Allergy Testing

Allergies occur when your pet’s immune system overreacts to some sort of stimuli, whether it is from the environment, parasites or food. Most animals don’t start exhibiting allergic symptoms until two years of age or older. Often, pets will not have just one allergy, but will become allergic to a variety of stimuli. Allergies not only cause discomfort in the pet, but it can lead to other health problems like secondary and chronic infections.
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Here are the most common symptoms associated with allergies:

• Compulsive itching and scratching

• Excessive licking

• Chewing at certain body parts, especially the feet

• Frequent sneezing or wheezing

• Skin irritation/redness

• Fur loss

Common types of antigens that pets become allergic to:

• Contact allergens – fleas, grasses, plants, dust mites, molds, etc.

• Inhalant allergens – cigarette smoke, pollens, perfumes, etc.

• Foods – food allergies are actually quite rare; the most common allergies tend to be protein sources such as chicken or beef

If your pet is exhibiting any of these symptoms, we recommend bringing him or her in for an examination to determine if allergies may be the culprit. There are a couple different tests that we send out to the laboratory to determine exactly what your pet is allergic to. Once we know the exact allergens, we can make food and environmental recommendations to limit the exposure your pet has to those allergens. Along with lifestyle changes, there are medications that we can administer to your pet to lessen the symptoms of allergies.