The gut and immune system are largely linked, so add in a probiotic for a better microbiome! Brands I like are: Proviable-DC, Visbiome Vet, or Fortiflora. Animal Biome also has testing kit to see where imbalances in your dog are, and recommend products based on the results.

Quercetin has been touted as “Nature’s Benadryl” since it stops Mast Cells (immune cells that contain histamine) role in allergies, such as itching. This can help alleviate signs, but in my experience it needs to get into the system before allergy season starts. It works better with other compounds, so I use Now Pets Allergy.

CBD can decrease pruritus (itching) in dogs, as seen in a study done by ElleVet Sciences. I love the ElleVet Sciences brand of CBD - great for pain, anxiety, and now itching! The packaging of their CBD has the appropriate dose for certain issues, so be sure to follow the directions and talk to your vet.

Other supplements you can ask you veterinarian about are Herb Smith AllerQi and Solutions Pet Products AllerGEEZ. Natural supplements do take a longer time to get into the system, but they can work well long term.

Foods to help cool the inflamed body

As long as your dog doesn’t have a food allergy, my recommendation is to add in some cooling foods during allergy season. In TCVM (Traditional Chinese Vet Med), heat is an inflammatory process, and the foundation of health starts with food so we can use it to our advantage. Chi Dog Food is a fresh dog diet that works with the 5 elements of Chinese Medicine, so check them out!

You can add in some food to top your dog’s meals or as treats. Some cooling foods are: strawberries, watermelon, pears, blueberries, mango, bananas, broccoli, cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, spinach, cod, duck, rabbit, turkey, yogurt. Remember to check with your vet, and treats/snacks/toppers should be less than 10% of your dogs diet!

If your dog is on a kibble diet, I encourage you to either switch to a fresh food diet, or add in some fresh foods like melon or berries at the very least. Processed foods lose many natural anti-oxidants and may have an increase of pro-inflammatory products as compared to fresh foods. You can start by switching out treats with fresh fruits and veggies! Some fresh food and non-kibble diets are: Chi Dog (see above for link), JFFD, California Dog Kitchen, My Perfect Pet, Nom Nom, Raised Right Pets, or Simple Food Project. There are many more out there, so talk to your vet about what might be best for your dog!

Veterinary Support

*Always always see your veterinarian before changing, adding, or self-diagnosing your pet with anything.

Alternative treatments such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, laser therapy, specific supplement support, and other modalities performed or prescribed by a veterinarian can be super helpful for managing Atopy! If you are looking for an integrative or holistic vet, check out this website to find one near you - AHVMA. I use a combination of Western and Natural modalities in my practice, so take what resonates with you and leave what doesn’t!

I reserve Western Medications for when a patient is having a big flare up and they are uncomfortable and miserable (which sadly is the majority of first time clients). My goal as a clinician and animal advocate is to relieve their pain and discomfort while working on the root of the issue with supplements, acupuncture, food etc.

Apoquel tablets help stop the itch fairly quickly by inhibiting JAK enzymes, meaning it stops cytokines (a chemical released by cells) from triggering inflammation and the perception of itch. In my experience, this helps about 80% of my patients if taken for the 2-4 weeks prescribed. Some dogs I’ve seen have an increase in itch once they are off of it and nothing else has been done to solve the issue. Allergy management is a multimodal approach!

Cytopoint injection is a similar drug to Apoquel, and is injected no sooner than every 4-6 weeks. In my experience, this works about 90% of the time, but subsequent injections work less and less over time. Hence why I advocate and work with patients to get the itch managed. Again, its a multimodal approach to help environmental allergies!

I reach for steroids only when the inflammation is so bad, that I can’t even see inside a dogs ear canal due to inflamed and swollen tissue.

Antibiotics are sometimes used with bacterial infections, or severe yeast/fungal infections. The goal is to help the patient right away and implement long term changes that will minimize allergy flare ups.

Allergen Specific Immunotherapy aka Allergy Shots!

If your dog has bad allergies every season, I highly recommend allergy shots. Starting off with an allergy test of environmental allergens, your vet sees what your dog specifically reacts to. Once this is complete, serum is made with small doses of the allergens that your dog is allergic to (and it takes into consideration where you live). These are injected sometimes multiple times a week or weekly starting off, and then get further apart, and gradually to maintenance doses. Here is more information - Veterinary Partners ASIT.

The downsides are that it is expensive (but so is lifetime seasonal allergy treatment), and it can take a full year to see results.

If you made it this far, phew!!! Thanks for hanging in there. Allergies are such a big topic, and I didn’t even cover food or flea allergies. Its best to always discuss with your veterinarian what is right for your dog, and any new therapies that may potentially help.

I hope this helps you navigate allergy season!

XOXO, Dr. Tori