As the summer months roll around and millions get ready for summer vacations and plenty of outside time, summer allergies are also kicking in. Studies suggest that human allergies have nearly quadrupled since 1980. Pet allergies appear to be on the rise, in concert with human allergies. Approximately 20 percent of all dogs suffer from some sort of allergy and the number is rising. Animals, just like people, can suffer allergic reactions to a wide variety of environmental substances, or allergens. The occurrence of pet allergies mirrors that in human allergies, and the trend is rising each year. Common pet allergies include such things as flea bites, pollens (trees, weeds grasses), molds,wool, tobacco smoke, certain foods, and even other pets. The age of onset is usually between 6 months and 3 years of age. While symptoms are usually seasonal at first, they may become year-round over time.

Just like in humans, pet allergies (Dog Allergies, Cat Allergies,Horse allergies etc.) and are an inherited trait and lifelong disease. When one parent is allergic, there's an increased likelihood that the offspring will be too. For this reason, pet allergies can also be breed specific, and some breeds are more prone to allergy than others. Retrievers, Boxers Terriers and Shih-Tzu's are some of the more common breeds that suffer from allergies.

Skin disease (atopic dermatitis) is the most common symptom of pet allergy. During a flare-up, your pet's skin becomes extremely itchy, red, scaly, and irritated. Atopic dermatitis can be widespread over the pet's body, or limited to a few areas of the body; usually the face, feet, belly, groin and rump. This intense chewing and scratching (pruritis) can produce hair loss and inflamed areas of the skin, and often leads to secondary infection.

Pet allergy testing will identify the allergens that cause your pet to suffer. After discussing your pet's clinical history and environmental surroundings, your vet may prescribe a simple blood test to identify your pet's allergy. To begin, your veterinarian will draw a small amount of blood from your pet and send it to a laboratory for testing. Your pet's serum will be tested for sensitivity to a panel of grass, tree and weed allergens specific to your geographic region, as well as to other important allergens such as dust mite, mold, cat dander, food and insects.

Pet allergy treatment with Immunotherapy; treat the cause, not the symptom. Based on the results of your pet allergy test, your veterinarian can request an immunotherapy treatment kit which is specific to your pet's individual allergies. Immunotherapy is the only pet allergy treatment that can alter the natural course of your pet's allergic disease. Immunotherapy is an effective, long-term treatment that gradually builds your pet's immunity to the specific allergens that are causing your pet's discomfort.