Allergic diseases have increased in the last decades, not only in human but also in veterinary patients. Prevalence numbers are similar for people and their pets, e.g. for respiratory allergies in cats and horses, or atopic dermatitis in dogs. The underlying pathomechanisms are comparable regarding the set of antibodies, IgE-receptors and effector cells. Besides similar symptoms, also species-specific differences have to be considered. Often, holders and their dogs are suffering from allergic diseases concurrently. Such situations offer an opportunity to reveal the common causative factors for asthmatic and allergic diseases, like environment, pollution, diet, life-style, or hygiene.
This is interesting for veterinarians but also for human clinicians, as animal patients could not only help to define causes of asthma and allergy -and thereby targets for prevention-, but also to optimize diagnosis and treatment. Many treatments may be effective in several species, e.g. human epinephrine can also be used for anaphylactic dogs. Vice versa, some biologicals and monoclonal antibodies were administered successfully first to allergic veterinary patients, and subsequently human medicine could benefit from that knowledge.

This webinar series shall provide information on comparative aspects

(i) of allergy testing in the dog, including a short video-sequence of a real-life IDT in a dog,
(ii) of allergen-specific immunotherapy in animals, in an interview-setting with a veterinary expert, and
(iii) of atopic dermatitis in form of a lecture given by a veterinary dermatologist.

The available webinars are:

• CVA: Allergy testing the dog
• CVA: Comparative approach to atopic dermatitis
• CVA: Allergen-specific immunotherapy in animals

Isabella Pali-Schöll
(on behalf of the former and present board of the WG Comp & Vet Allergology)

Claudio Rhyner, Eliane Marti,
Douglas DeBoer, Claudia Alessandri, Ahmed Adel Seida,
Jozef Janda, Ralf S. Mueller, Erika Jensen-Jarolim