No one gets rid of allergies, not even our dog! Depending on the type of allergy that affects your pet, it can be determined easily or with a little more work, so sometimes it is necessary to perform in-depth examinations. We're talking about the dog allergy tests.
But first: what types of dog allergies are there?
As we said, our four-legged friends can suffer from allergies. This problem is caused when the immune system reacts in the form of a threat alert (allergen).
Allergies can occur from several causes:
Food allergies, produced by one or more components of the food your pet eats.
Dermal allergies, where the allergen has come into direct contact with the skin of our pets.
How are allergy tests performed for dogs?
Disposal method
You could say that this is the easiest way to perform a test to determine what causes your dog's allergy. This is a removal method.
For example: if you have started to give a new food to you can and since then you notice that it has the common symptoms of canine allergy (itching, inflammation, redness, etc.), try taking it off and see how it evolves.
You can also do it with your usual meal. That is, you do not need to have introduced a new food for you to develop an allergy.
In case your dog only feeds, you will have to start using a hypoallergenic feed. If you notice that after a while the allergy goes away, you could say that you were facing a food allergy. What happens is that normal feed has so many components, that it may be difficult to determine which of them is harmful to your dog.
The same disposal method can be used if you think it's an atopic allergy: if you've kicked out a new air freshener or placed a plant near your dog, try removing them to see if your pet improves.
Blood tests
Although they are not yet 100% reliable, they can help us determine if your dog has an allergy or if its symptoms are caused by another reason.
They detect antibodies that are present in your dog's blood against certain allergens.
Intradermal injections
As in humans, intradermal injections are one of the most reliable tests to clarify what causes allergy.
These tests consist of subcutaneously and controlled to the dog certain substances that could be the possible cause of the allergy and see how they react.
They are very complete and decisive tests, but to carry them out the dog has to be still and, to do so, most of the time you have to sedate it. In addition, they are somewhat expensive and are likely to have to be done more than once.
However, with them you will find out what causes that discomfort in your dog and a specific treatment may be recommended for him to recover.
Dog allergy tests can help save your pet's life, as an allergy can become very serious if remedied. Take care of your health!