PET HEALTH & WELL-BEING

Could my pet possibly have allergies?

Karen Farver, DVM, DACVD

Does your pet look like this?

chance of a drug eruption. It is important that you do not let your pet ingest the topicals.

Food allergy is not as common as environmental allergy as a cause of foot licking but can be present if the symptoms have always been non seasonal. This is especially true in younger or older patients or patients that also are showing GI signs. In these cases, talk to your veterinarian about a strict food trial with a novel protein diet or hydrolyzed diet trial or considering a novel protein home cook diet balanced for complete nutrition to assess if this causes resolution of symptoms.

What happens if these treatments do not work?

It is a similar test to the skin test a human allergist performs for human allergies. This will test the local allergic reaction in the skin to the pollen. This is the preferred test typically due to the benefits of testing the physiologic reaction of the skin. However, this is a sedated test.

Paw licking is a frequent symptom of allergies in both dogs and cats!

What could it mean if my pet licks their paws?

Paw licking can be a symptom of many things including:

Airborne allergies

Food allergies

Bacterial infection

Yeast infection

Mites (sarcoptes or demodex)

Autoimmune disease

Nailbed problems, etc.

What can I use at home to treat paw licking?

It may be helpful to wipe your pet's paws once to twice daily with baby wipes or an over-the-counter chlorhexidine product or chlorhexidine/azole product. — or a bacterial infection, you may try applying over the counter Neosporin* to the paws twice daily with no licking after application.

For a yeast infection, you may try applying over the counter miconazole cream* or spray to the paws. These can be combined with an overthe-counter hydrocortisone cream once daily for 7 days. *For all topicalsespecially steroids — it is important to stop if the skin worsens and contact your veterinarian. With all topicals there is a

If these treatments do not work, it may be that your pet is suffering from allergies or has a more severe infection. In either of these cases, a trip to the dermatologist may indicated to diagnose and treat the problem.

How would a veterinary dermatologist treat allergies in my pet?

For environmental allergies, first, we would need to test your pet to identify which allergens he or she is reacting to. There are two different tests that are commonly used to identify these allergens: intradermal skin testing (IDAT) and IgE blood testing. There are advantages and disadvantages to both tests and sometimes your dermatologist will recommend both tests to maximize results. Factors veterinary dermatologists consider in selecting the test include the condition of the skin, the overall health of the pet, the ability to withdraw certain medications, the age of the pet, how long the pet has had allergies, the species of the pet and the overall accuracy of the test.

Intradermal skin testing (IDAT) is typically only offered by a veterinary dermatologist or allergist. This test is typically considered the “gold standard” of allergy testing.

Serum allergy testing is a blood test that measures the levels of IgE antibodies in the pet's blood. These antibodies are produced by the immune system in response to allergens in some pets. The main disadvantages of this allergy test are many companies offer this assay, these companies will all perform the test differently which can result in varying accuracy between labs. There is also concern that some pets have not developed circulating IgE in the blood to allergens that are causing their itch and inflammation. This test can be helpful when there are respiratory signs of allergy or if a pet's health is a concern for sedation.

Dermatologist never recommend in-home allergy test kits. There is no evidence to support the claims that hair and saliva tests for dog allergies are accurate. The results of studies evaluating at home testing showed that it was no better than guessing and that the results were not consistent.

What happens after allergy testing?

Based on the results of the testing, a vaccine will be formulated that is specifically tailored to your pet! The goal of the vaccine is to gradually lessen their reactions to the allergens. This allows many pets to discontinue oral and topical medications that they have needed to control their allergies.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and arm. The condition occurs when one of the major nerves to the handthe median nerve is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the wrist.

In addition to numbness and tingling, carpal tunnel syndrome can cause swelling, weakness, and night time pain. Patients sometimes describe dropping things unexpectedly and may have difficulty with buttoning shirts, tying shoelaces, or handling loose change.

What causes carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome is frequently seen in individuals who develop swelling or inflammation in their hands. People who smoke, as well as those with connective tissue diseases, diabetes mellitus, and hypothyroidism, may be at greater risk. Repetitive work activities can also cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

The median nerve acts as an electrical wire between the spinal cord and the hand. The nerve passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist along with nine tendons that bend the fingers. When the tendons in the wrist become swollen and inflamed, the median nerve can become compressed by the transverse carpal ligament (see figure), leading to carpal tunnel symptoms.

Early on, symptoms commonly occur during sleeping hours. In more advanced cases, the symptoms can become problematic during waking hours. Many sufferers describe symptoms with benign activities, like reading the newspaper or driving a car.

What can a hand surgeon do to help?

A hand surgeon can order special nerve tests to verify the extent of the problem. Custom wrist splints are helpful for early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome. These splints are worn at nighttime to relieve pressure on the median nerve and to prevent the wrists from bending during sleep.

Cortisone injections often provide excellent relief from symptoms. Unfortunately, symptomatic relief is only temporary, and most people experience a recurrence of symptoms after 3-4 months.

For chronic or more advanced cases, carpal tunnel surgery is often recommended as the best course of treatment.

What can I expect from surgery? Surgery provides more space for the median nerve and relieves pressure on the median nerve and tendons. This procedure is typically done under light sedation and local anesthesia and usually takes only minutes to complete.

While there are several different approaches to performing carpal tunnel surgery, usually a 1/2 inch incision is made near the wrist and use of a camera to release the tunnel under direct visualization. This minimally invasive approach minimizes discomfort following surgery and allows patients to return to activities more quickly. Over 95 percent of patients improve dramatically following surgical intervention, with most returning to daily activities within days. Many patients can resume heavier job-related activities after 2-4 weeks.

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It's hard to imagine spending time at The Willows, Radnor Township's most beautiful park, and not feeling better than you felt before you arrived. The Willows Park, with its rolling hills, stately trees, and pictureperfect pond, is a soul-soothing, spiritlifting place regardless of the time of year, but it is especially so in early spring after a damp, dreary winter with too much gray and too little green. Spring is a time of renewal, of rebirth, of restoration, a time to abandon the stuffy confines of home or the crowded aisles of CVS, tissues and cold remedies in hand, and venture outdoors where the air is fresh and bracing and we begin to recall that we have hearts that beat, lungs that breathe and limbs that move!

Spring encourages us to shake off our winter torpor and resume the healthy habits and exercise routines so many of us abandoned as the days grew shorter and the temperatures dropped. Spring exhorts us to be well, in mind, body and spirit (or, as the Romans might say, “Mens sana in corpore sano”). Spring does what she can (longer days, warmer weather) to make it easy for us to do so.

But sometimes even Spring needs a little assist loosening the remote control from our grasp and nudging us out the door to a nearby park or gym. Recognizing this need, the Willows Park Preserve is busy making plans for hosting its second annual, daylong Wellness at the Willows event on April 23, 2023 (rain date April 30). The Willows Park Preserve is a nonprofit organization that was formed by a group of local residents to restore the longshuttered, rapidly deteriorating Willows Mansion, once the jewel of the Willows Park, and open it up for public and private events, community programming and simple, passive enjoyment.

The inaugural Wellness at the Willows event was held last April and, by all accounts and measures, was a huge success. The 2022 event featured, among other things, classes on yoga, mindfulness, stretching and exercise; lectures and demonstrations on healthy eating and nutrition; display tables with educational materials; a nature hike along the Skunk Hollow Trail; and a tour of the adjacent Skunk Hollow Community where Radnor residents can grow their own vegetables, herbs and flowers in a pesticide-free environment. This year's event will be similar but with some new features and new lecture topics to keep the event fresh and timely. And, as was true of last year's event, the 2023 event will be free of charge and accessible to all members of the community.

Opportunities to hold a class, deliver a lecture, lead a workshop or to set up a table or booth with health and wellnessoriented materials and displays are still available. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Sponsorships are a win-win, as they help the Willows Park Preserve fund the event but also give local businesses a chance to engage with the community and let the community know that “we are there for you!”

This year's Wellness at the Willows event will take place at the Willows Mansion, both indoors and outdoors in the courtyard, on the terrace, under the tent or, most appropriately, in the “wishing well” circle. Yes, the Willows Park Preserve wishes you well and looks forward to seeing you at this year's event.

For more information or if you are interested in sponsorship, leading a class or workshop or setting up a display and information table, please email the WPP at: info@willowsparkpreserve.org.

If you would like to host your next event at the WPP, register for a program, learn about volunteer opportunities, provide financial support, or simply want to learn more about the WPP, please visit our website: www.willowsparkpreserve.org or email us at: info@willowsparkpreserve.org