SpotOn blog

Yes – in theory, sending your skin-afflicted patients to a dermatologist makes sense. After all, they’re the experts, right? Without the tools to diagnose and address your patients’ allergies, skin doctors are an understandable go-to.

The FDA is currently investigating a possible connection between grain-free diets and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Here’s a recap of their update:

Does pollen season bring in more and more allergy patients each year? Based on a new study from The Lancet Public Health, this could be true.

Canine Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a common allergic skin disease that is characterized by itching, excessive scratching, hair loss, greasy or flaky skin, odor, and chewing on the paws and groin and armpits. The scratching and chewing behavior often leads to hot spots that can become infected.

Does your patient suffer from localized or generalized itching? Do they exhibit nasal discharge or watery eyes? Are they coughing, sneezing, or wheezing?

Decorations might not be the only thing on your tree this year. As outlined in a 2011 study by Upstate Medical University, Christmas trees may harbor a variety of molds that can be problematic for allergy-sufferers.

We are in the midst of updating the food ingredients list in our allergy result reports. These adjustments will streamline the number of food recommendations your patients receive.  

Allergy testing is the first and most crucial step in treating allergy conditions. While the test can be performed year-round, some seasons are better for testing than others.

Allergies caused by different environmental and barn conditions are becoming increasingly prevalent in horses. Most horses no longer roam the fields and graze on fresh grass; they now spend most of their day in a stable, where there is often poor air circulation. Additionally, the growing use of manufactured diets, instead of freshly-grown grasses, can lead to the development of allergies. Allergies in horses are often cumulative, meaning the symptoms — including hives, coughing, intense itching, and nasal discharge — are the result of a reaction with several different allergens, not one specific allergen.

Although itching may be the most common allergy symptom in dogs, reactions are typically complex and are often manifested in a variety of ways.