Some skin conditions can be cleared up quickly, while others need lifelong management. Environmental allergies are the most common and are most often chronic. This means they demand lifelong management and often require a multi-modal approach. You probably won’t be aiming for a cure but rather to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of flare-ups.
Ideally, you want your pet to avoid the allergens completely, but this is not always possible. A vet will often recommend some or all of the following:
- Tick and flea control. This needs to be meticulous and is vital.
- Medication:
- Immunosuppressive medication, such as cortisone or even stronger options but these can have serious side effects
- Antibiotics to treat skin infections
- Antihistamines to reduce itching
- Nutrition. A hydrolysed food, like Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d is the veterinary gold standard to identify a food allergy and there are other foods that formulated especially to help pets with environmental allergies.
- Topical treatments such as medicated shampoos, dips and ointments