Atopic Dermatitis

• Scratching, licking, and chewing different areas of the body: This is the primary and essential sign of atopic dermatitis. Dogs may also rub their bodies against furniture, carpets, or walls to relieve itching. Typical areas for scratching are the head and face, including the ears, and the lower half of the body - paw pads, armpits, and thighs. Scratching can appear in multiple points or a specific area.
• Skin lesions: In areas where the dog scratches, inflammation and "secondary" infections may occur.. These are characterized by redness, scabs, moist sores, and skin folds with discharge.
• Ear infections: Allergic diseases in dogs often manifest in recurrent ear infections. Dogs may shake their heads or scratch their ears in these cases.
• Behavioral changes: It's important to know that chronic scratching and discomfort can lead to changes in a dog's behavior, such as restlessness, irritability, or decreased activity. Therefore, it's always important to have a veterinary check-up before seeking behavioral counseling.

Atopic dermatitis is often described as a disease diagnosed “by exclusion.” This means that other diseases are checked first before a definitive diagnosis is made because, contrary to common belief, there is no single laboratory test that diagnoses the disease. The most revealing sign is a description of scratching, long before the appearance of skin lesions. If there are skin lesions, the veterinarian will take samples to identify secondary infections or bacterial overgrowth. If the dog is not properly treated against fleas, the veterinarian will first start with appropriate treatment using topical or oral medications. Food allergies in dogs are much less common than atopic dermatitis, but their scratching areas are identical, so the veterinarian will recommend a thorough food trial that will also rule out food allergies. In practice, the disease is often diagnosed even without ruling out all other conditions, especially if the dog is young to middle-aged and scratches very heavily in characteristic areas and reacts to treatment against scratching.

Choosing a treatment strategy that isn’t reliant solely on one method is crucial. Doing so may allow for a reduction in long-term medication reliance while also helping to manage the frequency and severity of scratching episodes.

• Avoiding allergens – If it’s evident that external factors, such as spending time in a particular garden, playing on grass, or coming into contact with specific fabrics, are triggering typical symptoms, or if specific allergens have been identified through allergy tests, it’s best to steer clear of further exposure to them – if possible.
• Hyposensitization – This is the only treatment that can possibly “cure” allergies. As part of this treatment, allergy tests are performed, and after receiving the results, injections containing these allergens in small quantities are given to the dog for an extended period. The goal is to teach the immune system not to react too strongly to those allergens. In practice, it is an expensive and not always easy treatment to perform, which is effective only in about half of the cases.
• Anti-itch medications – These can be given in pills, syrups, or injections. Starting from traditional drugs like steroids and antihistamines to newer biological drugs.
• Local treatments – Shampoo, creams, and sprays to soothe the skin, treat secondary infections, and prevent recurrent outbreaks.
• Antibiotic treatment – In cases of secondary infections, oral antibiotic treatment is necessary.
• Nutritional supplements – Fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 can improve skin barrier function and reduce inflammation.
• Special food – “Hydrolyzed” diets for animals suffering from food allergies or foods that include supplements to strengthen the skin barrier and local immune response.