Allergy in dogs, diagnosis and treatment

ALLERGY IN DOGS

ARTUVETRIN

Allergy test
Treatment with Artuvetrin®
When can a dog be considered for Artuvetrin® Therapy?
Advised treatment schedule and injection technique

1. Allergy test
Artuvetrin® is a specially developed test (Artuevtrin® Test) and therapy (Artuvetrin® Therapy) for the diagnosis and treatment of allergic dogs.

The specially developed Artuvetrin® Test Set is used to determine which materials the dog may be allergic to. In consultation with veterinary dermatologists (vets who specialize in skin diseases), a Test Set has been selected that consists of several different allergens or mixtures of allergens, plus two solutions as controls.

The procedure is as follows:
Before the test can be carried out, any medication that may affect allergy and itching (e.g. steroids or antihistamines) must have been discontinued for several weeks. The skin test is done on the chest wall, after this has been carefully shaved (see picture 1)

A very small quantity (0.05 ml) of each of the allergens and the control solutions is injected into the skin at various points (see picture 2). After 15-20 minutes, all the injection sites are assessed to see if there has been any swelling of the skin. If a dog is allergic to a particular substance, there will be an inflammatory response in the skin where it is injected and this will be seen as a swelling (see picture 3). The extent of the swelling is compared with the amount of swelling caused by the control solutions, and this allows the dog’s allergies to be determined. There are many different materials that an animal can be allergic to. However, the materials that most commonly cause allergies in dogs have been included in the Artuvetrin® Test Set. Based on the previous history or experience, the vet may decide to perform the test with other allergens.

2. Treatment with Artuvetrin®
Artuvetrin® Therapy is a treatment what is known as allergen-specific immunotherapy. After determining what the dog is allergic to, it is possible to make the dog less sensitive, or insensitive, to these substances. To do this, special vaccines are prepared for each patient, based on the various substances that cause the allergic reaction in that patient: Artuvetrin® Therapy. These vaccines are then administered at steadily increasing intervals and at higher and higher doses. The aim of the injections is to makes the immune system less sensitive to the substances that trigger the allergic reactions. The proportion of dogs that respond well to the treatment is about 75%*.

3. When can a dog be considered for Artuvetrin® Therapy?
Dogs that have problems for more than 3 months of the year can in principle be considered for allergen-specific immunotherapy such as Artuvetrin® Therapy. Before starting treatment, it should be realized that the therapy is a commitment for life as there is no evidence to suggest dogs will grow out of their allergies.
The treatment ensures that the complaint is kept under control and that the symptoms are greatly reduced.

Treatment results
The proportion of dogs that respond well to the treatment is about 75%*. It will take time for the treatment to have any noticeable results. Stopping the treatment and re-examining the dog is only advised if there are no visible results at all 8 months after starting the treatment.

Undesirable effects
Artuvetrin® Therapy has virtually no side-effects and can therefore be given for long periods.
In 10% of the dogs treated, the itching is observed to increase and then fade away again 1 - 2 days after the injection.

4. Advised treatment schedule and injection technique
Allergen-specific immunotherapy with Artuvetrin® Therapy must be built up according to a particular schedule, as shown in the table below. Your veterinarian can decide if there is any need to vary this schedule. It is a good idea to make a note of the injection dates and any comments yourself.

Artuvetrin® Therapy

Advised schedule	dosage
day 1	0,2 ml
2 weeks (14 days later)	0,4 ml
4 weeks	0,6 ml
6 weeks	0,8 ml
9 weeks	1,0 ml
12 weeks	1,0 ml
16 weeks	1,0 ml
20 weeks	1,0 ml
24 weeks	1,0 ml
etc.

Note: because every Artuvetrin® Therapy is prepared specially for the individual, there will be a delay between ordering and delivery.
It is therefore advisable to order the follow-up therapy at least two weeks in advance.

Injection technique Artuvetrin® Therapy is administered by subcutaneous injection. You have the option of injecting your pet yourself. Ask your veterinarian to demonstrate the technique to you.
For the sake of clarity, all the actions are shown again here.
Shake the vial thoroughly After use, store the vial in the refrigerator (do not freeze).