Introduction
Atopy, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a disease which can commonly occur in cats. The effects of the disease cause allergic reactions which drastically affect the skin. Cats with atopic dermatitis may suffer from a variety of symptoms which include: severe itching all over the body, sores on the paws and base of the tail caused by continual licking, hair loss, skin which becomes thick and takes on a leathery appearance, and a darkening of the color of the skin.
Treating Atopy
Mild cases of atopy are treated with oral antihistamine medication and fatty acid supplements. If the atopy has caused a bacterial infection on the cat’s skin, or wounds from licking, than antibiotic therapies are prescribed. For severe bacterial infections some cats are placed on strong antibiotic doses for 3 weeks or longer. Shampoos that contain antifungal and antibacterial ingredients may also be prescribed to help keep down bacteria and yeast levels on the cat’s skin.
In severe or chronic cases of atopy, steroid therapies are prescribed. Long term steroid use can cause side effects such as organ damage and diabetes, so this type of therapy is only used in extremely severe cases. Often a shortened steroid therapy is prescribed to decrease the symptoms until the disease can be brought under control.
Cyclosporine, an immune suppressant drug, is also used to suppress atopic symptoms in severe or chronic cases. Cyclosporine therapy for atopy treatment in cats was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2003. While this medication is much more expensive than steroids, cyclosporine therapies only cause mild temporary side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea.
In some cases allergen-specific immunotherapy is successful in treating cats with atopy. This type of treatment involves using intradermal skin tests to determine agents that the cat is allergic to. These agents are then prepared in an injection form and injected under the cat’s skin is extremely small amounts; overtime the amounts are increased and the cat becomes desensitized to the allergic agents.