How to treat allergy?
When your pet suffers, it affects the whole family. The good news is that allergy can be treated.
The only long-term treatment that can address the root cause of your pet’s allergy is Immunotherapy (also called allergen-specific immunotherapy). Immunotherapy is a custom made treatment for your pet that will stop its disease from affecting its health, comfort and quality of life. There is only one licensed immunotherapy in Europe, Artuvetrin® Therapy. This is the product of choice under the European medicine regulations (Directive 2004/28/EC).
Immunotherapy – Artuvetrin® Therapy
Artuvetrin® Therapy works by giving very small amounts of the allergens that your pet is allergic to beneath the skin (subcutaneous injection) in increasing amounts till reaching a maintenance dose. The goal is to make your pet’s immune system less sensitive or not sensitive at all to those allergens. As a result, the allergic reaction and symptoms will decrease or disappear.
Once maintenance dose is reached, it is only one administration a month
Best relation cost-benefit (<1 £/day)
To be given throughout your pet’s life-time
Safe and effective for long-term use
Controls the root cause of the allergic disease, not only its symptoms
What to expect from Artuvetrin® Therapy?
While every pet responds differently to any given medication, Artuvetrin® Therapy has proven to have a successful and very high efficacy rate, with 75% of pets improving after starting the treatment. Most pets show improvements within a few months, but in some cases it can take up to 12 months until you see noticeable results.
A very small percentage may not improve significantly enough. If your pet turns out to be one of these cases, it is critical that you work closely with your vet.
Fleas, food allergy, secondary skin infections or other factors can contribute to a lack of improvement, so it is important to have regular check-ups, especially during the first year of treatment. Occasionally, it can be necessary to change the dosage and interval. In some cases, it may be beneficial to retest with the Next+ blood test, if it is suspected your pet has developed new allergies.
Does your pet have an aversion to needles?
If your pet has an aversion to needles, has not responded well to injections or you prefer a daily administration, you can also decide on an alternative Immunotherapy that works the same way but is to be sprayed in your pet’s mouth, in the space between the gum and cheek.
My pet is now taking other types of medication for allergy, does that help?
There are a number of drugs to help control your pet’s allergy symptoms, such as steroids, cyclosporine(atopica, cyclavance, modulis), oclacitinib (apoquel) and lokivetmab (cytopoint).
If your pet is taking any other allergy medication or your vet has recommended them, they can be given together with Artuvetrin® Therapy. These drugs are a very good option for controlling itching, especially in the first stages when your vet is trying to confirm if it is really an allergy or when starting immunotherapy to make sure your pet’s symptoms are under control.
However the negative side of these drugs is that they do not treat the allergy itself, they only block the body’s initiative to scratch. This means that your pet will continue to be allergic and its immune system will still be reacting to these allergens, you will just not notice the signs. In the long-term this can create serious problems, other diseases appear where the main symptom is also Itching or scratching, for example skin and ear infections, you will not be able to notice that something is wrong and your pet’s condition can worsen. In addition, most of them come with serious side effects when given for a long period of time.
Can I do something extra to help my pet?
Other products can be very beneficial, especially when in combination with Immunotherapy. Skin supplements that promote a healthier skin and improve the skin barrier such as Pet’s Relief Atopi-3 or topical products such as medicated shampoos, sprays and wipes. Bathing helps relieve itching and remove environmental allergens from your pet’s skin. It is key to pick the right shampoo. Most allergic animals have ear problems such as recurrent ear infections, so products that can help prevent and treat these complications are a big benefit too.
In addition, you can implement measures to try to reduce exposure as much as possible, like removing carpets when your pet is allergic to house-dust mites or use an allergen neutralising spray, Pet’s Relief Allergone. Pet’s relief Allergone, neutralises allergens from house dust mites and reduces exposure to dust allergens in general. It has a proven protection and efficacy of 5 months after a single application.
IF YOUR PET HAS ALLERGY SYMPTOMS YOUR VET CAN HELP
Key facts to remember:
- Allergy is a very common disease in dogs and cats
- Be aware of any sign that might be indicative to allergy. Most of these signs can be considered normal behaviour so request an allergy check up with your vet
- It is important to identify which allergens are the source of the allergy so they can be avoided and your pet can be treated
- The first choice for treating allergy is immunotherapy, a custom-made, all-natural treatment which is safe, effective and gives long-lasting itchy relief.