Allergy in dogs: a survey of veterinarians and owners on the situation in Flanders
- C. Depessemier
- E. Cox
- M. Pelst
Abstract
In human medicine, the prevalence of allergies has increased during the last decades. A similar tendency is suspected in small animal veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, only little information is available about the prevalence of allergies in dogs in Flanders. In this study, veterinarians and owners were asked about the five most common types of allergy, i.e. atopy, flea allergy, food allergy, contact allergy and allergy to medication and injections. The median prevalence, estimated by the veterinarians, was respectively 15%, 10%, 5%, 2% and 1%. Some remarkable differences with the literature were noticed. A blood test was mentioned by the owners as the most frequently used test to diagnose food allergies. Living in an urban environment could not be linked with an increased risk to develop allergies, and 11% of the veterinarians reported washing-powder as a contact allergen. In the opinion of more than half of the veterinarians, the number of dogs with an allergy has increased during his/her career.
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