Dog Skin Allergies
Dog skin allergies can be a real challenge to overcome because of a number of factors:
1) Most importantly, in dogs the skin is the target organ for ALL allergies.
This means that if a dog is allergic to ANYTHING, it is likely to manifest itself as an itchy skin which will make the dog scratch.
The importance of this piece of information is that just because a dog is scratching it’s skin, it doesn’t mean that the cause of the itching is something to do with the skin – it could equally be caused by something it is breathing in (atopy), or something it is eating (food allergy).
Equally, not all itchy dog skin problems can be attributed to allergies – there are a whole lot of other possible causes. This obviously just complicates the situation further in terms of trying to come to a diagnosis.
2) An itchy skin leads to scratching and a whole host of secondary dog skin problems. In some cases the original cause of the itch is no longer a factor but the dog keeps scratching because the actual act of scratching irritates the skin and makes it itchy and so a never ending itch- scratch cycle is perpetuated. This can make the underlying cause of many dog skin allergies difficult to identify.
Dog Skin Allergies Unravelled
So the first step in dealing with dog skin allergies is to try to identify the causative factor or allergen. This is an important step in the treatment of any dog allergy.
We can divide these causes into 2 main groups for clarity.
1) Those allergies that are caused by direct irritation of the skin – this group perhaps encompasses the “true” dog skin allergies and would include contact allergies and perhaps flea allergies.
2) Those allergies that show itchy skin symptoms, but actually have nothing to do directly with the skin. Examples of these would be food allergies in dogs and atopy – inhaled allergens such as pollens and moulds.
All dog skin allergies can be a challenge to deal with effectively – either in diagnosing them or trying to treat them – or in many cases – both!!
Common Dog Skin Allergies
Of all the dog skin allergies, a flea allergy is perhaps the most common and easiest to diagnose in that it is usually seasonal to start with and there is usually evidence of the fleas (flea eggs and flea dirt) on the dog’s coat and if the infestation is severe – you might see actual fleas!
Getting rid of the fleas presents another set of problems altogether as a flea problem is not a dog problem – it is an environmental problem and the only chance you have of long term success is by reducing the number of fleas in the environment that can bite the dog!
Fleas have been around a very long time (over 2 million years by some estimates) and so know a thing or two about species survival – so getting rid of them altogether is probably not a viable option. However, reducing the number of fleas in the environment to the point where they are less likely to cause dog skin allergies in most dogs is feasible.
Treatment for Dog Skin Allergies
While most dog skin allergies look more or less the same clinically, we have seen that there are numerous causes that can give rise to an allergy.
Treating dog skin allergies therefore should be based on firstly finding the underlying cause and correcting that factor.
Sadly many people still resort to an antihistamine or a cortisone to treat an itchy dog without making any effort to understand what is going on. In many cases, in the short term at least, this might provide partial relief for the itchy dog.
However, this approach rarely leads to a a viable long term solution for the dog and can in fact exacerbate or cause other health problems.
So to wrap up.Seasonality, distribution of skin rash or other clinical symptoms, age onset, feed and environment are all factors that need to be taken into account in dealing with dog skin allergies. Trying to treat everything based on the clinical symptoms only will end up an expensive disaster! 
Find out more about dog skin allergies as well as other Canine Allergies here.
