My dog has atopic dermatitis. What allergy test should I get? Raw diet?

Question

Hello i am shubhangni from india and i have german shephard 3yrs old he got his retained testicles surgery done in 1st week of september and he is also diagnosed with atopic dermatitis so i just want to know which allergy test should i go for and i want to put him on raw food as its very helpful. Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 3 years and 3 months old | 64 lbs

Dr. Strydom, DVM · Accepted Answer

Atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory, chronic skin disease associated with allergies. These allergic reactions can be brought on by normally harmless substances like grass, mold spores, house dust mites, and other environmental allergens. A food allergy is not likely the cause. There are two types of testing available in the United States. I do not know what you have available for testing in India but I will go over the types we have. Serologic allergy testing is basically a blood test but it does not always have reliable results. The quality of this kind of testing often depends on the laboratory which analyzes the results. Intradermal testing, whereby small amounts of test allergens are injected in the skin and wheal (a red bump) response is measured, may also used to identify the cause of your pet's allergic reaction and is considered the gold standard for testing. So, if available I suggest you get the intradermal testing done. The treatment will depend on what is causing your pet’s allergic reaction. If the reaction is due to atopy, for example, hyposensitization therapy can be performed. Your veterinarian will give your pet injections of the allergens to which it is sensitive. This decreases itchiness in 60 to 80 percent of dogs, but may approximately take six months to a year to see an improvement. Medicines such as corticosteroids and antihistamines can also be given to control or reduce itching. Cyclosporine is effective in controlling itching associated with long-term skin allergies, while sprays can be used over large body surfaces to control itching with minimal side effects. If you want to feed a raw diet that is up to you but it is not likely to help with atopic dermatitis. I don't recommend a raw diet due to the potential for the dogs to contract diseases like E. coli and salmonella. It is better to cook the diet if you want to do a homemade diet. Hope this helps.

My dog has atopic dermatitis. What allergy test should I get? Raw diet?

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