Yes, Pet Allergy Testing Is a Thing—But Does Your Pet Really Need It?

If you suspect your pet has allergies, it can feel overwhelming to figure out what course of action to take. The good news is that the more you understand about allergies in dogs and cats, the better you can help your furry friend feel better.

Read on to learn more about allergy testing in dogs and cats. 

Types of Allergy Testing

If you have discovered that your pet has allergies, allergy testing can be a helpful tool to try to identify what they are allergic to and how best to treat them. Allergy testing and its related treatments are long-term strategies and will not provide your pet with immediate relief, however. If your pet is in the middle of an intense flare-up, you may need to use other treatments to bring them relief first before pursuing allergy testing.

Elimination Diet

Some pets are allergic to ingredients in their food, and knowing that can help you find a food that is free of those allergens to control your pet’s symptoms. When a food allergy is suspected, your veterinarian will recommend a strict elimination diet trial, which entails feeding your pet an allergen-free diet exclusively for at least six weeks. If your pet’s signs resolve during this time, that suggests they do have a food allergy. This should be confirmed by doing a challenge where they are re-introduced to their allergen to see if their original symptoms return. If they do, that is considered confirmation of the food allergy. Your pet will need to eat a complete and balanced diet free of their allergens long-term to prevent future flare-ups.

Intradermal Testing

Pets with environmental allergies may be allergic to plants, dust, or other allergens in your home or local environment. Sometimes this can be a seasonal allergy that only seems to occur in spring or summer when certain plants are in bloom, or it can occur year-round if the allergen is always present. Testing for environmental allergies is helpful to determine what allergens your pet reacts to, and helps to create a targeted treatment plan.

The gold standard for environmental allergy testing is intradermal testing, where tiny amounts of allergens are injected under the skin to look for a reaction. This is usually done by a veterinary dermatologist. If you discover that your pet has specific environmental allergies, you may not be able to completely remove allergens from their environment, but you may be able to reduce certain exposures.

When to Consider Allergy Testing

Allergy testing is extremely important for understanding your pet’s condition and finding the most effective treatment for them. Without allergy testing, you are only able to treat your pet’s symptoms each time they have a flare-up up but can’t effectively bring them consistent, long-term relief.

Pets that have chronic or recurrent signs like itchy skin, ear infections, and/or digestive problems may have underlying allergies. Your vet may want to eliminate other common causes for these conditions like fleas, skin mites, skin infections, intestinal parasites, and more by doing other tests and/or treatments first. If your pet does not improve after these initial treatments, your vet may be able to rule out those conditions and home in on allergies as a likely cause.

If a food allergy is suspected, testing your pet through an elimination diet trial is very important as both a diagnostic test and a treatment. Pets that improve dramatically on a limited-ingredient diet are likely to have a food allergy, and a long-term specialized diet will also be the most effective way to treat them. If environmental allergies are suspected, intradermal testing can help to identify possible allergens for immunotherapy treatment. This is an important step in creating a targeted treatment plan.

Does Allergy Testing Work?

Allergy testing is highly effective when properly executed. For example, testing is most useful once a pet is already diagnosed with allergies, and if their signs are not well-controlled using other treatments. To diagnose your pet’s allergies, will usually rule out other conditions first that could cause similar symptoms.

However, there are multiple factors that can interfere with getting accurate results.

Contaminated Elimination Diet

When it comes to doing a food trial, it is critical to select an appropriate diet that is truly allergen-free. Most over-the-counter diets are not appropriate because even if they claim to have limited ingredients, they are prepared using equipment that is also used for other diets, resulting in contamination. A prescription limited-ingredient diet, or a home-cooked diet designed by a veterinarian, is going to be the best option to ensure there is no contamination with allergens.

Additionally, food trials require pet parents to be very compliant about feeding their pets nothing but the prescribed diet. If a pet sneaks into another pet’s food, or grabs something off the kitchen table, or even gets a treat that contains other ingredients, it can interfere with the accuracy of the trial.

Inaccurate Test Results

For pets that need intradermal testing, it is important to seek out a board-certified veterinary dermatologist who is highly trained in administering this test and interpreting the results. Pet parents must also follow directions closely regarding how to prepare their pet for this test. Usually, allergy medications like steroids and antihistamines need to be discontinued for a few weeks prior to the test. If this is not done, it can interfere with the accuracy of the results.

Blood testing does not usually require medications to be discontinued in advance, but there are differences in the accuracy of various testing companies. That means the overall accuracy of blood testing tends to vary in general

Treating Pet Allergies

There are many ways to treat pets with allergies. Many times this involves a combination of medications aimed to reduce itchiness, inflammation, and/or suppress the immune system’s reaction to allergens. At other times, topical treatments and oral medications can be used to promote healthy skin and treat secondary infections that may develop.

Immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, is used to slowly desensitize pets to their allergens. Customized allergy shots are created based on what a specific pet is allergic to, and it can take up to one year to see results. Therefore, these pets will need additional treatments to manage their signs while undergoing immunotherapy. 

Many of these treatments are effective, especially for pets with milder forms of allergies. However, they can also cause unwanted side effects, become costly, and require daily administration and time-consuming treatments. However, the relief your pet will feel on the right treatment plan will be worth it.