Dogs that would try to run the other way from allergy injections are finding a new oral drop to be much more palatable. In fact, some dogs think they are a treat!
On 25th July, at the World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology in Vancouver, British Columbia, Dr Douglas DeBoer of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine presented his work which shows that placing allergy drops under a dog’s tongue can be as effective as allergy injections.
Dr DeBoer treated 217 dogs for skin allergies in his study using the drops. Approximately 60 percent of the dogs improved significantly. The drops require administering under the tongue twice each day.
copyright Dr Douglas DeBoer
In contrast, allergy shots are injected approximately every 14 days. The cost of the treatments are comparable.
Dogs can sometimes suffer a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction to allergy shots. Even those dogs treated in the study that had previously had such a dangerous reaction did not have it when using the drops. “Drops appear to be safer than shots in this respect,” said Dr DeBoer.
Atopic dermatitis (an itchy skin inflammation) is an allergic reaction from house dust, pollen, and mold. Injections aim to introduce a small amount of the allergens to trigger an immune response. The drops work on a different mechanism involved in the allergy. Dogs that had failed to respond to allergy injections did respond to the drops.
Best of all, the drops have a sweet taste which attracted the dogs. Some dogs came running when they heard the bottle of drops opened…
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