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Last week I ran into my pal Jenny who reminded me of my first job as a pharmacy intern at a pharmacy in Bayside, new York. Jenny was the head pharmacist there and she was a stunning young woman who seemed to have everything a recent graduate could want: intelligence, friends, family, a fantastic profession, and a terrific job. Every day when I came in for my shift, Jenny would greet me with a terrific big smile and a loud “good morning Mr. Eddie!” Her entire demeanor was saying “I am pleased and wish to spread some of this happiness to you.”

One day as I was putting stock up on the shelves I discovered that Jenny began to seem unpleasant and had lost her characteristic good cheer. no one could understand what had caused such a change in Jenny’s demeanor. A week later Jenny explained to the whole staff that she had something called Atopy or “atopic syndrome” and her whole body was full of an itchy rash which required her to be on medication. It was obvious that these medications had caused a change in her personality. because Atopy also occurs in animals I thought it would be a good week to talk about this condition as well as some of its treatments.

Atopy is a sort of an allergy that occurs when the immune system incorrectly perceives an airborne substance as a risk and starts overreacting to it. Redness, excessive scratching, chewing on the leg or paw, tail biting are symptoms that may be first discovered in a canine who has this condition. This disease affects roughly a tenth of dogs and cats can have this condition also. Atopy is much more common in Boxers, Bulldogs, Poodles, Retrievers, Terriers, English Setters, Collies, and several other breeds are also at higher risk.

Many diseases such as skin fungus, food allergies, scabies, mange, and bacterial infections for example can easily confuse a diagnosis and appear like Atopy. For this reason, in purchase to correctly get this condition diagnosed it is essential to make an appointment for your pet to get a full veterinary exam. Although there is no sure way to cure Atopy, the symptoms can be decreased so life becomes much more bearable.

While it may be impossible to completely eliminate the causes of Atopy, contact can typically be decreased tremendously. The best way to begin treating this condition is to try to decrease or eliminate the pet’s contact with the cause of the allergy. If it is molds that is causing the condition, then keeping the area that the pet stays in dry as much as possible will help and a dehumidifier might also help. If it is dust, then a good quality HEPA filter might help as well as keeping the pet out of rooms that have carpeting. In some cases that are caused by pollens, keeping the pet indoors during high pollen season and using a HEPA filter might offer some relief.

Creams, shampoos, and rinses specifically developed as anti-itching or hypoallergenic are suggested. It is also valuable to use a cream with hydrocortisone to help with the itching.

Omega-3 seems to decrease the effects of histamine in reaction to an allergic reaction. Fatty acids help some animals tremendously and others do not seem to benefit as much. Treating with Omega-3 for about a month ought to give an indication whether it will be useful or not. Some animals are completely cured with this so it’s worth a try because it is very safe.

Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine and chlorpheniramine are terrific at helping a majority of animals with Atopy. There are different ones because some may respond better to one over the other, or some may make the pet drowsier than others. It is a good idea to talk about these products with your veterinarian or a PetMeds pharmacist before purchasing to get an idea of the dose and the differences between each one.

Prednisone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and hydrocortisone are steroids that are in some cases used to control Atopy and the severe itching that accompanies it. These medications should be dosed correctly and tapered correctly to avoid a multitude of potential side effects that can occur. Your veterinarian will typically use the lowest effective dose for a short term in purchase to avoid the potential for water gain, adrenal suppression, liver problems, infections, weight gain, and a variety of other potential side effects. These medications should be thoroughly given under the assistance and direction of your pet’s veterinarian.

A drug called Atopica has been FDA approved for the treatment of Atopy by helping fight the inflammation. This medication is used to avoid the pet’s body from mounting an attack against things that are incorrectly perceived as threatening foreign bodies. Relief is typically seen within a couple of months and if not, your veterinarian will many likely suggest that the medicationgets discontinued.

There are other treatments such as decreasing the body’s sensitivity to certain allergens by building up tolerance to it. This takes quite a bit of time to work and may be costly but numerous animals respond very favorably to this and it has enabled numerous animals to go back to leading perfectly normal lives after treatment.

Although animals with Atopy have to typically deal with this condition for their entire lives, there are ways to help them live much more comfortable as close to normal lives as possible. Keep their environment clean and dust-free, and work with your pet’s veterinarian to find the treatment that best benefits your pet. One of the best things that you can do to help your animals remain healthy is to develop a good relationship with the veterinarian. Your 1800PetMeds pharmacist is also available to answer your medication related questions.