Allergies and Your Pets

Dog bed. Check. Chew toy. Check. Litter box. Check. Cat nip. Check. Veterinary pet insurance...if you haven't thought about it, you should! While pets are wonderful, loving creatures, they do require routine check-ups to make certain they remain healthy and happy. Pet ailments can range from irritable bowel syndrome to lymphoma - and everything in between. Pet care expenses can vary, depending on your pet's breed, age and overall health, which is why pet insurance should be a serious consideration when you are thinking of adding a pet to your family.



Did you know that pets, like humans, can suffer from allergies? If your cat is coughing and hacking, it may be more than a hairball. If your dog is scratching incessantly, it may be more than fleas. The symptoms, causes, and treatments for pet allergies are surprisingly similar to those of their human parents.



Allergy types include:



Contact - skin contact with an allergen;

Inhalant - allergic reactions to food and/or oral drugs;

Sub Dermal - cause by medication injections



The most common of these pet allergies is contact. Contact allergens are most commonly caused by your pet coming in contact with plants (particularly oily ones which can "cling" to your pet's fur) as well as carpet, household cleaners, and dust. Symptoms include rashes, changes in skin color and sores, especially in the chin, underarm, stomach, and ears - the areas that typically receive the most contact with the allergen.



As with humans, a skin patch test is used to diagnose the cause of the allergy. Your vet may refer you to a specialist - a veterinary dermatologist - for testing. Many veterinary pet insurance plans do cover allergy testing as well as specialist referrals.



Treatment for contact allergies involves keeping the pet away from the allergen (i.e. removing houseplants from the pet's vicinity, limiting pet's exposure to grass/carpeted areas, etc.)



If your pet continues to have symptoms, he/she may require treatment with steroid-based drugs. Again, most veterinary pet insurance plans will cover a portion (if not all) of the medications necessary to treat your furry family.



Pets Best Insurance is located in Boise, Idaho and provides pet insurance for the healthcare of dogs and cats. Jack Stephens, DVM is the president and co-founder of Pets Best and was the original founder of pet health insurance in the United States.



Learn more about the history of pet insurance at Petsbest.com.