Allergic Reactions / BONDED CLIENT
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Sleuth Out Allergy Problems Good detective work, client education help sort out food allergies by Marie Rosenthal, MS
signs; the dog often has concurrent con- ditions; and owners frequently try switch- ing diets before talking to you, their vet- erinarian, which complicates the case. However, good client communication,
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a thorough history and attention to detail should solve the problem. Unfortunately, there is no reliable
blood test for food allergy. The only way to find the food that triggers the aller- gic response is a food-elimination trial, which is arduous for the owner. So, look at all the differentials first. “Taking a good history is the first step
because the problem might be obvious,” suggested Paul Bloom, DVM, DACVD, DABVP (canine and feline), owner of Allergy, Skin and Ear Clinic for Pets in Livonia, Mich. “Has the dog had prob- lems in the past? It might be a seasonal allergy. How was it treated? Some dogs with adverse food reactions have colitis in addition to the cutaneous signs, so ask how many bowel movements the dog has every day. “Use the Purina fecal consistency
score (1 to 7) to describe the appearance, with 1 being very firm and 7 being liquid diarrhea,” Bloom continued. “Did any treatment work? We don’t want to repeat something that didn’t help.” Also ask about other dogs or cats in the house. Do any of them have signs,
Because there are many triggers for atopic dermatitis, check for infection, scabies, mites and fleas, and include questions that would help determine a seasonal or environmental allergy.
too? Ask whether owners have any new skin problems. “Many things can set off the dog’s
atopic dermatitis. Think of it as a bomb with different fuses. One fuse that will set off the bomb is a skin infection. One fuse can be fleas; another, environmen- tal allergy; and another, cutaneous food reaction. All of these fuses will cause
Trends magazine, May 2013
t takes a good bit of detective work to determine whether a dog has food allergy because of three things: Many differentials cause the same clinical
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