Alergias en perros: síntomas en la piel y cómo encontrar la causa

Your dog scratches his ear, bites his paws until they’re red, rubs his face against the couch… And you don’t know if it’s mania, boredom or something more serious. One of the most common reasons for visiting a veterinarian is probably: the allergies in dogs. The good news is that they can almost always be controlled. The least good one: Finding the exact cause requires method and patience, not a miracle test of those sold online.

In this guide, I tell you, with veterinary judgment and without smoke, how allergies on the dog’s skin manifest themselves, what types there are, how the true cause is investigated and what you can do at home to help (and what you should NOT do).

Skin symptoms: what an allergy looks like

The star sign of allergies in dogs is itching (itching). It’s not always an obvious scratch: many dogs lick, bite, or rub in ways that seem normal until you notice. Pay attention to these signs:

• Scratching and constant biting, especially if it’s seasonal or going over.
• Licking of feet until dyed reddish brown (it’s saliva, not dirt).
• Headaches and recurrent otitis: the ears are a classic point.
• Red skin in armpits, English, belly, between the fingers and around the eyes and muzzle.
• Scrub your face. against furniture, carpet or your leg.
• Loss of hair, scabs, granite or bad smell when complicated by secondary infection.
• dandruff, thickened or darkened skin(liquefaction) in chronic cases

A very useful clue is where ? pica. Environmental allergy (atopia) is usually concentrated in the face, ears, legs, armpits and forearms. Flea allergy is preyed upon by base of tail and group. And food allergy can spread throughout the body and include digestive discomfort.

The 3 major types of dog allergy

Not all allergies are the same, nor are they treated the same. Here are the three major families, ordered from most to least common according to the veterinary literature:

1. Atopic dermatitis (allergy to the environment)

It is the most common. The immune system overreacts to environmental allergens that are mainly absorbed through the skin: house dust mites, tree pollen, grasses and weeds, mold spores… start between 6 months and 3 years of age is usually old and often has a seasonal component (although dust mites wage war all year round). It is a chronic disease: it is not “cured”, it is controlled.

2. Allergic dermatitis caused by flea bites

The allergen here is saliva from the flea. The striking thing is that a hypersensitive dog doesn’t need a pest: a single bite can trigger an intense itch for days, especially in the lumbar region and the base of the tail. So even if you don’t see fleas, good parasite control is the first piece of the puzzle.

3. Food allergy

It’s the least common of the three, but very relevant because it’s confused with atopy. The reaction is usually to a specific protein(chicken, beef, dairy, egg…), not to cereals as is popularly believed. It can occur at any age and often combines itchy skin with occasional digestive signs. The eye: “allergy” (immune response) and “food intolerance” are not exactly the same, although in practice they are investigated the same.

An important nuance: these types are not mutually exclusive.. The same dog can have atopy and, on top of that, be allergic to fleas.

How the cause is found (the actual process)

Here’s the key to the article, and also where most people get frustrated: there’s no single analysis that says “your dog is allergic to X”.

1. To rule out parasites and infections. Skin scraping, cytology and trichography to look for mites, fleas, bacteria or fungi. Many “allergies” are actually something else, or a complicated allergy with an infection that must be treated first.
2. Rigorous antiparasitic control. First of all, flea allergy is ruled out by applying an effective and consistent antiparasitic for several weeks.
3. The elimination diet test. If itching persists without clear seasonality, food is investigated with a controlled diet (detailed below).
4. Diagnosis of atopy by exclusion. If parasites, infections and food have been ruled out and the dog still bites, atopic dermatitis is reached by assessing the history and clinical pattern (veterinarians use tools such as favrot criteria).
5. Tests for allergens (only for atopy already diagnosed). Blood intradermal or IgE tests i ‘m not . are used to diagnose atopy; afterwards. is used to choose which allergens to include in a desensitization vaccine (immunotherapy).

Yeah, it takes weeks, but skipping steps is the number one reason many dogs spend years scratching without a solution.

The elimination diet step by step

The elimination diet is the gold standard for diagnosing food allergy. It consists of feeding the dog alone with a source of protein and hydrate that has not been eaten before (novel diet), or with a hydrolyzed diet (proteins chopped so that the immune system does not recognize them), and observe if the itch goes down.

• Current evidence recommends keeping it around 8 weeks. Studies show that by 8 weeks more than 90% of dogs with food reaction are identified; less time leaves cases undetected.
• Full exclusive: no rewards, no leftovers, no bones, no flavored toothpaste or flavored pills.
• The test of provocation: if the dog improves, it is reintroduced to its previous food. If the itch reappears, the food allergy is confirmed. This step, although tedious, is the one that gives certainty.

Always check with your veterinarian: choosing a good diet (and balancing it if the dog is growing) is very important. Bulldog Francés Boxer

Why Blood, Saliva, and Hair Tests Fail

It’s tempting to pay for a kit that promises to tell you what your dog is allergic to with a hair or a saliva sample. Let’s be honest: there’s no scientific evidence to back up those tests. for diagnosing food allergies. Hair tests, saliva tests, online “intolerance” panels and bioresonance are unreliable and can lead you to withdraw foods that your dog tolerates perfectly.

Even serious blood tests (IgE) don’t work for to diagnose: as we said, its role is to help design immunotherapy once the atopy is already confirmed by discard. In short, if someone sells you an allergy diagnosis by mail, be wary.

Breeds more prone to atopic dermatitis

Genetics weigh heavily: there are breeds with a marked predisposition to atopic dermatitis, although any dog (including half-breeds) can develop it.

• The West Highland White Terrier, of which most have atopic symptoms.
• The Bulldog Francés, with a remarkably high risk against half-breeds.
• Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever, both with above-average incidence.
• The Boxer, Pastor Alemán and Cocker Spaniel, also common in dermatology consultations.

If your dog is of one of these breeds and scratches from a young age, do not simply accuse him of “breed stuff” – it is precisely his predisposition that warrants an early dermatological examination.

What you can do at home

The diagnosis is up to the vet, but you have a huge role in the daily monitoring.

1. Flawlessly anti-parasitic. keeps track of fleas and ticks all year round.
2. Keep a diary of the itch. records when you scratch, where you scratch, and what you’ve changed (walk through the countryside, new food, time of year).
3. Bathrooms with specific shampoos. The soothing or atopic skin shampoos recommended by your veterinarian remove allergens and bacteria from the surface.
4. Take care of the skin barrier. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may improve skin in the medium term; ask about dosage and product.
5. Environmental cleanliness. Frequent vacuuming, washing the dog’s bed and ventilation reduces dust mites, especially in atopic dogs.
6. Dry well folds and legs after the walk; moisture favors secondary infections, something common in fold breeds like the Shar Pei.

Common Mistakes That Worsen Skin

• Without a method, you just mask the problem and mess up the diagnosis.
• Cutting the elimination diet with a prize that doesn’t count.
• Rely on a hair or saliva test bought on the Internet and withdrew food indiscriminately.
• Blame it all on the cereal. Most food allergies are to animal protein, not grain.
• Self-medication with corticosteroids, or human antihistamines, provide short-term relief but can have side effects and mask what the vet needs to see.
• Ignore the recurrent otitis. are often the tip of the iceberg of a background allergy.

An honest note: in canine dermatology there are gray areas and different opinions among professionals (for example, about supplements or specific diets). When in doubt, the compass is always your veterinarian, and if the case gets complicated, a veterinary dermatologist.

Frequently Asked Questions