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Adopt Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio

Mixed Breed · Female

Nine years old, medium-sized female, good, sweet, affectionate and...suffering from environmental allergies. This is Gioia's profile, a mixed-breed dog who arrived at the animal shelter five months ago, and already showed extensive dermatitis especially on her neck, chest and part of her muzzle. The investigations immediately began to determine the nature of this skin condition, both to reduce Gioia's itching and to exclude any possibility of contagion within the animal shelter. The veterinarian's visits immediately ruled out a series of pathologies, but confirmed that Gioia is a dog allergic, a dog with an overactive immune system to substances commonly present in the environment, which do not cause any problems in healthy subjects. Therefore, the search began with skin tests and serological tests and the application of a restrictive diet, which served as a diagnostic test rather than a therapeutic one to identify possible food sources of allergic reactions. In the end, it was understood that Gioia suffers from atopic dermatitis, a disease more common than one might think, affecting a percentage of subjects around 10-35%, probably genetically predisposed and developing an exaggerated allergic sensitivity. The real problem is that atopy cannot be cured, as it is a chronic disease that will accompany Gioia throughout her life and, if not properly treated, can lead to complications such as pyoderma or seborrheic dermatitis. Fortunately, there are targeted therapies capable of controlling the symptoms, therapies that will obviously be guaranteed to Gioia along with a specific diet, free of the substances causing her food allergy, which, combined with atopy, makes the clinical picture of the dog even more complex. In about a month, an hypoallergenic solution (a sort of vaccine specifically made for her allergies) should arrive, which will be administered, with various deadlines, for six months: even though there are no absolute guarantees, this hypoallergenic solution often allows for an improvement in the dog's quality of life and a reduction in medications and, consequently, their side effects. There is also a positive news: in these days, a lady from the capital has become interested in her and has decided to adopt her from a distance: it is a genuine and motivated interest, because the new friend of Gioia owns a cat..."allergic" and knows, therefore, perfectly the discomfort of the animal. If, then, from adoption from a distance it should proceed to adoption placement, for Gioia a better prospect of life and attention would open up.

Read original (it)

Nove anni, femmina di taglia media, buona, dolce, affettuosa e…affetta da allergia ambientale. E' la scheda di Gioia, una meticcia arrivata in rifugio cinque mesi fa, che già al suo arrivo mostrava una dermatite estesa soprattutto al collo, al petto e a una parte del muso. Sono cominciate subito le indagini per stabilire la natura di questa patologia della pelle, sia per ridurre a Gioia il prurito, sia per escludere ogni possibilità di contagio all'interno del rifugio. Le visite del veterinario hanno subito escluso una serie di patologie, ma hanno confermato che Gioia è un cane allergico, un cane cioè con un sistema immunitario ipereattivo a sostanze comunemente presenti nell’ambiente e che nei soggetti sani non danno nessun problema. E' iniziata, quindi, la ricerca con test cutanei e sierologici e l'applicazione di una dieta privativa, che è servita come test diagnostico prima ancora che terapeutico per identificare le sostanze alimentari possibile fonte di reazioni allergiche. Alla fine si è capito che Gioia è affetta da dermatite atopica, una malattia più frequente di quanto si possa pensare, che colpisce una percentuale di soggetti intorno al 10 – 35%, probabilmente predisposti geneticamente e che sviluppano una esagerata sensibilità di tipo allergico. Il problema vero è che dall'atopia non si guarisce, perchè è una malattia cronica che accompagnerà Gioia tutta la vita ed esponendola, se non curata adeguatamente, a complicanze come la piodermite o la dermatite seborroica. Fortunatamente ci sono terapie mirate in grado di controllare i sintomi, terapie che saranno ovviamente garantite a Gioia insieme a una dieta specifica, priva delle sostanze che le procurano l'allergia alimentare di cui soffre e che, sommata all'atopia, rende il quadro clinico del cane ancora più complesso. Tra circa un mese dovrebbe, poi, arrivare una soluzione iposensibilizzante (una sorta di vaccino fatto specificatamente per le sue allergie) che andrà somministrata, con varie scadenze, per sei mesi: anche se non ci sono garanzie assolute, spesso questa soluzione iposensibilizzante consente di migliorare la qualità della vita del cane e di ridurre i farmaci e, conseguentemente, gli effetti collaterali ad essi collegati. C'è comunque una notizia positiva: proprio in questi giorni si sta interessando di lei una signora del capoluogo che ha deciso di adottarla a distanza: è un interesse vero e motivato, perchè la nuova amica di Gioia possiede un gatto…”allergico” e conosce, quindi, perfettamente il disagio dell'animale. Se, poi, dall'adozione a distanza si dovesse passare all'affido, per Gioia si aprirebbe una prospettiva di vita e di attenzioni ancora migliore.

Size
Medium
Age
Location
🇮🇹Italy
Shelter
Associazione Onlus Apaca
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Cared for by Associazione Onlus Apaca · ItalyLearn about Mixed Breed

Listed 1 month ago

Bringing Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio home

What you'll need for Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio in week one.

Hand-picked · prices indicative

  1. 01
    Required by most shelters

    Trixie Transport Box

    Sturdy plastic carrier — what most shelters require for pickup.

    View on Amazon
    €35–45
  2. 02
    Editor's pick

    Folding Wire Crate

    First-week safe space. Shelter dogs settle faster with a crate.

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    €50–80
  3. 03
    Legal · EU

    Car Seatbelt Tether

    Legally required in most EU countries for transporting dogs.

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    €8–12
  4. 04

    Adaptil Calming Spray

    Dog-specific pheromone diffuser. Worth it for the trip home.

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    €18–25
  5. 05

    Orthopaedic Dog Bed

    Worth the upgrade — rescues often have joint issues from kennels.

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    €30–60
  6. 06
    Safer than a collar

    Padded Y-Front Harness

    Escape-proof for spooky rescues. Safer than a collar in week one.

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    €20–35

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About Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio

What life with Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio looks like

Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio is a medium-sized adult mixed breed dog waiting at Associazione Onlus Apaca in Italy.

An adult dog fits most household rhythms once the first couple of weeks of adjustment pass. Two reasonable walks a day plus play time is usually enough. Plan a "decompression fortnight" — quiet routine, no visitors, no off-leash adventures — to let them settle.

🇮🇹Adopting from Italy

Italian canili require adopters to sign a stewardship contract (affido) and may retain the right to verify the animal's wellbeing post-adoption. Animals are chipped and sterilized before leaving (Legge 281/91). Public canili rifugio typically waive adoption fees.

Italy, Italy browse more dogs in Italy.

Frequently asked

Adopting Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio, answered.

How do I contact the shelter about Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio?
Use the phone, email, or website link in the sidebar of this page. Associazione Onlus Apaca handles screening and the adoption contract directly — TailHarbor doesn't broker the conversation. When you reach out, mention you saw Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio on TailHarbor so they know which animal you're asking about.
Can I adopt Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio if I live in another country?
Yes, in most cases. Rescues across Europe routinely place animals abroad — Associazione Onlus Apaca will tell you what they need (EU pet passport, rabies titer, transport coordination) and whether they handle transport themselves or refer you to a partner. Plan for an extra €100–€350 in transport costs depending on distance.
Is Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio already vetted, vaccinated, and chipped?
Most dogs on TailHarbor leave their shelter with sterilization, current vaccinations, microchip ID, and an EU pet passport included in the adoption fee. The vet status on this page reflects what the shelter has reported — ask them directly if you need details on specific vaccines, recent bloodwork, or chronic conditions.
What happens if Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio isn't the right fit?
Every reputable rescue accepts an animal back if the adoption genuinely doesn't work — that's part of the standard contract. Talk it through with Associazione Onlus Apaca early rather than rehoming privately; they know Gioia: un cane allergico in rifugio and can place them more successfully than a second-hand listing can.
Why does the description sometimes read awkwardly?
TailHarbor translates shelter descriptions into English from the source language (IT). Translation is imperfect — names of streets, donors, and shelter-specific terms occasionally slip through unidiomatically. For the cleanest read, click the source link to see the shelter's original page.
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