Dog And Cat Food Allergies Symptoms

Causes of Food Allergies

Food allergies are caused by proteins that are usually found in dog food such as meat (mainly beef), dairy products, chicken, corn, wheat, soy, chicken eggs, potatoes, beets, and yeast. A dog or cat allergy can also come from chemicals, dyes, preservatives, and even to fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes.

The tendency to be allergic is often inherited and scientists believe that these pets have a genetic defect in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), which is the part of the immune system that controls the body through the intestines. Dogs and cats become allergic to foods if their immune system mistakenly recognize the food as harmful, causing them to overreact to it.

The symptoms of food allergies are almost identical to many of the allergies seen in cats and dogs. The primary symptom is pruritis, or itchy skin. With dog food allergies, the dog will generally have pruritis and inflammation of the legs and ears, which can progress to chronic skin and ear infections. On the other hand, cats with food allergies will experience pruritis of the head and neck. These cats scratch themselves and can develop eye infections if their nails accidentally scratch their eyeballs as they rub their heads. Other symptoms seen in both cats and dogs may include chronic or recurrent ear infections, hair loss, excessive scratching, hot spots, and skin infections.

Many other problems can cause similar symptoms. A lot of times, animals are suffering from more problems than just food allergies. Therefore, it is very important that all other problems are properly identified and treated prior to undergoing diagnosis for food allergies. For example, atopy, flea bit allergies, intestinal parasite hypersensitivities, sarcoptic mange, and yeast or bacterial infections can all cause similar symptoms as food allergies. Once all other causes have been ruled out or treated, then it is time to perform a food trial.

Food Trial

A food trial consists of feeding a dog or cat a novel food source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks. A novel food source would be protein and carbohydrate that the animal has never eaten before. An example of a novel food source would be rabbit and rice, or venison and potato. These are homemade diets but there are several commercial diets available on the market. Many dermatologists use Special Foods produced by Hill’s and Purina, and a food named Exclude. Regardless of which diet is used, it must be the only thing the dog or cat eats for 12 weeks. For puppies undergoing a food trial, a balanced commercial diet is recommended.

Studies show that the majority of pets responded by 12 weeks. Therefore, it is imperative that the pet is kept on the diet for the entire 12 week period. If the dog shows a marked reduction or elimination of the symptoms, then the animal is placed back on the original food. This is called “provocative testing” and is essential to confirm the diagnosis.

If the symptoms return after going back to the original diet, the diagnosis of a food allergy is confirmed. If there has been no change in symptoms but a food allergy is still strongly suspected, then another food trial using a different novel food source could be tried.