Are there different ways on doing allergy tests? I know you can do the skin scraping, but wondered if there was anything like a blood test that could do the same?

Do most vets start off testing for certain things, if that comes back negative test for others etc..
It seems that a large number of dogs i know seem to be having allergic reactions to things, all different symptoms and they live in different areas and the vets keep doing tests for this and then that, rather than what i would of thought would be easier for all to the do a full allergy test to try and get to the bottom of the problem straight away?

I'm not a vet so just wondered if this was the norm or are these vets trying to make more money for themselves doing it this way..

Hi suejaw,
There is a blood test that can be used instead of the skinscraping.
It will take a bit longer,though. If it comes back positive for any of the cathegories, it can then be
analysed further, for specific allergenes.
HTH
Karen

Allergy testing measures how a person reacts to specific allergens, such as tree pollen, pet dander, foods, medications or molds. A "positive" allergy test means that a person has a specific allergic antibody to the substance tested. This often means that the person is allergic to the substance, meaning that the person will experience symptoms when exposed to the allergen.
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i always thought that patch testing was used, pricking the skin and then applying known allergens and waiting for a reaction.
i dont think its reliable though and can introduce new allergens causing a reaction next time the dog is exposed to it.
i know what you mean about vets and allergies though. makes you wonder whether some dogs have an intolerence to something and not an allergy. who knows

I had a nightmare with my pup and her allergies. There are 2 different types of blood tests (a cheap 1 and an expensive 1 - Don't know the different names!) and they can also do intra dermal skin tests. Not aware of any scrapings to test for allergies? I thought this was to check for mange mites? This is what mine had them done for although they were done at the same time as the allergy testing to rule out mange rather than allergy so maybe this is why you thought they were to check for allergies??

We had the cheap blood test done first and all came back as negative. Vet had me changing food etc and keeping away from grass to see if that made any difference... Nothing. We then went on to have an intra dermal skin test which is where they clip the fur on the rib cage and inject about 40 different known allergens to see which ones react. Only had 1 reaction which was dust mites. We then went onto have the expensive blood test done and that confirmed the allergy to dust mites. With the expensive test they grade the level of allergy. On a scale of 1 -5 (1 being least, 5 being most) my girl was only a 1 but we went on to do immunotherapy anyway and she has been fine ever since. She still has montly injections but doesn't scratch anymore.

Our dog had the 'York' test. Luckily his insurance covered the test and the following immunotherapy. To be honest the injections (which he had for just over a year) have made no difference. His skin still gets really bad if he is walked on grass and the vet has given me a supply of steroid tablets for when a flare up gets out of hand. It's really upsetting that his fun is so limited and he rarely gets to run about in a field but to see him so itchy and red afterwards, there isn't anything else we can do.....is there ?.

LucyMissy,
Thanks that is great information and i will be calling my friend up later to advise her. She was told that the skin scrapings were an allergy test. Not thinking much of her vets and to be honest all the way through for the past 9 months i've not thought much of him, didn't even offer her blood tests. I did mention this a few times and also a specialist and so did a breeder but her vet dismissed this altogether and did another few skin scrapings.. Well i'm not in the least bit amused by this, nor will she be when i pass this on, her poor boy has suffered all summer.

They are now in a new place and its made no difference..

Luckily for me, my vet is a skin specialist so it made it easier for me!!

I would definately suggest a specialist.

To be honest the injections (which he had for just over a year) have made no difference

If you do research on immunotherapy you will see that the symptoms are likely to come back if immunotherapy is not continued. Once they are on immunotherapy they should stay on it for life.

It's really upsetting that his fun is so limited and he rarely gets to run about in a field but to see him so itchy and red afterwards, there isn't anything else we can do.....is there ?.

arched, I know this may not be an ideal solution, particularly when it's warm, but have you thought of getting your dog a full body suit? You can get rain suits for dogs which would cover everything except for paws and head... That might be an option to give your dog some running time in the field!

It might also be a good idea to test your dog for an underlying cause. Something like hypothyroidsm can for example cause or aggrevate allergies considerably! Once that is dealt with, the body is then often strong enough to deal with the allergies itself!

Vera

LucyMissy - unfortunately as there was no improvement during all the time he was recieving treatment they suggested we stopped. There wasn't even a slight improvement which was disappointing, if there had been I think we would have continued. From what I hear, success rates aren't great so I'm pleased to hear that wasn't the case with your dog.

Vera - a body suit isn't something I've considered actually and it might be worth looking into. I'm sure he wouldn't mind looking daft if it means he can enjoy himself more often !.
I don't know anything about other tests so I will have another chat with the vet next time we are there. We've recently changed vets so he might have more ideas.

Thank you both.