In-house allergy testing to the rescue! Stop the itch, avoid secondary infections and complications.
You may be intimately familiar with allergy symptoms and treatment. Allergic reactions to certain substances (allergens) are incredibly common in people and pets. Likewise, the ways Bloomfield Animal Hospital identifies these sources of itching, sneezing, and more are similar to how you or human members of your household are tested for and manage allergies.
What tests may be ordered for my pet?
Our veterinarians have the expertise to determine if the suspected allergen is environmental in nature (such as dust, mold, pollen, and grass) or an ingredient in your pet’s food. For environmental allergens, we may:
- Recommend Intradermal testing – IDAT is considered the “gold standard” in diagnosing environmental allergies in our animal companions. It involves clipping a small patch of hair and safely injecting small amounts of common or suspected allergens into the area, underneath the skin. We then monitor how your pet’s skin reacts to the allergen. If your pet displays red irritation and firm, raised bumps or wheals after exposure to a certain allergen, this can tell us a great deal about the offending substance and inform our next steps for allergy relief.
- Perform a “scratch” or “patch” test – Similar to patch and scratch tests for people, testing in this manner for pets involves introducing the suspected trigger to your dog or cat. We do so with utmost safety in mind. A small opening is made on the surface of your pet’s skin, or a patch containing the allergen is applied to your pet’s skin. We then closely monitor how the pet reacts to the substance. We are looking for signs like red, irritated, swollen tissue. This process can help us to narrow down and confirm the true culprit behind your pup’s or kitty’s troubling symptoms.
- Run blood work – Bloomfield Animal Hospital has the capabilities on site to collect and analyze your pet’s blood samples. That way, we can get answers quickly. We also abide by the highest standards. So, you can trust the accuracy of our tools, training, and processes. We may isolate antibodies produced by your pet’s immune system when they are allergic to certain substances. Specific types of antibodies are associated with specific allergens.
- Apply skin impression tape. This is typically the first diagnostic used to identify the complications that occur as a result of the symptoms of allergic skin disease; for instance, when dogs or cats scratch intensely itchy skin, the site is vulnerable to bacterial infections, yeast, and mites or other parasites.
- Complete a fungal culture and PCR. These tests, too, are ordered to identify infections that may develop due to allergies. Skin problems in our pets, including those caused by allergies, can lead to secondary fungal infections that require a separate diagnosis and course of treatment. The fungal culture is a lab test that uses a sample of your pet’s fur, skin scrapings, or nails to detect the specific fungal species responsible for the infection, which supports effective treatment. Fungal PCR is a faster method to test for and identify specific fungi’s genetic material or DNA.
How do you test for food allergies?
The most reliable method is to complete a food challenge or elimination diet trial. If one of our vets suspects that certain ingredients in your pet’s food are to blame, your dog or cat is carefully placed on a specific diet. Bloomfield Animal Hospital then monitors how the body reacts to this diet. This approach largely excludes common pet food allergens, including beef and dairy. The suspect ingredients may be later introduced back into the diet. It depends on how your pet responds as the potentially offensive ingredients are reintroduced.
Many of us know firsthand the discomfort and distress caused by untreated or poorly controlled allergies. Your pet doesn’t have to suffer, either. Call our team in Lakewood, CA, at (562) 383-7788 with questions or concerns today.
