Mon / Tue / Thu / Fri: 9am – 6pm
Wed: 9am – 6pm (farm calls – large animal)
Hickory Hill Veterinary Services provides comprehensive allergy testing in Tampa, helping identify the root cause of your pet’s itching, skin issues, and chronic discomfort.
Allergies are one of the most common causes of chronic skin disease, ear infections, and respiratory issues in pets. Pets can develop allergies to environmental allergens (pollens, mold, dust mites), food ingredients, flea saliva, and contact allergens. Identifying the specific cause of your pet’s allergy is essential for developing an effective treatment plan. Allergy testing options in veterinary medicine include serum allergy testing (blood-based), intradermal skin testing (the gold standard), and structured dietary elimination trials for food allergies. Our team evaluates each pet’s history and presentation to recommend the most appropriate diagnostic approach.
Our veterinary team at Hickory Hill Veterinary Services guides you and your pet through the allergy testing process with clear explanations and personalized recommendations.
Allergy workup begins with a thorough review of your pet’s history, including onset of symptoms, seasonality, diet, environment, and previous treatments. A complete physical exam assesses the distribution and severity of skin lesions.
Before attributing symptoms to allergies, our team rules out parasites (fleas, mites), bacterial and yeast infections, and other dermatologic conditions that can mimic or complicate allergic disease.
Based on history and exam findings, we recommend appropriate allergy testing. Serum allergy panels test for environmental allergen-specific IgE. Dietary elimination trials involve feeding a novel protein or hydrolyzed diet for 8–12 weeks to identify food allergens.
Once allergens are identified, we develop a comprehensive management plan including allergen avoidance, medical management of symptoms, and allergen-specific immunotherapy (allergy shots or sublingual drops) to desensitize your pet over time.
Treating allergies without identifying the underlying cause leads to ongoing symptoms, repeated infections, and long-term reliance on medications that only suppress symptoms rather than address the root problem.
Allergy testing identifies the specific triggers causing your pet’s symptoms, allowing for targeted management including allergen avoidance and immunotherapy that addresses the cause, not just the symptoms.
Allergen-specific immunotherapy can permanently reduce your pet’s sensitivity to identified allergens over time, reducing the need for ongoing medications like steroids or antihistamines.
Chronic allergic disease causes constant itching, pain, and recurrent infections. Effective identification and management dramatically improves your pet’s comfort and quality of life.
Pets can develop environmental allergies (pollens, mold, dust mites), food allergies, flea allergy dermatitis, and contact allergies. Signs include itching, licking paws, recurrent ear infections, skin rashes, and hot spots. Our team at Hickory Hill Veterinary Services will help identify your pet’s specific allergens.
Allergy testing costs depend on the type of testing performed. Serum panels range from a few hundred dollars; dietary trials cost primarily in the diet expense over 8–12 weeks. Call (813) 373-5924 for current pricing and to discuss which approach is right for your pet.
Before allergy testing, your pet may need to be off certain medications (steroids, antihistamines) for a period to ensure accurate results. Our team will provide specific preparation instructions when scheduling. No fasting is required for most allergy tests.
Allergy testing can identify environmental allergens, food allergens, and flea allergy triggers. Once identified, allergen-specific immunotherapy can reduce sensitivity over time, while targeted avoidance and medical management improve symptoms and reduce recurrent infections.
Call (813) 373-5924 or visit 326 W. Bearss Avenue, Tampa, FL 33613. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am–6pm.
Get answers and relief for your pet’s allergies in Tampa. Call (813) 373-5924 or visit 326 W. Bearss Avenue, Tampa, FL 33613. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9am–6pm.
