OC Lifestyle. Itching for a Solution

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1 Free-for-All Originals Podcasts Calendar Specials Directories Arts Automotive Beaches Dining Hotels Real Estate Services Shopping Spas Weddings Home OC Lifestyle Living on the Coast Itching for a Solution OC Lifestyle Itching for a Solution By OCinSite At-Large April 18, :33 AM Allergies, for both dogs and their humans, can be triggered by food and in the environment surrounding them. Photo by F.Riend By Micaela Myers, Editor of Laguna Beach Magazine

2 When we adopted our pit bull mix Omega, she came with a skin infection, soon followed by ear and eye infections. Once those were cleared up, we were left to deal with the more long-term problem: allergies, which led to constant foot licking and the above-mentioned infections if we didn t address those underlying allergies. Eventually we found Dr. Matthew Wheaton, who put us on track for keeping her allergies in check. Dr. Matt Wheaton and Starsky. It turns out we re not alone. Dr. Wheaton, who lives in Laguna Beach and heads up The Alicia Pet Care Center in Mission Viejo, says many of the pets coming into his practice are brought in for scratching, licking or secondary issues caused by allergies. Licking the feet is common and sometimes rubbing the muzzle, he comments. Oftentimes they come in with skin infections.

3 The good news is that most allergies are easily manageable given the right approach. The goal during the first visit is to kind of get an idea of what area on the body the dogs are itching and try to educate people on controlling the controllable, Dr. Wheaton explains. Anytime we have allergies we want to minimize their allergy cup, the number of allergies that they have in their body. There are really only two things we can control: the food and the fleas, Dr. Wheaton explains. The third thing, which unfortunately is the vast majority of these dogs, is the world and allergies to the environment. We can try to take those two controllable things out of the dog s issue by doing flea control that works and by doing diet changes to something that has no grain. Beyond that, we have to then manage the dog s individual reaction to the world with some kind of medication or potentially a supplement. And, obviously, if they come in with a skin infection or an ear infection or a foot infection, we have to resolve that particular issue. Fleas and Food To address fleas, which are a major problem in this area, Dr. Wheaton recommends a monthly flea treatment. The old standbys are Frontline or Advantage, but they aren t the only choices. Over the last two years we ve been using a lot more of the tablet medication called Comfortis, which is an organic compound, he says. It s a lot safer and nicer because you don t have the grease slick along the back, but it also works a lot faster and works for an entire month. Now there s a new medication that s come on the market called Trifexis. Trifexis is a combination product of the ingredient in Comfortis and additionally has the internal parasite control that s in Interceptor. So it s a once a month product that does internal parasites (including heartworm) and external parasites really well. That would be what I recommend flea-control wise. When it comes to food allergies, Dr. Wheaton says true food allergies, such as an allergy to a protein source, are rare. However, dogs do not tolerate grains well, so he recommends switching dogs to a grain-free diet. Dogs are preferential carnivores, so because of that they should be eating mostly meat, small amounts of fruits and vegetables, and no grain, he explains. There s no dog on earth that would normally eat the wheat, barley, corn and millet that are put in the pet food as fillers because it makes the food more profitable for the company. I think that we see a lot of dogs that have allergies and issues secondary to grain. Their intestines will mount an inflammatory response to the grain. That heightens their overall inflammatory load and makes them more likely to have a skin allergy. Dr. Wheaton also believes grains are a culprit in the high incidence of inflammatory bowel disease seen in dogs. In addition to switching to a grain-free diet, he recommends supplementing dogs with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are natural anti-inflammatories, and they stabilize cell walls and decrease inflammation at the cellular level, Dr. Wheaton says. It s not a panacea, but it definitely plays a role in management for all of these dogs. Not all omega 3s are created equal though. Dr. Wheaton explains that plant based omega 3s, such as flaxseed, are least effective. Fish oil is a good middle-of-the-road option and is reasonably priced and easily accessible. However, he says, A lot of the research shows that green-lipped mussel oil is the most powerful source out there when it comes to inflammation. Case Study: Chaya s Environmental Allergies

4 If diet changes and flea medication and supplementation don t solve the problem, then the dog will likely require medication to manage his or her allergies. In addition to heading up the Alicia Pet Care Center, Dr. Wheaton runs The Pet Rescue Center along with his wife Blythe. They see many animals come in with allergies, and the dogs often require oral prescription medication to manage their allergies long term. We have a case right now that is finally coming around, he says. Chaya, who was a skeleton dog, came into us weighing about 40 pounds. She now weighs 70 pounds. We rescued her at the shelter basically on her last day before they were going to put her down. She s a sweet pit bull. She s probably about 6 or 7. BEFORE: Chaya, ravaged by allergies, and neglect. Starving dogs like Chaya have a depressed immune system, so their allergies may not be a problem until they get healthier. A lot of people don t really understand allergies, but it s an over-active immune system, it s not a depressed immune system, Dr. Wheaton says. Once we got her immune system back on track, then her allergies kicked in. Within a short amount of time she had developed really significant itching. Chaya was already on grain-free food at the Pet Rescue Center and had been treated for fleas. Now she needed a safe, long-term fix for the allergies. They used a low-dose cortisone product and an antihistamine short term to address the severe itchiness. However, cortisone products are not long-term options due to their side effects. Her allergies are being controlled with a medication called Atopica, which is cyclosporine, Dr. Wheaton explains. That s an immune modulating drug that works really well for dogs with environmental allergies. It can be tolerated long term by dogs as long as they have normal organ function. The side effects are very minimal. It tends to work for most dogs that have environmental allergies, he continues. Probably 95 percent of dogs that lick their feet are environmental allergies. And 95 percent of dogs that go on Atopica for environmental allergies have complete resolution of their problem at two months on therapy. Once you get them under control you have to keep them under control by using a medication.

5 Itching for a Solution : OC Lifestyle - The OCInSite AFTER: Here s Chaya, five weeks into treatment at The Pet Rescue Center. Fit as a fiddle and ready for love. Chaya is now well on her way to a full recovery and is awaiting adoption at The Pet Rescue Center. While allergies in SoCal pets are certainly common especially in springtime properly addressing them makes for happier and healthier companions, ready to join you for a run, hike or stroll along the beach. To learn more about allergies in pets, view Dr. Wheaton s videos here. This article originally appeared on StubbyDog.org. Like 31 Tweet 9 9 Sign up for our Newsletter Comments