{"id":1546896,"date":"2026-06-16T11:14:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T09:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laboklin.com\/allergen-specific-immunotherapy-in-practice-when-to-start-which-route-to-choose-and-what-to-expect\/"},"modified":"2026-08-21T11:34:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T09:34:39","slug":"allergen-specific-immunotherapy-in-practice-when-to-start-which-route-to-choose-and-what-to-expect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laboklin.com\/dk\/allergen-specific-immunotherapy-in-practice-when-to-start-which-route-to-choose-and-what-to-expect\/","title":{"rendered":"Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy in Practice: When to Start, Which Route to Choose, and What to Expect"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Introduction: From diagnosis to decision-making<\/h2>\n

Environmental allergy, referred to as canine atopic dermatitis (cAD) in dogs and feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS) in cats, is a chronic, multifactorial condition characterized by an abnormal immune response to environmental<\/p>\n

allergens. In sensitized patients, exposure to these allergens triggers an exaggerated immune reaction leading to cutaneous inflammation and pruritus, which determine the clinical expression and progression of the disease.<\/p>\n

From a practical perspective, the management of AD relies on two complementary therapeutic approaches. The first is the control of inflammation and pruritus<\/strong>, using antipruritic and anti-inflammatory therapies. This is essential to maintain the patient comfortable, prevent self-trauma and secondary infections, and ensure adequate quality of life.<\/p>\n

The second approach targets the underlying pathophysiology of the disease. Allergen-<\/strong>specific immunotherapy (ASIT) <\/strong>aims to modulate the immune response by inducing tolerance to the relevant allergens. ASIT works by \u201cre-educating\u201d the immune system, reducing its tendency to overreact upon allergen exposure and, consequently, decreasing the inflammatory cascade over time.<\/p>\n

Understanding these complementary pathways is essential: symptomatic therapy provides immediate and ongoing control, whereas ASIT represents the <\/strong>only<\/strong> strategy<\/strong> capable<\/strong> of<\/strong> modifying<\/strong> the<\/strong> course<\/strong> of <\/strong>the disease.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When to start ASIT<\/h2>\n

Before considering allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), a clear and robust <\/strong>diagnosis of atopic dermatitis (AD) <\/strong>is essential. Importantly, AD remains a clinical<\/strong> diagnosis<\/strong>, based on compatible history, distribution of lesions and pruritus, and\u2014critically\u2014the exclusion of other pruritic diseases.<\/p>\n

It is equally important to allow sufficient time to understand how the disease behaves in each individual patient, which typically requires several months of clinical follow-up.<\/strong><\/p>\n

During this period, the clinician should aim to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Achieve good control of inflammation and pruritus<\/li>\n
  • Resolve and prevent secondary infections<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Implement appropriate multimodal therapy (e.g. topical therapy, flea control, antipruritic\/anti-inflammatory treatment)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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