Natural Flea Control for Dogs

by Lorie Huston, DVM

Fleas are a common parasite for both dogs and cats. As a veterinarian, my clients frequently ask me how they can protect their pets from these parasites. Normally, I recommend a monthly topical product, such as Revolution® or Frontline Plus®.

However, many of my clients are hesitant to apply these products to their dogs and cats and prefer a more natural means of flea control.

Can Natural Flea Control Work?

Natural flea control methods can be effective for some pets. However, pet owners need to realize that natural flea control methods are generally labor intensive and will require vigilance as well as time and patience on the part of the pet owner.

In cases where the pet suffers from severe flea allergies or flea sensitivity, natural flea control methods may not be enough in and of themselves to control the pet’s symptoms.

Are All Methods of Natural Flea Control
Safe for Your Dog?

Not all methods of natural flea control are safe for dogs.

Garlic is a commonly used flea preventive.

However, garlic can be associated with toxicities as well. 

Garlic can effectively destroy red blood cells and lead to hemolytic anemia. The toxic dose of garlic is dose related and the amount of garlic that is added to foods for flavoring is unlikely to be dangerous. However, there does some to be some variability between animals regarding the dose of garlic that will produce toxic effects. And the dose of garlic needed to repel fleas is likely to be far higher than that used for flavoring food.

For these reasons, garlic used for flea control is of questionable safety and, in my opinion, is not recommended.

Essential oils are also often used as natural flea control products. 

For dogs, some of these essential oils are safe and may be effective.

However, essential oils of any type should be used cautiously in cats due to the potential for toxicity. 

Pet owners that formulate their own mixtures of essential oils for flea control should be especially careful and should carefully research the effects of each essential oil used in the mixture.

What Methods of Natural Flea Control are Safe for Dogs?

1. Regular grooming is a frequently overlooked means of flea control but should be the mainstay of natural flea control. 

A flea comb used daily to check for fleas and flea dirt can not only remove live fleas from pets but can also give pet owners a good idea of the efficacy of their flea control methods.

Pet owners that frequently find flea dirt and live fleas while combing their pet with a flea comb should consider that their flea control may not be working well.

2. Bathing is another frequently used method of flea control. 

If your pet has large numbers of fleas and you need to remove the live fleas quickly for your pet’s health, a bath may help reduce the population of fleas on your pet directly after the bath.

However, it is important to realize that if the pet has been living in the house and has live fleas, there are also immature fleas, flea eggs and pupae present in the home. These immature life forms can live in carpeting, in cracks in hardwood and other types of flooring, and in upholstery and bedding and can re-infest your pet very quickly after the bath.

Therefore, bathing alone will not be effective in controlling fleas for your pets. However, in conjunction with other methods, you may have better success.

3. Natural pyrethrins, chemicals derived from chrysanthemums, can also be used for flea control and are commonly found in commercially available flea control products. 

(There are also products available with synthetically derived pyrethrins.) Products with pyrethrins should be used according to label directions to avoid toxicities.

4. Neem oil, a product produced by an evergreen tree, is found in numerous types of flea shampoos, sprays and powders. 

It has been used to control fleas in dogs and cats but seems to be variable in its efficacy. It does appear to be safe for both dogs and cats.

Ridding the Environment of Fleas

Though adult fleas live most of their lives on your pet, adult fleas produce eggs that fall off your pet into the environment, which is usually your home. These eggs live in the home as they progress through their life cycle and develop into more adult fleas, which in turn infest your pet. In order to prevent this re-infestation, it is necessary to remove the immature life stages from the environment.

Frequent vacuuming is one of the most effective ways to remove these immature fleas. 

Vacuum all flooring surfaces, including hardwood, tile and other types of flooring, in addition to the carpeting in your home. Be sure to use the vacuum on the upholstery in your home as well. Remove the contents of the vacuum bag from your home after you have finished vacuuming so the fleas do not continue to reproduce inside the bag.

Also, launder any bedding, especially bedding on which your pet sleeps.

Another technique that some people report success with is using a pan filled with water and a small amount of dish detergent placed under a night light. 

The theory is that the fleas will be attracted to the light and will jump in the water and drown. This method may or may not be successful but is unlikely to be dangerous.

Some sources advise using a candle placed in the center of the pan of water/dish detergent. However, especially with a pet in the area, I would be concerned about the potential for fire damage caused by an untended candle and urge caution with this technique.

Other products, such as diatomaceous earth and boric acid (borax), are also sometimes suggested for controlling fleas in the home. 

While boric acid appears to be safe, it is messy and some pet owners object to it for that reason. There is some concern about the safety of breathing the dust of diatomaceous earth for both pets and people.

Finally, nematodes are also available as a means of controlling fleas in the outdoor environment (i.e. the yard or garden). 

Nematodes are specific types of worms that live in the soil and ingest fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae. They can be purchased and seeded into the yard and garden.

In almost all cases, integrated flea control (controlling adult fleas on your pet as well as ridding the environment of fleas) is the most successful way to control fleas.

Have you found a flea control method that works well? Share your secrets with us. Let us know what methods have worked well for you and which ones have not by leaving a comment below.

***

Lorie Huston has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 20 years. Besides a successful career in a busy small animal hospital in Providence, RI, Lorie is also a successful freelance writer specializing in pet care and pet health topics. 

Currently, she is the feature writer for the Pet Care section at Suite101.com and the National Pet Health Examiner at Examiner.com. Lorie also publishes her own blog, The Pet Health Care Gazette and manages an increasingly popular facebook page, The Voice of Pet Care. 


Articles by Dr. Huston:
Lyme Is Lame (Pun Intended)
The Ticking Bomb
Don't Let Heartworm Become A Heartbreak!
Summer Perils: Blue-green Algae
Your Dog And Leptospirosis
Canine Parvovirus
Canine Distemper Virus
Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Top 5 Causes Of Itching In Dogs 
Vaccination Concerns and Potential Side Effects

Further reading:
Fleas: Know your Enemy
Plants that Repel Fleas 
Natural Flea and Tick Remedies at PetMD

Local dog rescue organization connects dogs with more than just happy homes

When Zoey was rescued by PUP Dog Rescue, it was unclear if her relationship with this organization would be that of hospice or hope.

In spite of a fractured jaw, suspicious breast tumors and severe gum disease, PUP was certain they could make a difference in this little dog’s life. 

Coordinating with California shelters, People United for Pets (PUP) was able to save her from the fate of being destroyed.

This older Chihuahua mix was likely worn down from overbreeding, malnourishment, lack of general veterinary care, and finally found herself in a shelter. 

But PUP saw a sweet dog who could flourish if “surrounded by people who placed her welfare and happiness at a very high level of importance.”

PUP Dog Rescue, a non-profit and foster-only dog rescue from Issaquah WA, has made it their mission to help homeless dogs connect with the right person or family so they can thrive as faithful companions.

Today, because of generous donations PUP has received, Zoey is recovering from surgery to remove and diagnose multiple mammary tumors and extensive dental work around her injured jaw. 

Her depression has lifted and she’s now a “loving, gentle old lady who is just now beginning to enjoy and trust in the possibilities available to her.” Zoey will finally have the opportunity to enjoy the love of a caring family.

Being a foster-only organization, PUP places each rescue dog in a home which provides socialization, training, and a glimpse into their unique personalities. 

PUP states it is “very important to make sure you find the right dog for your family, and personality and behavior play a big role in this.” Breeders often sell the book only for its cover, and unfortunately many of those dogs also find themselves in shelters because of poorly educated pet owners. According to the Humane Society, “purebreds account for about 25 to 30 percent of a shelter's dog population.”

Because of this, PUP is a full disclosure adoption organization, and is dedicated to educating the public and future owners about responsible pet ownership.

When asked about Zoey’s remarkable recovery, her foster mother says “there’s a road to be traveled by every living being… [we] need to make that journey as best possible for dogs who’ve not known what [a good life] can be like.” Since this article has been written,

Zoey has been adopted to a special family who will take care of her needs and appreciate all her special qualities.

How can you help? If you would like to support PUP Dog Rescues’ effort to rescue dogs from high-kill shelters, please visit their website and learn how you can donate to this cause.

If you are interested in learning how you can adopt rescued small breed dogs from PUP visit Petfinder or email adopt@peopleunitedforpets.com.

Written by Michelle Walls
Follow PUP Dog Rescue on Twitter!

Phoenix's Chronic Ear Infections

Phoenix's story is shared with us by Brook of ruled by paws. Thank you, Brook, for sharing your story!

***

Phoenix is a fourteen and a half year old male yellow Labrador Retriever. I received him in July of 1998 from the Lions foundation of Canada Dog Guides, when my first guide retired after only a year of working.

Phoenix and I bonded easily and became inseparable within months.  

He attended my final year of high school and then guided me through my Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Guelph.

Phoenix was always a great worker and wonderful companion, but he had one worrisome issue, constant ear infections. 

For as long as Phoenix’s puppy raisers could remember, he has always had problems with his ears.

They told me that they had to clean them at least once a week and he’d had at least two infections during the year they fostered him. When we were matched, I was shown how to clean his ears by one of the kennel staff members and told that I would need to purchase some ear cleaner and continue the weekly cleaning regiment they had been following because Phoenix had a tendency to get dirty ears.

I did not realize that he would end up getting almost bi-monthly infections, with major ones usually in the spring and fall. 

For the first five years, his vets just treated the symptoms, which usually meant antibiotics and Surolan.

But, after having watched me pay pretty much the same amount of money each visit, my now husband, suggested we try looking for a different vet to care for him. Phoenix was about seven and a half at this point and had been having the severe infections a little more frequently.

It didn’t take long with the new vet to have a new attack plan proposed.  

After the second time we brought Phoenix in to see him, he suggested the ear infections and constant paw chewing (a symptom his old vets did not notice) could be caused by a food allergy and not just because he was prone to getting them.

We immediately started Phoenix on an elimination diet and after three days of fasting, he began twelve weeks of just eating a hypoallergenic food. 

Within weeks we noticed Phoenix chewing his paws less and around the end of the twelve weeks, we realized that we hadn’t taken him to the vet in over two months!

We were then instructed to begin adding things back into his diet, leaving about three weeks between each new addition, and watching for signs of allergies to return.  We were told that if his symptoms returned to stop whatever we had added and only feed the food along with whatever had already been determined as safe for six straight weeks before trying something else.

This process helped us to determine that Phoenix’s constant ear issues were being caused by a gluten allergy.  

Phoenix’s ears remained almost infection-free for about five years, only having to take him into the vet for annual check-ups and one or two infections a year – usually after swimming, a bath or rolling in the snow.

He still got itchy ears during the summer, but by giving him Benedryl or Allegra from April until October, he never really had any major ear problems.

Shortly after Phoenix turned ten he broke a tooth and we learned it would need to be removed in order to prevent an infection. We discussed options with his vet and were told it would cost close to a thousand dollars for the procedure. My husband and I were still in school, so asked if there was a way to pay in installments.

The vet shook her head and proceeded to tell us that it had been our choice to keep him and that there was nothing they could do to lessen the cost. We were shocked by her cold response and decided then and there that we would be changing vets because obviously this one truly did not understand the bond between a retired service dog and their human. 

Phoenix ended up having his tooth removed by a dental specialist, who charged us half of what our vet was requesting, and while waiting for Phoenix to come out of recovery, we learned of Dr B and her more natural approach to veterinary medicine.  

Even though she does not provide the service dog discount our previous vet offered, we were attracted by the option to have her visit the house and her knowledge surrounding a more holistic approach to veterinary care.  We’ve actually enjoyed her service so much that we still bring the dogs to her, even after moving seven hours away.

In April of 2009, Phoenix started his usual seasonal allergy issues and for the most part we were able to control his ear issues with the daily dose of Allegra.

At some point though that summer, he started developing an ear infection and no matter what we did, it just wouldn’t clear up.  

It would get close to resolving itself and then flare up again, leading us to look at other treatment options. We tried a new ear cleaner first, which seemed to help a bit, but then Dr B suggested we try a different ear ointment from the usual Surolan we were using.

The new medication really didn’t seem to help much so we returned to the Surolan and just did the best we could to keep his ears from getting any worse.

In November of 2010, we were still battling the nasty ear infection of 2009 and were met with a new challenge...

... Phoenix had shaken his head so much that he had broken a blood vessel in his left ear flap and created a hematoma (his ear flap looked as though someone had inserted a small egg).

We were not able to get to Dr B until after the weekend so she instructed us to start cleaning his ears daily and try to keep him from shaking his head when possible.

When we finally reached her office, she inserted an IV catheter and withdrew over 20cc of blood and fluids.  

She then flopped his ear onto the top of his head and proceeded to wrap his head in a colourful vet wrap to keep it in place. With time, his ear flap sort of returned to normal, but has more of a crinkled look to it now. We also returned to using the Surolan, hoping it would finally resolve his infection.

Well, on the 1st of December, Phoenix came out of the bedroom, where his favorite spot to sleep is, and began trembling before he fell onto his right side.  

He tried to get back up, but couldn’t – we thought he had had a stroke!

My step-dad had been taking care of him for us while we were away, so did all he could for him until we returned the following night.

When we pulled up, Dad came out with a really upset look on his face and said that something had happened to Phoenix.  

He explained the whole scene and we rushed inside to be with him.  Phoenix could barely hold up his head (which was tilted to the right), he was drooling excessively, his eyes were twitching, his nose was running and he couldn’t get up at all, but he wagged his tail like crazy as I approached.

It was already 10:00pm so we knew there was nothing we could do until the following morning, so we put Phoenix on our bed and tried to rest up for the long drive.

It was a terrible night.  

Phoenix was having so much trouble staying comfortable because he couldn’t adjust himself and if he laid on his right, he had to hold his head in an almost upside down position.

Around eight o’clock the following morning, we put all the dogs into the truck and had Phoenix lie on a blanket between us in the backseat while Dad drove.

It was a tense ride, but we knew that we had to do what was right for Phoenix and that if Dr B said there was nothing we could do, then we had to let him go, it wasn’t fair to ask him to live this way.  Well, after a brief stop at his puppy raiser’s house for a “final” goodbye (we wanted them to be prepared), we arrived at Dr B’s office and carried him in.

After a brief examination, Dr B looked up and before I could say anything, told us it wasn’t as bad as it looked.  

Phoenix was diagnosed with Idiopathic Vestibular Disease.  

She explained that there wasn’t really any treatment and that it would just take time and patience for him to recover almost fully. She then looked him over a little more thoroughly before giving him a homeopathic remedy and instructing us to begin making his kibble into a mushy consistency and adding some canned food for palatability.

It was at this point that she suggested we begin looking into a homemade or raw diet. 

She was convinced it would help alleviate some of the ongoing ear issues and because she was concerned that he may aspirate on the kibble when vacuuming up his meals.

Within a few hours of getting his first dose of the homeopathic remedy, Phoenix became more alert and able to hold his head a little steadier.  

After about seventy-two hours, he was able to somewhat weight bare and continued to improve steadily from there. He was pretty much back to himself by Christmas and even joined us on a 3km walk we took Christmas Day.

I think the  most amazing part of this whole experience though, was to watch Phoenix’s high level of determination to get better and the fact he never once had an accident, but instead made sure we knew he had to go out and waited to be set down on the grass. 

Since then, we’ve started Phoenix on a raw diet and a semi-regular homeopathic regiment for his ears.

He got his first dose around the end of February and his energy level increased, along with some improvements in his ear health.

Then, around the end of March, we noticed his energy level decreasing and his ears backtracking, so we asked Dr B for a phone consult.  She instructed us to give him another dose of the remedy and then let her know what happened after two weeks time.

It has been three weeks since Phoenix received the second dose, and his ears are now at the same stage in healing, with very little inflammation or discharge – a drastic improvement!

I’m not sure if we’ll need to repeat the remedy again, but since the diet change and the implementation of the homeopathic regiment, we’ve noticed he sheds less, moves around easier and seems more alert and cheery, as well as, being more energetic and having his ears begin to clear up after a year and a half of issues.

I hope that Phoenix's story might help other dogs, who'd been suffering with a lifetime of ear problems.

***

Brooke is the human behind the blog ruled by paws. she lives in northern Ontario with her husband, four dogs and two cats. She has two university degrees, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Social Work from McMaster University, but has been unsuccessful in her job search. 

She spends her days training for agility with her current dog guide, Cessna, a 7 year old female black lab and canyon, a 22 month old male golden retriever and hopes to enter competitions next summer. She received Phoenix and Cessna from the Liones Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. 

Phoenix has been retired since may 13th, 2005 and Cessna entered their lives just over a week later, on the 27th. In the future, she hopes to begin her own breeding program and small rescue, but for now she tries to learn as much as possible about dog nutrition, health and training, while supporting Golden Rescue through monetary donations when possible.

Related articles:
Medical Terms That Sound Like A Diagnosis But Really Are Not: Otitis

Medical Terms That Sound Like A Diagnosis But Really Are Not: Otitis

Infections are one of the most common causes of inflammation. It is always important to determine what type of infection you're dealing with.

But things are not always as simple as that.

Let's say your dog was diagnosed with otitis.

Otitis is often used as a synonym for an ear infection, though the word really stands for inflammation of the ear. Infection, however, is usually involved.

The most common type of ear infection is “otitis externa” where the infection and inflammation is limited to the outer ear canal. You might have noticed a bad odor or discharge, redness or swelling, head shaking, scratching or rubbing at the ears …

The  infection can be bacterial, fungal or parasitic (ear mites).

You don't want a treatment based on an assumption; you want to know for sure what the cause is because the treatment is different for each type of infection.

Now the question is what caused the infection in the first place.

A one-time infection can have a simple cause and might not come back after appropriate treatment.

For example, a bacterial infection could have been caused by a foreign body (e.g., a grass awn or Foxtail) or trauma that disrupts the normal protective mechanisms of the ear. (Of course the foreign body must be removed for the infection to go away).

A yeast infection might follow after antibiotic treatment of bacterial otitis.

When he was grading our papers, our English professor would always say, “One mistake – no mistake,” and give an A on a paper with just one error.

Chronic cases, however, are a different story.

In some dogs, the anatomy of the ear itself can make it susceptible to infections. Think Cocker Spaniels with their floppy ears – cute, but they trap dampness and debris inside making them virtual Petri dishes for infection.  With some extra care, owners can often manage these types of situations.

However, ear infections can be secondary to other conditions, such as allergies or other systemic diseases!

Dogs suffering with allergies are also susceptible to ear infections. In fact, recurring otitis can be the first warning sign of an allergy problem.

Some hormonal imbalances also lead to frequent infections, including otitis.

For example, Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is caused by overproduction of the hormone cortisol. High cortisol levels suppress the immune system and make dogs more susceptible to infections.

As you can see, as medical and definitive as the term otitis might sound, it requires further qualification and in recurring cases warrants  additional investigation for an underlying cause.

It's your dog's health!
Jana

Further reading:
External Ear Infection (External Otitis) in Dogs
Ear Infections (Otitis Externa) & Ear Cleaning in Dogs
Ear Infections (Otitis Externa)
Can allergies cause my dog's ear infection?
Ear Mites FAQ 

Related articles:
Phoenix's Chronic Ear Infections
Medical Terms That Sound Like A Diagnosis But Really Are Not (Part I)
Medical Terms That Sound Like A Diagnosis But Really Are Not: One-thing-or-anotheritis

Helping Penelope Get Hip Dysplasia Treatment

A friend in need is asking for our help. Many of us had been through hard times (I am no stranger to desperation), let's help her.

***

We brought my Rottweiler puppy, Penelope, home New Years day. We call her our lucky little Penny because she has brought us so much joy and happiness since we lost our 2 year old Rottweiler, Roxy, to hip dysplasia.

It was beyond devastating when we realized that Roxy’s hips were damaged beyond repair when she slipped on wet grass one summer morning last year. 

We believed Roxy brought our little Penny to us to help heal our broken hearts—but instead we are realizing it is meant for us to help heal Penny’s misshaped hips.

When we got Penelope  I was told she had good hips, but I guess luck wasn't on her's or our side. She was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at only 5 months old (1 month ago). 

We always refer to Penelope and my newborn son as “twins” since they were both born on November 6 of last year. Although it has been very hard raising both, every day I am reminded how lucky I am to have such a great puppy.

She is very calm and loving towards my son, as if she knows he needs the extra gentleness because he is an infant. It is always so cunning when he giggles as Penelope gives him his morning kisses while he is playing in his jumper. Her spirit is strong and she is filled with a lot of life and is charged with energy.

She tries to make the best of her puppy-hood, but some days are harder than others.

As time went on, we realized that Penelope started to seem off, as sometimes she would be walking and randomly let out a horrifying yelp. There would be days she would lay down and would scream; she could not get up without our help, as her back legs would be spread apart as in a split.

After a battery of tests, she was treated for a urinary tract infection, as the veterinarian said that was the source of her pain. Over the course of 3 months she was constantly treated for a urinary tract infection, which we found out was non-existent as Penny’s urine was clean, but the samples were contaminated afterwards.

Our hearts dropped when X-rays showed that she has severe hip dysplasia on one side. 

With Roxy, I wished I knew about her condition earlier so I could have helped her before it was too late. Penny’s condition is very treatable if we act while she is still a puppy.

The time is right for Penelope, but the timing for us is not good because of our very limited income.

Her treatments to strengthen and build the cartilage in her hips are expensive, as it is a twice weekly shot that needs to be given at the veterinarian’s office.

Later on, she will be eligible to receive surgery to reshape her hip to better fit her leg bone so she can be pain free; she will need to be full grown before the surgery is to be completed.

All of this comes at a very expensive price, but I just cannot bear the idea of burying my baby girl in 2 years due to the inability to pay for the surgery in a timely manner. 

I want to help our girl fight off her condition, as I know that is what Roxy would want for our little Penny; she is my world.

We are getting treatment, but there are 16 treatments ($75 dollars each, and another series of treatments with an injection that builds cartilage.

She will also need 2 exams and x-rays at 307.79 each and then the costly hip surgery that will be approximately 3,000 depending on severity (it was the best Estimate they could give me)

Total estimate approximately: $4,500 

She will then be put on joint health supplements and have to be re-evaluated (by X-Ray, which would require sedation once again) when she reaches a year old on my sons birthday (surprisingly they were born the same day!)

I am a stay at home mom with my 6 month old son and my husband work's hard at a factory but it is impossible for us to come up with $4500; but we don't want to lose her!

A friend suggested we create a ChipIn where people can help. I was hesitant, thinking who is going to help a starnger, but where I am. I have to try all I can.

We had a Care Credit card but in became maxed out while caring for our dog with the same health issues who passed.

Penelope hip dysplasia and UTI treatment

Theresa Perry

Dog Allergies: Common, Commonly Misdiagnosed, or Both?

by Jennifer Coates, DVM

Watching an itchy pet scratch to the point of self-mutilation is an agonizing and all-too-common experience for dog owners.

The veterinary visits that usually (and should!) follow often result in a diagnosis of allergies.

While allergies are extremely common in dogs, owners should be aware that this very fact can sometimes lead vets to diagnose an allergy when something else is to blame for a dog’s symptoms.

First, an overview of allergies.

Dogs can be allergic to almost anything in their environment:  ingredients in food, flea bites, pollen, mold spores, dust mites, etc.  The topic of food allergy has been elegantly discussed by Dr. Schaible, so I won’t go into it here, other than to say that every dog with non-seasonal itchiness needs to be assessed for a food allergy.

The importance of flea allergies also cannot be overstated.  

A flea allergic dog can be driven to desperation by the bites of only one or two fleas. Owners often give their dogs a once-over, don’t see any fleas, and discount the little buggers as a cause for their pet’s itching.

But, EVERY itchy dog needs to be on an effective flea preventative medication all year long.  

The good news is that many of these products also kill other parasites that cause itching in dogs (e.g., Sarcoptes mites, lice, etc.) so owners get a lot of bang for their buck.

Back to what most people think of as typical allergies – the pollens, molds, etc.  

These are often called inhalant allergies, but this is a bit of a misnomer. Unlike people who typically develop runny and itchy eyes, sneezing, etc. after inhaling allergens, the cells responsible for these reactions occur primarily in a dog’s skin, which explains why dogs are itchy rather than sneezy when suffering from allergies.

The correct term for the genetic predisposition to this type of allergic reaction in dogs is “atopy.”

What does this mean for dog owners?

Perhaps most obviously, if your dog has chronic respiratory symptoms (e.g., a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, etc.) the most likely diagnosis is NOT allergies.  

If, however, your dog is itchy, atopy will be towards the top of a vet’s list of potential causes.  As tempting as it may be (especially in the middle of a busy day in the clinic or when faced with a client complaining about prices), a vet shouldn’t rush into an allergy diagnosis but first rule out some of the other common causes of itching including:

• a thorough physical exam looking for fleas, lice, and other obvious causes of a dog’s symptoms,
• a skin scraping for mange mites,
• a fungal culture to rule out ringworm,
• skin cytology to diagnose bacterial and fungal skin infections,
• and sometimes empirical treatment for some of the more hard to diagnose “itchy” diseases (e.g., sarcoptic mange).  

Only after all this is a TENTATIVE diagnosis of atopy appropriate.

Why do I say “tentative?” Because all of the potential causes of canine itching have not yet been ruled out, and atopy is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Definitively diagnosing allergies and identifying a dog’s triggers can involve such things as skin biopsies and intradermal skin tests, and these advanced diagnostics are not called for in every case.  

It is appropriate to begin treating most dogs for allergies without these tests, as long as everyone understands that if the pet does not respond to treatment, the initial diagnosis should be reevaluated. 

An allergic dog’s symptoms should quickly get MUCH better with aggressive treatment.  

This often consists of medications to control the allergic response (corticosteroids and cyclosporine are typical examples), weekly baths using an appropriate, medicated shampoo, and nutritional supplements like omega 3 fatty acids.

Keep in mind that your dog’s symptoms will probably recur if you stop treating him, but if you are concerned that he was misdiagnosed in the first place, talk to your veterinarian or seek a second opinion, ideally with a veterinary dermatologist.

***

Jennifer Coates, DVM graduated with honors from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1999.  In the years since, she has practiced veterinary medicine in Virginia, Wyoming, and Colorado.  She is the author of several books about veterinary medicine and animal care, including the Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-speak Deciphered for the Non-veterinarian. 

Jennifer also writes short stories that focus on the strength and importance of the human-animal bond and freelance articles relating to a variety of animal care and veterinary topics.  Dr. Coates lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and pets.

Related articles:
Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Top 5 Causes Of Itching In Dogs
Food Allergies in Dogs

Articles by Dr. Coates:
The Perplexities of Pancreatitis
The Other Side Of The Coin: The Cost Of Defensive Medicine
To Neuter Or Not To Neuter… That Is The Question
Don’t Forget the Physical Therapy
Common Misdiagnoses (Part 1)
Common Misdiagnoses (Part 2)
Picking the Right Dog to Breed
When Is It An Emergency?

In The Beginning There Was Fat: From Vanity To Revolutionary Therapy

by Jennifer Febel of Avivagen Animal Health Inc.

It seems everywhere you turn these days people are talking about stem cell therapy and fat. But how exactly does this process work and what made researchers look to fat in the first place?

While we now know that fat tissue is an abundant source of mesenchymal stem cells , this was not always the case.

In fact, it was plastic surgeons that first noticed fat’s ability to increase vascular activity at an injection site.

Who knew liposuction would prove to be so useful?

Before dermal fillers became all the rage, wrinkles were treated by injecting them with a person’s own fat cells.  While the effects were only temporary, plastic surgeons noticed that, even once the wrinkle had returned, the skin at the injection site appeared healthier and had an obvious lack of signs of aging such as discoloration and age spots.

Further investigation revealed that the skin had increased vascular activity wherever the fat was injected!

Up to that point, the primary role of stem cells was thought to be differentiation; that is, it was believed that they worked by differentiating into other cell types and regenerating tissue in the affected areas.

Stem cells: the conductors of regeneration

But we now know is that this is only a small part of a much bigger picture.

What the liposuction process taught us was that mesenchymal stem cells work not only by regeneration, but also by releasing specific chemicals that communicate with other cells in the area.

Think of stem cells like conductors in an orchestra: Not only are they able to play an instrument, but they also tell other musicians what to do.

What do stem cells do?

Most of the time, adult stem cells are in a dormant state, pretty much waiting around for something to happen.  As cells die off through normal cellular aging they release chemicals that stimulate the dormant stem cells into action.  The adult stem cells then direct the surrounding cells to ensure the right type of cell is created and ends up where it needs to be.

In this way, stem cells are not just blank slates that can morph into different cell types; they are also responsible for orchestrating the response of the surrounding tissue.

And you thought fat was just something to whittle away at the gym!

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Vet-Stem has been providing stem cell training and services to hundreds of veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada since 2004. Over 6,000 animals have been treated for arthritis and/or tendon and ligament injuries, many of which were not responding to other treatment methods.


You can follow latest Vet-Stem news on Arthritis in Dogs Blog
or connect with Vet-Stem on Facebook or Twitter


Further Reading:
Stem Cell Technology – Where Did It Come From?
How Do Stem Cells Really Work in Arthritis Treatment for Dogs?
Getting the Skinny on Fat

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Stem Cells for Dogs? Oh yeah, baby!
Interview with Dr. Robert J. Harman, D.V.M., M.P.V.M. - CEO and founder of Vet-Stem
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