Could This Uncommon Allergy Fix Help Your Itchy Dog?

Many people don't like giving their pets an injection, and most pets don't love being on the receiving end. Here's an effective option for your furry companion's skin allergies that doesn't involve shots.

Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

Nov 20, 2023 • 4 min read

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a variation on allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), which most of us refer to as allergy shots
Sublingual means "under the tongue," and the treatment is delivered with a dispenser that sprays a few drops of allergen solution on the mucosa under the tongue; the drops are absorbed rough the moist tissue of the mouth and processed by specialized cells that help the immune system develop tolerance for specific allergens.
The biggest benefit of SLIT over ASIT is no injections; probably the biggest drawback is that to be effective, the therapy must be administered daily, and sometimes several times a day.
Uncontrolled studies on dogs show that SLIT is as effective as allergy shots, and dogs that for a variety of reasons can't tolerate injections also do well with sublingual administration.
An additional options for allergic pets is regionally specific immunotherapy (RESPIT®), which is designed to be effective without the need for allergy testing

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bark & whiskers disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. Dr. Karen Becker cannot answer specific questions about your pet's medical issues or make medical recommendations for your pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Your pet's medical protocol should be given by your holistic veterinarian.

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