Allergy

Canine atopic dermatitis is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases in dogs. Dogs that suffer from atopic dermatitis are allergic to environmental allergens such as dust mites and tree pollens.

What is a Contact Allergy?

Contact allergy is an inflammatory skin reaction that requires direct contact between the skin and the allergen.

Clinical Signs

The clinical signs that are commonly seen in dogs include:

• Itchy skin

• Inflammation of the skin

• Hair loss

• Secondary infections

Dogs with atopic dermatitis may scratch, chew, lick or rub areas of the body such as their paws, face, ears, axillae (armpits) and abdomen. The location of the itch can vary between animals as can the severity of the itch. Some dogs may only display itchy feet while others may suffer from severe itching in many different locations of the body.

Dogs with contact allergy typically develop lesions in sparsely haired regions that come into contact with the allergen. However, the areas affected will depend on the type of allergen that the dog has come into contact with.

How Are These Conditions Diagnosed?

Your veterinarian will make a diagnosis by examining your dog’s skin, asking questions about your dog’s history of itching, and ruling out other causes of itching. Other common causes of itching include:

• Parasites such as fleas and mites

• Food allergy

• Bacterial and fungal infections

How Are These Conditions Treated?

Canine atopic dermatitis is a complex disease and multiple treatments may be used together to achieve the best outcome. Managing both the inflammation and any secondary infection is important.

Treatment of contact allergy involves symptomatic treatment of the inflammation, removing irritants from the skin with bathing, and avoidance of the allergens causing the problem where possible.

Talk to your vet to see if Barazone® Leave-On Conditioner might be right for you.