Immunotherapy
If you notice your pet constantly biting, scratching, or licking itself, let Dr. Danner and his team at Danner Veterinary Hospital determine if immunotherapy is the best treatment option for your companion. Like humans, pets can suffer considerably from allergies. A variety of sources ranging from food and fleas to dust, grass and pollen, can cause uncomfortable allergic reactions in your pet.
Danner Veterinary Hospital is pleased to provide solutions for pets residing in South Tulsa, Jenks, and Bixby, Oklahoma who are suffering from allergies. Our hospital is excited to offer allergen specific immunotherapy for pets who experience moderate to severe allergies causing irritation, inflammation, and discomfort.
We use the RAST blood test to determine whether your pet is allergic to any of the 60 most common antigens that stir up immune responses. This test is used as part of the assessment in diagnosing and treating atopic dermatitis. With this condition, an allergic reaction occurs when your pet inhales airborne substances such as house dust or pollen, or ingests a substance to which they are sensitive.
Veterinary medicine is advancing all the time, and there are several treatment options that are now available to ease allergy symptoms. Once the cause of the allergy is identified, Dr. Danner will be able to recommend solutions such as Apoquel and CADI/Cytopoint injections, shampoos, topicals with cortisones, or immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy works by introducing small amounts of the allergen causing the reaction into your pet’s system over time. Gradually, the dosage will be increased so that your pet will build up a tolerance to the allergens and the allergic response to the irritant will diminish over time. This is the only therapy that changes the immune system’s response to allergies rather than suppressing the immune system’s reactions. Please remember that some allergic conditions may take a significant amount of time to diagnose and bring under control.
Other treatment options that provide quicker relief include Apoquel and Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic (CADI)/ Cytopoint injections. These are administered once every 4-6 weeks during peak seasons when your pet is experiencing allergies. The injections interrupt the cycle of itching and inflammation for about a month. Shampoos and topicals with cortisone can also minimize the effects of allergies and skin problems with regular applications.
If your family companion is itching year round, the cause may be food allergies. Although in the case of food allergies there is no desensitization process available, we can test and determine what foods are best for your pet to have a healthy skin and coat.