My unexpected experience with dog allergies!

In April last year, my boyfriend and I adopted a 1 year old lab-pit mix puppy from our local Humane Society. He is such a lover and absolutely enjoys frolicking (literally), jumping, and playing outside. I am so thankful for him, as he brings joy and love into my heart. Unfortunately after several trips to the vet's office and the emergency vet office, it was discovered that he has some pretty severe environmental allergies (he is allergic to grass, trees, pollen, dust, and weeds!). For all of you that are not familiar with dog allergies, please take a look at the article I wrote about this long process. Cody, my puppy, is doing well with the immunotherapy, but the real test will be in the springtime.

My adorable, energetic puppy Cody!

"Diagnosing dog allergies is a very long and complicated process for both dogs and their owners. There are two types of allergies that dogs have, food allergies and environmental allergies. It is worthy to note that food allergies are different than food intolerance. Primarily, dermatologist veterinarians like to use the trial-and-error method for diagnosing food allergies before investigating whether or not the dog has environmental allergies. This can be costly as it requires that the owner either buy a prescription dog food (such as the RoyalCanin Potato and Venison Hypoallergenic dog food that costs roughly $69 per 17.9lb bag) or prepare a homemade meal (sometimes prepared with venison, rabbit, or kangaroo meat). This special diet needs to have one protein and one starch that the dog has not been regularly exposed to, as they can not be allergic to food that they don't regularly have. After about 2-3 months of this exclusive diet (no treats, table scraps, or oral medication, including chewable heart worm medicine), the dermatologist veterinarian will take a look to see if the symptoms have improved. At this point the owner has already spent several hundreds of dollars to see a dermatologist veterinarian and buy special dog food. If the dog does indeed have environmental allergies, and the original symptoms have not subsided after the food trial, the next step would be to have a skin test performed. This test alone costs $200-$300, and uses multiple needles with allergens to test the skin reaction on the dog. If the dog has severe enough reactions (swelling, redness, tenderness, etc.), then the dog has environmental allergies to xyz. 

There are two paths that the owner can choose to take after receiving the results:

1. Try to avoid the allergens and treat the symptoms as they appear-This may not be feasible if the dog is allergic to things such as grass, dust, pollen, etc. or

2. Start a 10 month trial of immunotherapy by giving an injection to the dog containing the allergens where the dog slowly builds up a tolerance. Dogs will not outgrow or build a 100% tolerance to their allergens. Anywhere between 70-85% of owners see an improvement with immunotherapy and continue these injections for the rest of the dogs life. Typically, these injections and syringes cost about $200 per year. Not to mention that for the first 4-5 months, the dog will suffer from their allergies, and all the owner(s) can do is treat the symptoms until the dog has enough of the allergens in its system. That can be several hundred to a couple thousand dollars worth of medication and treatment for the dog, depending on the age the test was done at.

To some, their pets are their children. For others, their pets are not worth the time, effort, and money for food and/or environmental allergies. Dog allergies can be a serious medical condition, and owners should carefully think about their available pet funds, savings, time, and commitment towards their dogs. If the owners are financially able and willing to go through this lengthy process, their dog is a very lucky pet! However, the best thing for a dog may not be the best thing for the owner. If the owner(s) are not financially able to support and provide for the dog, there are many rescue organizations and no-kill shelters that will be more than happy to find a safe, happy, and financially able owner to adopt the dog. Best of luck to all owners and their dogs suffering from food and/or environmental allergies!"