FAQ’s

1. How long does it take to diagnose a dog with atopic dermatitis? 2
   • Depends on the particular case, but a minimum of 3 months is generally required to make a definitive diagnosis.
   • Other common causes need to be ruled out first.
   • Ruling out common causes may include
     
     • Treating secondary infections
     • Food elimination trial
     • Parasite treatment trial
2. How much is it going to cost to diagnose my dog’s itching problem? 2
   • Diagnosing the cause of your pet’s itching may require a number of tests and visits and is not inexpensive.
   • However, it is important to do certain tests such as skin scrapes. This is because some causes of itching, like parasites, can be treated for much less money than other causes of itching.
   • It is also healthier to treat the cause of your pet’s itching rather than treating only the symptoms.
   • Allergies especially are a complex, long-term, and chronic medical condition. They are rarely cured.
   • Pets with allergies can develop recurrent skin and ear infections and other complications from their allergies.
   • The treatment of these allergy symptoms over time can cost a significant amount of money.
   • In the long run, it is usually more cost-effective to pinpoint the cause of your pet’s allergies so that a specific treatment can be used rather than resorting to nonspecific symptomatic treatments that may work only temporarily.
3. How long does it take for allergen-specific immunotherapy to show a positive effect as compared with other treatments? 3
   • It can require 3 to 12 months of immunotherapy from the most concentrated vial before the positive effects of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) can be seen. Once this control is reached, however, ASIT becomes one of the easier, more cost-effective and safer ways to control the allergies.
   • Low-cost steroids give the fastest improvement, usually within 1 to 2 days, which is one of their advantages. There is a potential for side effects. In general, the longer the use and the higher the dose, the more side effects occur.
   • Cyclosporine is given orally and is effective up to 76% of the time. It requires a longer time than steroids, usually requiring 1 to 4 weeks before a response is seen. Cyclosporine has the potential to cause GI upset (vomiting or diarrhea).
   • Antihistamines are usually used for 10 days, and if no response is seen, then a different antihistamine may be tried. They are considered safe, but they have a poor success rate in controlling allergic symptoms.

2 Tater K. Differential Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis. Atopy Consult Web site. 2009. Available at: http://atopyconsult.com. Accessed February 4, 2010
3 Lewis T. Treatment Options for Atopic Dermatitis. Atopy Consult Web site. 2009 Available at: http://atopyconsult.com. Accessed February 4, 2010