The matter in summary: – There is a growing trend for dogs to become allergic, with every fifth diagnosis by vets now being a form of allergy. – Dogs can be allergic to various things, including house dust mites, pollen and certain ingredients in the feed. – Treatment of allergies in dogs can be expensive, with owners often ending up paying several thousand kroner a year.- Male dogs and dogs with brown fur have a higher risk of atopy, a hereditary, itchy and inflammatory disorder.- Insurance companies confirm that more dog owners submit requirements for allergy treatment.- Correct breeding is essential to curb allergies in pets, but it is not known that some breeds have allergies as a specific breeding goal. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The mixed dog Elmer was five years old when the skin on his back started to itch. – He bit his skin so much that he got an infection, and I was so worried, says owner Bodil Lavik Berthelsen from Tvedestrand. Figures from vets and the insurance companies show that our dogs become allergic more often. – I estimate that every fifth diagnosis at the clinic is a form of allergy, says Camilla Lilleholt. Do you have questions about dogs and allergies? Submit your questions in the comment field at the bottom of the case. She is a veterinarian at Agder Veterinary Clinic in Arendal and has brought Elmer into the office. – Hello, little friend, are you here again, says the vet and carefully lifts the furry dog onto the examination table. That more dogs have allergies is reflected in figures from the industry platform Pyramidion, according to Lilleholt. Fortunately, there is help available, but it can be expensive. Veterinarian Camilla Lilleholt checks the paws to look for red and irritated skin. Before Elmer got good medicine, he scratched a lot under his stomach. Dog mother Bodil Berthelsen is involved and makes sure that everything goes safely. The vet checks the neck and ears to look for itchy skin. Read further down to get good advice if you suspect your dog is allergic. Dust in the system After a quick consultation, the vet sees that the allergy is kept in check with the medicines that Elmer receives. – House dust mites and pollen that dogs breathe in are common for dogs to react to, explains Lilleholt. Some also react to the contents of the feed. Then it is a question of a feed allergy. In the same way as with people with pollen allergies, many allergic dogs will react when pollen is present in the air. Several veterinarians news has spoken to believe the extent of atopy – this hereditary, itchy and inflammatory disorder – is worrying. Symptoms of allergy: Varying degree of reduced fur and skin quality Itching and biting of paws Redness of skin Symptoms of respiratory disease Diarrhea and vomiting Secondary bacterial infections Source: Veterinarian Erling Frivold, Evidensia Sørlandet animal hospital. So why do more people become allergic? Veterinarian Marie Innerå at Evidensia Oslo Dyresykehus believes that many breeders breed puppies before they know whether the mother or father suffers from allergies. – They have no tools that can easily tell whether the animals they want as breeding animals are carriers or not of such genes, says Innerå. She says it might be a good idea to check whether the breed and sex of the dog you are considering is predisposed to allergies. – There are racial differences. Some smooth-haired dogs are more susceptible to allergies, says veterinarian and clinic manager Erling Frivold at Evidensia Sørlandet Dyresykehus. – Male dogs have a four times higher risk of skin allergies, says veterinarian and skin specialist Marie Innerå at Evidensia Oslo Dyresykehus. – Many people react to house dust mites, but dogs can also be allergic to pollen or certain ingredients in the feed, says vet Camilla Lilleholt. – People and animals in the same home often have reactions to the same thing. Dense and modern houses increase the incidence of allergies in dogs, says veterinarian Linda Bakken Bøe at the Veterinary Clinic in Bodø. The thousands fly Dog owner Bodil Lavik Berthelsen lovingly strokes Elmer’s back. – I have to take responsibility for him, but I have worried a lot about the finances, she says. The vets have made a separate vaccine for Elmer to stop the allergy. The vaccine costs over NOK 10,000 a year. In addition, the owner must count on medication and a long list of veterinary visits. – It has probably cost NOK 100,000 in these five or six years of treatment, of which the insurance company has covered NOK 30,000, says Berthelsen. She has had to cover the rest herself. This dog has allergies in the skin, like here on the paw. Photo: Agder Dyreklinikk Veterinær Lilleholt says that it is a good idea to familiarize yourself thoroughly with what the companies cover. Some companies only help until the allergy diagnosis is made and no more. This is what the insurance companies say: Agria animal insurance: We cover investigation and treatment of atopy/allergy, given that the symptoms did not start before the insurance was taken out. Allergy food, or anything else that is not prescribed, must be paid for by the dog owner. If Damage insurance: Our one agreement only covers investigation of allergies. Option two covers examination and treatment with up to NOK 15,000. Agreement three covers investigation and treatment with the selected insurance sum annually. Tryg Insurance: Tryg’s role is to cover expenses for veterinary treatment for those who have dog insurance with us. There are no limits in this cover, so that a dog that is diagnosed with an allergy will have veterinary costs and costs for medicines covered by the insurance. Is there help to be had? The insurance companies confirm that more dog owners submit insurance claims after allergy treatment now than before. – The number of reports of damage to dogs with allergies is increasing, says Camilla Stenseng, managing director of Agria pet insurance. Photo: AGRIA – When we look back 10-15 years, there is clearly an increase in allergy cases from then to now, says Camilla Stenseng, managing director of Agria animal insurance. – The dog owner in the case has spent NOK 70,000 on treating the dog’s allergy. Do you have to assume that not all costs are covered by the insurance companies? – It is smart to check early whether your insurance covers allergies and other chronic conditions. The allergy is often not detected until the dog is a few years old. The highest insurance sum Agria offers in veterinary insurance for dogs is NOK 90,000 per insurance year, says Stenseng. The insurance company If has also seen an increase. – We had a peak in reported cases with us in 2020 and 2021, and have a declining curve after that, says Ellen Paulsen, senior communications advisor at If. Like Agria animal insurance, they advise dog owners to check whether their dog insurance covers allergies. – Insurance generally does not cover existing illness. If your dog has allergies that are covered where you are now, you should therefore not change insurance companies, says Paulsen. Good advice for allergic pets Vacuum often Throw away old carpets Tight and modern houses increase the incidence of allergies in dogs Do not leave the allergic animal in the bedroom for a long time Allergy vaccines can be given to the animal by the owner, at home, just like with diabetes. It can take many months before you see the full effect. Pleasure and coziness Elmer is chronically allergic and with medication he manages to keep the disease in check. – He loves life and travel, says dog owner Bodil Lavik Berthelsen, while Elmer winks lovingly at her. Veterinarian Lilleholt hopes Elmer’s spark of life can spread hope to others with allergic dogs. – As long as the dog has a good quality of life, dogs can live well with allergies, says Lilleholt. Elmer feels safe with the vet. Now he has been given his own allergy medicine, so he doesn’t itch and can enjoy life. Photo: Elisabeth Sandve / news Do you have questions about dogs and allergies? Submit your questions in the comments section. Veterinarian Camilla Lilleholt at Agder animal clinic answers your questions. We collect a bunch of questions and answers in a new issue. Hi! Did you think of anything in particular when you read this story or do you have tips for something else I should write about? Feel free to send me an email! Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue
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More dogs get allergies. How to avoid allergies becoming a money sink – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
