Update to post: Things that Fly and Sting!

The phrase "allergic reaction" means lots of different things. As I mentioned in my previous post about things that fly and sting, allergic reactions of bees and wasps are fairly common things to see on emergency. The patient above doesn't usually look like a shar pei. He's actually a pyrenees, and usually has a much thinner nose. His lips are swollen and his eyes are very puffy.

About half an hour after getting steroids and Benadryl, he looked much better, although still puffy. We may never know what happened, but this appearance is typical for allergic reactions to insects and vaccines. As the reaction becomes worse there will be hives, vomiting, diarrhea, collapse, respiratory distress, and death.

This IS an emergency and needs to be treated. First aid treatment begins with diphenhydramine (Benadryl) at about 1mg/lb. This means a 25lb dog gets a 25mg caplet. 12lb dog gets half a tablet or gets 1tsp of the liquid stuff.

If you're not sure - DON'T GIVE IT and call your doctor or local ER.

AMH

Things That Fly and Sting

'Tis the season for all the bees and wasps to start coming out. We're seeing them in droves here in Texas and soon the entire country will be warm enough.

Bees and wasps do the same things to our pets that they do to us. Most pets will experience a little bit of swelling, pain, and maybe even some fluid weeping from the site of the sting. Wasp stings can HURT like a son of a gun! Remember, wasps don't leave the stinger behind. Bees do.

First aid for bee stings are the same for our pets as they are for us. Remove the stinger, keep it clean. Cold compress can help. You can use products like Benadryl spray or cream to help with the swelling.

Dogs and cats can have severe adverse reactions. Facial swelling, hives, difficulty breathing, or vomiting/diarrhea can all happen with severe reactions. These are the exception, though. Most pets only suffer localized pain and swelling.

As a good rule of thumb, you can give Benadryl (diphenhydramine) at about 1mg/pound of weight as a first aid drug. Benadryl comes as a 25mg capsule or caplet and also as 12.5mg/tsp liquid. 25 pound dog gets one tablet. 6 pound dog gets 1/2 tsp. Pretty much any time you suspect an allergic reaction, you can give diphenhydramine. You should also call your primary care veterinarian or local veterinary emergency room if you suspect ANY kind of significant reaction outside of a little pain and swelling.

AMH

Allergies #2

If you are the proud owner of one of these unfortunate souls, you can approach their allergies much like you would your own. First line treatments are usually antihistamines. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is typically the first choice. Given at about 1mg per pound of body weight every 8-12 hours. (25mg capsule to a 25lb dog). Chlorpheneramine can also be used - most dogs get a 4mg tablet every 6-8 hours unless they are very small (<10lb) or very large (<80lb) in which case they may get 1/2 or 2 tablets respectively.

Second line treatments include medications like steroids or cyclosporine. Steroids (like prednisone) aren't all that bad. They can be excellent for short-term use at a modest dose. The problem with allergy dogs is that these guys are rarely being treated for just a couple of weeks. They are usually itchy for an entire summer and you really shouldn't keep a pet on steroids that long.

Cyclosporine (Atopica) is a very cool drug that basically gives you the same benefits of steroids but without the side effects for long-term use. That's an oversimplification, but basically the idea. Atopica isn't perfect, it makes some animals puke, but it can be an awesome alternative to prednisone. Biggest downside is that it's expensive. It's worth the money if you can afford it. Prednisone is very, very cheap, so it's not a fair comparison.

Regular bathing with a hypoallergenic shampoo once a week or so during the bad season can also help. This rinses the pollens off the skin and can be very useful. You must use an appropriate shampoo - it must be mild, made for pets, and not contain any pesticides. I'll post more on shampoos later. Because the skin is inflamed and abnormal during an allergy outbreak many patients end up developing secondary skin infections or overgrowth with yeast or bacteria. These infections may require special shampoos or oral medications to treat them. The allergy may be part of the itch, but the secondary infection may be what causes the itch to be severe.

In some breeds, specifically hounds like bassets or coon hounds, they are likely to have an allergy to the yeast or bacteria growing on their skin. This means that as the yeast that normally live there start to grow, the poor dogs are actually allergic to them and develop a significant itch. Many atopic dogs are allergic to "staph" bacteria and the overgrowth of bacteria can actually make a little itch suddenly turn into a huge, horrible itch.

Last thing to mention is that the only way to truly treat the immune response of the allergy is to see a veterinary dermatologist. Testing can be done to determine what your pet is allergic to. We can then give your pet injections of that compound and hopefully get the itch to stop. This is precisely how it is handled in people.

The veterinary dermatologist can be your pet's best friend if they are suffering from chronic allergy, skin, ear, infection problems. The testing may seem expensive, but the savings in the long run from not having to treat as many infections or spend as much on anti-itch medications can be substantial.

AMH