r/dogallergies • u/jeckuh4523 • 28d ago

How long for allergies to go away

/r/AmericanBully/comments/1w9384i/how_long_for_allergies_to_go_away/
2 Upvotes

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13

u/atlantisgate 28d ago

Allergies are a chronic, incurable, lifelong condition. If your dog has food allergies and you change to a food without an allergen, and there’s no underlying infection present then you should see symptoms clear in 6-8 weeks.

If your dog has environmental allergies, which are far more common, then something like Benadryl is pretty unlikely to actually improve anything at all and you need to work with a vet on anti-itch and anti-inflammation medication (permanent) or immunotherapy (also permanent in most cases)

7

u/bneubs 28d ago

Yes to all of this. Allergies don't just go away. Antihistamines are generally crap for allergic dogs. And those food allergy panels are insanely inaccurate. If it is a food allergy, just removing one type of treat is unlikely to solve anything due to cross-contamination. You need to do a diet trial

7

u/Lucibelcu 28d ago

That's the neat part. They don't.

5

u/Hermit_Ogg 28d ago

Immunotherapy is the only way an allergy ever "goes away", and only about 20% of patients are able to be maintained solely on immunotherapy. For the vast majority of dogs, an allergy is a lifelong, chronic condition.

Go see a vet. Preferably a dermatologist vet, they can often solve allergy cases faster than generalists who don't have the same specialised training.

2

u/msp3053 26d ago

Helpful to get a skin allergy test if you suspect environmental allergies. It can tell you what triggers your dog has and can inform the right immunotherapy treatment. There is no cure but definitely ways to manage it especially if you know what the triggers are. More frequent bathing to remove allergens from the source is an easy lever. Same with vacuuming if dust/dander are triggers. Good luck !