Allergy diagnostics
Let’s talk allergy diagnostics
Dog and cat allergy diagnostics
An accurate allergy diagnosis requires thorough physical examination including a complete clinical history. All other known causes of itching, such as parasites and infections, must be treated or ruled out before allergy can be diagnosed.
PAX Serum Test
When other triggers of the symptoms are ruled out, atopy is diagnosed. The next step is to perform an IgE serum test to identify which allergens are causing the allergic reaction. We provide the gold standard in allergy testing through our next generation PAX test. The PAX Serum Test is an innovative test that tests for individual allergen protein components as well as extract, resulting in high specificity and sensitivity.
This is a fundamental step because without knowing which allergens are causing the problem, it is impossible to develop a tailored immunotherapy treatment or implement allergen-avoidance measures.
Read moreArtuvetrin® Skin Test
In addition to Next+, an intradermal skin test can also be performed. Artuvetrin® Skin Test involves injecting small amounts of different allergens subcutaneously.
It is then possible to evaluate whether or not a local reaction develops at the site of the injection.
Read moreFood Test & elimination diets
The patient should also receive an elimination diet in order to determine which specific foods trigger a hypersensitivity reaction. A third of atopic animals are also allergic to proteins in food, so it is crucial to make sure there is no concomitant food allergy.
The Next+ Food Reactivity test can indicate which foods the patient may not be sensitive to, and guide decisions on suitable options for an elimination diet.
Treatment of atopic dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis is a lifelong condition, and for that reason any treatment must be continued for life. The best solution is to avoid contact with allergens, but most of the time this is impossible. Therefore, the recommended treatment choice for atopy is immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy is the only treatment that stops the allergy from progressing, by making the immune system less sensitive, or totally insensitive, to the allergens that trigger the allergic reaction. There is only one licensed immunotherapy in Europe – Artuvertin® Therapy – which is the product of choice under European medicines regulations.
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