The art of allergy management

摘要

Allergy diagnosis and management, which combines the art and science of medicine, does not follow a cookbook formula. There is no test that diagnoses an allergy, and therapy must be a fine-tuned, multimodal approach designed for each animal. Although many veterinarians would like one, experts say that allergy management requires more than a simple recipe for a good outcome. "Allergy management must be individualized for each patient, as well as for each client," says Dimbar Gram, DVM, DACVD, a veterinary dermatologist in private practice in Virginia Beach, Va. "For instance, some clients are happy to bathe their little dog every day, which can be quite beneficial, but that's not happening if the dog is a 60-lb Labrador retriever. Other owners cannot give their pet medicine three times a day, even though that is the way the product is labeled."