Skin Allergies in Dogs - Promising New Treatment Available

Anyone who owns a dog that suffers from skin allergy of any sorts knows how frustrating and painful these conditions can be. Treating skin allergies in dogs is also very frustrating for vets to have to cope with because there is so much trial and error involved in finding out the root causes of the condition. This means it often takes quite a bit of time. Sometimes triggers are so obscure they are never diagnosed and as such dogs have to cope with owners having to routinely treat their pets on a long-term basis to make their lives more comfortable.

The other thing about treating dogs with skin allergies is that apart from having to take your pet to the vet for regular check ups, a lot of the longer-term treatments come with some unwanted and unwelcome side-effects whereas others are not as effective at treating a condition as they should be and which can leave dogs almost as itchy as they were before they were given the medication.

Antihistamines Offer Relief

There are many different kinds of veterinary treatments for canine skin allergies with antihistamines offering relief from itching and scratching with the added bonus of not having too many side effects apart from drowsiness that is. Other products include topical applications like medicated shampoos which can offer temporary relief but the irritation soon flares up again. The addition of fatty acids in a dog's diet can improve skin condition and therefore create a better barrier but it only works to a certain degree. Not knowing what triggers an allergy can be very frustrating because the skin condition can flare up at any point in time for no apparent reason at all.

Dogs do respond pretty well when they are prescribed a medication called cyclosporine but it takes time for the treatment to kick in and it's rather expensive which means that owners have to shell out a lot of money if their pets are not insured. One of the fastest acting and effective treatments is glucocorticoids (steroids) but the side effects cause a lot of concern with diabetes mellitus being just one of them. However, this type of medication is okay to use on a short-term basis but if a dog needs long-term treatment, it would be unwise to use them.

A Promising New Treatment

Now there is a new treatment available to treat skin allergies in dogs namely Oclacitinib which is a not only an effective treatment for flea allergies but food allergies too. It's also a very effective treatment for other skin allergies including the following:

• Contact dermatitis
• Atopic dermatitis

The treatment starts to work extremely quickly, within hours of it being given to a dog suffering from a skin allergy controlling the itchiness within a day of a dog being given the treatment which makes life a lot more comfortable for the dog quickly which is something all pet owners would like for the much loved four-legged friends.

What About Side Effects?

After tests were carried out, no worrying side-effects were apparent and if there were any, they were mild and occasional which indicated that any reactions to the medication were random events. As such, researchers came to the conclusion that the medication was safe to use on dogs and it therefore passed on the regulatory requirements for use on animals.

Ocalcitinib May be Given in Conjunction with Other Medication

Oclacitinib can be given to dogs in conjunction with other treatments or medication they might already be taking to help alleviate their skin complaint and this includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, allergy shots and antibiotics. However, the medication should not be prescribed to dogs under the age of 12 months old due to the fact it heightens the chances of them developing demodectic mange, a disease often seen in puppies. It should not be given to dogs suffering with extremely serious infections either due to the fact the medication may compromise a dog's immune system's ability to respond to harmful allergens.

Conclusion

As with many new veterinary drugs that appear on the market although vets welcome the option they offer them and more especially where canine skin allergies are concerned, vets still like to give new treatments and medication a few months of being released on to the market before prescribing them to dogs suffering from skin conditions. Oclacitinib does not pretend to be the wonder drug"" that will miraculously clear up an allergy but it does promise to offer dogs suffering with these nasty skin conditions much needed relief from their itchiness. This is great news for pet owners who have to treat their dogs for any sort of skin allergy and who have been doing so on a long-term basis because the new medication will help their pets lead much more comfortable and therefore happier lives.

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