Intradermal reactivity to various insect and arachnid allergens among dogs from the southeastern United States

To compare cutaneous reactivity to insect and arachnid allergens in clinically normal (control) and allergic dogs in the southeastern United States.

Prospective, controlled study.

26 clinically normal dogs and 82 allergic dogs from the southeastern United States.

Intradermal skin testing with various dilutions of 13 insect and arachnid allergens was performed on control dogs to establish skin threshold concentrations (ie, concentrations to which < 25% of the dogs had positive reactions). These established threshold concentrations were then used to test allergic dogs for reactivity. Prevalence of single and multiple insect and arachnid reactions were determined.

Flea allergen was the only allergen that caused a significantly higher prevalence of positive reactions in allergic dogs than in control dogs.

Flea hypersensitivity is the most important arthropod hypersensitivity in dogs. The importance of reactivity to insect and arachnid allergens other than flea allergen can be determined only when prevalence of positive reactivity has been determined in an appropriate regional control group of dogs.