Tests and Diagnosis for Dog Allergies
The most successfully test for allergies to dogs is Artuvetrin® Test.
Both Artuvetrin® test and Artuvetrin® therapy are widely used to
diagnose and treat dogs’ allergic behaviors.
Artuvetrin® Test Set is specially designed to determine which substances
the dog maybe allergic to. A Test Set should be selected after
consulting a vet dermatologist because he may guide you to pick one that
consists of specific allergens or mixture of allergens that act as
controls and test the allergic reaction of a pet to the specific
allergens.
Procedure For Such A Test Could Be Like This
Before testing, the dog should not have been medicated with
medications such as steroids and antihistamines for some weeks, because
they may affect the result of the test. Skin tests are done on the chest
wall, after the chest has been carefully shaved.
A small quantity, of about 0.05 mL of each of the allergens and control
solutions are injected into the dog’s skin at different points. After
about 15-20 minutes all the places are assessed to see whether there had
been any reaction such as swelling or any redness on the areas. If the
dog is allergic to any particular substance under the study, there will
surely be an inflammatory response on the skin where that allergen has
been injected. Now the reaction (can be redness or swelling) is compared
to that caused by the control solution which allows in determining the
dog’s allergic reaction to an allergen/s.
There are different allergens to which a dog can be allergic to, the
materials which most commonly cause allergies to dogs have been
identified and included in the Artuvetrin® Test Set. According to
experience, the veterinarians decide whether to perform the test
including other allergens or not.
When dogs are suspected to be allergic, the physician has to take a
medical history and as per that report he carries various diagnostic
tests such as scratch tests and blood tests. Often times the dog has to
be temporarily removed from that particular environment and then the
environment is thoroughly cleaned to make sure not to have any allergic
substances.
Scratch tests are done by application of suspected allergens through
scratching the skin and then introducing the substances into the skin.
This test is usually performed on the forearm, upper arm or sometimes on
upper back to test several allergens at a time. Allergic reactions
appear usually within 15 to 20 minutes.
Blood tests are also done which include the radioallergosorbent test
known as RAST. RAST is used to detect any allergic reaction wherein a
sample of the dog’s blood is taken and mixed with suspected allergen and
the level of IgE (immunoglobulin E) is measured.
Identifying an allergen is more important than correcting the allergy.
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