Treatment Instructions for Allergies in Dogs

The information below is a general guide for treating allergies in dogs. The instructions that are specific for your dog have been checked.

____Your dog has a flea allergy or has enough fleas to make another allergy problem worse. Flea control is very important and should include treating your dog and its environment. Bear in mind that flea allergies often accompany other types of allergies, especially inhalant allergy (atopy). Year-round monthly flea prevention is recommended for all dogs, especially those with flea allergy dermatitis.

Recommended flea control protocol for your dog:

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

____Your dog has been started on oral corticosteroids. If this is not controlling your dog’s itch, please contact the hospital immediately. The goal is to wean down the frequency of medication to once every 2-3 days for maximum safety.

Medication and dosage prescribed:__________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____Your dog has been started on an oral antihistamine.

Medication and dosage prescribed:_________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

____Your dog has been started on oral cyclosporine. This medication can be bitter. If you are having difficulty medicating your dog, please contact the clinic.

Medication and dosage prescribed:________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

____Your dog has been started on allergy serum. The instructions are as follows:

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

____Your dog is to be fed a hypoallergenic diet exclusively. We recommend gradually transitioning to a new diet by increasing the amount of the hypoallergenic diet mixed with the current diet over a 7-14 day period, starting with ¼ of the new diet mixed with ¾ of the old diet and gradually adjusting the proportions until you are feeding only the hypoallergenic diet. If your dog is not eating the new hypoallergenic diet, contact us immediately for an alternative plan. It is extremely important that you feed ONLY the hypoallergenic diet. Be sure to discontinue any other foods, treats or vitamins. Human food is also not allowed.

 ____Your dog has a skin infection secondary to allergic dermatitis. The following treatments have been prescribed:

____Antibiotics are to be used for the next _____ days until your recheck appointment. These include:.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

____The medicated shampoo, __________________________, is to be used every _____ days. Allow the shampoo to stay on the coat for five to ten minutes before thoroughly rinsing the fur.

____The topical medication, _____________________________, is to be used ______ times daily for __________ days.

____A recheck appointment has been booked for your dog on _____________________________. It is very important that your veterinarian reassesses your dog to be sure that the prescribed treatment has been effective. This also allows your veterinarian to make adjustments to the medications to ensure it is being used as safely as possible.