Allergies in pets cause uncontrollable itching (pruritis) and often manifests itself as sores on the body.

There are many causes of itching, including allergies, bacterial infections, ringworm, fungal infections, mites and other parasites, and hormonal conditions.

Allergy is a state of hypersensitivity in which exposure to normally harmless substances known as allergens induce the body's immune system to overreact.

There are several kinds of allergies in animals.

The most common is flea allergy dermatitis. This allergy occurs due to hypersensitivity to fleas.

Flea saliva causes an allergic reaction that causes intense itching with secondary skin infections.

Unfortunately, many people take personal offense when you mention that their pet may be exposed to fleas. "My pet doesn't have fleas," is what veterinarians are told nationwide in a firm tone — as if we've accused someone of having a dirty home.

Contrary to common myth, a pet doesn't need to be infested with fleas to have flea allergy dermatitis. It is much like a person who is allergic to mosquito bites. The house doesn't have to be infested with mosquitoes.

A flea can simply bite one time and that can cause several weeks of itching.

Flea allergy is the most common allergy in our area. Due to our warmer climates, we have a year-round flea season, and fleas never really go away for the winter.

Some components of air around us, such as pollen, household dust or mold spores could cause allergies in your pets.

This type of allergy is called inhalant allergy or atopy. This tends to be more seasonal in nature but becomes year-round after several years.

Another less common type of allergy that dogs experience is allergy to certain components of dog food. However, this allergy is not as common as the pet food manufacturers would like you to believe.

Frequently, there can be infections such as fungal, bacterial, or parasitic that can aggravate existing allergies. I have found that many allergic pets have these concurrent infections which often get in the way of management of allergies.

What to do for allergies?

It is important to get a diagnosis of allergies from your veterinarian before any treatment.

Here are some general guidelines for management of allergies:

-For all allergic pets, we recommend topical, prescription flea control. These products are safe and are guaranteed if purchased from your veterinarian. They should be applied monthly year-round.

-Frequent bathing with high quality pet shampoos will decrease generalized itching. Use aloe and oatmeal or Relief shampoo.

-Give omega-3 fatty acids as recommended by your veterinarian.

-Discuss a food trial for a minimum of 10 weeks with your veterinarian.

-There are a number of medications that also can help relieve the symptoms of allergies. These include antihistamines, steroids (use cautiously) and cyclosporine. If your pet develops an infection, antibiotics or anti-fungals may be given.

-Frequent dusting and vacuuming the areas where your dog usually stays helps a lot. Washing his feet and face after a walk can help with outdoor allergies.

Still, the most effective way to manage dog allergies is to prevent them.

No matter what kind of allergy your dog has, avoiding the allergen that triggers the disease minimizes the symptoms experienced by your pet and keeps your pet healthy and allergy-free.

Raj Salwan is a second-generation veterinarian and has been around veterinary medicine for more than 21 years. He works at American Animal Care Center in Fremont and can be reached at drsalwan@aol.com.