Most skin conditions are caused by allergies. These allergies vary from food allergies to allergies from environmental conditions. They are encountered in pets, especially dogs, as often as we see them in humanoids. Allergic dermatitis goes by many names; the most common are atopy, allergic skin disease, or allergic inhalant dermatitis.
Most allergies are hard to control and are chronic in nature. So if your pet is suffering from them it could require patients as it is frustrating to handle. A correct diagnosis along with proper therapy instituted early in the course of the disease will minimize this frustration.
When the immune system encounters an allergen that has the potential to cause disease it produces antibodies called immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M. This virus spreads in the first 7-14 days of infection throughout the body because not enough antibodies are produced to stop them. Then after the initial period the immune system produces large amounts of antibodies, this antibody response neutralizes the virus immediately. This is called the anamnestic response, and is why a dog that recovers from the virus does not get the disease again.
A different scenario is when the immune system encounters an allergen that is not necessarily pathogenic. A different part of the immune system kicks into high gear when these nonpathogenic allergens invade the body. When a pollen particle enters the body for the first time it follows the same passage as in the first case when it comes to antibodies, this time they are called immunoglobulin E. This antibody attaches to the allergen in order to neutralize it, just likein the first case. This process is called sensitization; it occurs in the first season a pet encounters a specific allergen in its area.
