Dog dermatitis can be caused by allergens from house dust mites.
Dogs can be strongly allergic to house dust mites too, but the allergens that cause dermatitis in dogs are different from the major mite allergens that affect humans.
Dogs react to enzymes that act to degrade chitin. Chitin comes from the outer part of insects and from the cell walls of fungi. For mites, both dead insects and fungi are an important part of their diet, as they need to break down chitin to get nourishment. Scientists have named the guilty allergens as Der f 15 and Der f 18. These allergens are from the American house dust mite ´Dermatophagoides farinae´, a mite that is now found worldwide. To safeguard your dog against mite-related dermatitis, keep your dog’s resting place mite free and wash your dog regularly with a shampoo that contains a small amount of tea tree oil.* The oil will act to clog up the breathing holes on the mite’s shell. This will suffocate the mite. *Please refer to your vet before taking this action.
The chitinase allergens Der p 15 and Der p18 from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. O’Neil SE, Heinrich TK, Hales BJ, Hazell LA, Holt DC, Fischer K, Thomas WR, Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 2006, 36, 331-339
