Itchy Dogs and Cat in Sydney, Australia – Atopic Dermatitis/Atopy

 Excessive scratching, chewing, and licking can make life quite uncomfortable for our beloved pets. If your dog or cat is constantly itching, it’s not just distressing for them, it can also disrupt your household and sleep! Thankfully, there are various ways to help calm your pet’s itchiness without relying heavily on medications. Here is a guide tailored for Sydney pet owners to explore alternative itch relief methods.

 Does my pet have seasonal (pollen) allergies and is food a factor?

 During spring in Sydney, allergy symptoms in your pets increase due to a significant rise in the amount of pollen in the air. Food allergies play a smaller role in canine and feline atopic dermatitis, but should be considered if your pet is itchy all year round. Often there will be various gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhoea etc) in these pets.

 Why is my pet smelly?

 Allergies make your pet’s skin uncomfortable and they react by scratching/chewing/licking excessively. This can introduce secondary infection (bacteria, yeast) to the irritated areas of skin, leading to a worsening of symptoms. Often owners describe a “smelly sock” type odour, particularly with dogs. This is called pyoderma and also needs to be controlled in order to prevent more severe skin issues.

 What can I do about it!?

 1. Control secondary infection – medicated shampoo/leave-in conditioner can be used to completely bathe the dog or as a foot bath. Ideally you shouldn’t bathe them too frequently, generally every 2-4 weeks is suitable. Always ensure a leave-in conditioner is utilised regardless of the type of shampoo that is used.

 2. Treat the itchiness – Ideally we try to avoid dispensing steroids and cyclosporine, but in some cases they are necessary. Thankfully some newer medications have been shown to be effective and safe for the control of atopic dermatitis symptoms – Apoquel chews/tablets and Cytopoint injections. These act to limit the feeling of itchiness experienced by your pet, hence reducing their scratching/chewing/licking. Although considered safe, supplements are also very effective in reducing the need for such drugs by improving skin health. These are readily available at pet stores/online (see links below). Anti-histamines are in our opinion unreliable and have limited value.

 3. Treat for fleas! – Make sure your flea control is up to date and effective. Many flea control products have lost their effectiveness over time. Please contact us at admin@kingsvet.com.au if you have any questions about the quality/effectiveness of the product you are using, one of our Vets will let you know if there are any more viable alternatives/products.

 4. Supplements – Please visit www.petzpark.com.au – they have many supplements available that are cheap and amazing quality. We have most of these products in stock at the clinic if needed. We have found that the more consistently these supplements are utilised by our clients, the less their pets have had to come visit the Vet with skin issues!

Fish/Omega oils – Omega-3/6/9 found in fish oils and evening primrose oil, have anti-inflammatory properties. While they don’t provide immediate relief, regular supplementation can help in managing chronic itchiness over time by reducing the skin’s inflammatory response.

Probiotics – These are beneficial bacteria that support gut health. A well-balanced gut microbiome has been proven to play a crucial role in regulating the immune system and response. For pets with allergies, a healthy gut can help modulate the immune response and reduce inflammation. By enhancing gut flora, probiotics also improve the absorption of nutrients, which can help the body handle allergens more effectively. As with Omega oils they are also cheap/readily available.

PEA – Redonyl®– A new class of natural supplement that is designed to help pets manage allergy symptoms and skin issues. Derived from a compound found in soy beans, PEA works by modulating the inflammatory response and enhancing skin health. It helps to reduce itching and discomfort by balancing the skin biochemistry and supporting the natural anti-inflammatory processes. Please email us to get some more information about this product as it is relatively new in the Australian market.

Contact:
Dr Michael Vitlic
(02) 9789-6648
admin@kingsvet.com.au