Dealing with the diet of their pet must be one of the most common issues that pet owners confront.
The choice of a food, the amount to feed, the time to feed, the need for supplements and the impact of treats all require decisions.
Also, decisions that are made do not last for a lifetime. Inevitably, adjustments in diet will be necessary.
A common reason for a change in diet occurs when a pet experiences an adverse food reaction (AFR).
Adverse food reactions can include food poisonings, food aversions, food intolerances not involving the immune systems such as dietary indiscretions as well as true food allergies.
An AFR is really just an abnormal clinical response to a food component. A true food allergy involves a reaction by a patients immune system.
Food allergies are likely to be genetically-influencedand certain cat and dog breeds appear to be predisposed to them.
The following breeds are over-represented in animals affected by food allergies: Labrador retriever, Cocker spaniel, soft-coated Wheaten terrier, Dalmatian, West Highland white terrier, bichon frise, collie, Chinese Shar Pei, Lhasa Apso, golden retriever, German shepherd, Hungarian vizsla, Cairn terrier, Irish and English setter, Bernese Mountain Dog and Siamese.
The clinical signs that are seen in a patient with an AFR primarily affect the skin and the gastrointestinal tract.
Most commonly, the skin becomes very inflamed (known as dermatitis) and a profound itchiness develops.
In dogs, this itchiness or pruritus most frequently affects the ears, feet, groin, armpits, face, neck, front limbs, and peri-anal region.
Often, damaged by the scratching and biting, the skin becomes infected. Cats are affected in the same way also commonly in the head and neck areas of the body. Hair loss, hives and lymph node enlargements are other lesions that may be seen.
About one-third of patients with AFR may have gastrointestinal clinical signs. They are usually non-specific signs like vomiting, diarrhea, increased frequency of defecation, straining to defecate, increased flatulence, and bad breath.
In a cat or dog with these problems, it will likely be important to determine if a true food allergy is involved.
There are many disease processes other than AFRs that can cause clinical signs similar to those described above.
A proper veterinary diagnostic process will be necessary when investigating such health problems.
However, if a veterinarian suspects a true food allergy based on the patients history of problems, the clinical signs shown by a patient, and when these signs develop, a further workup will be required.
If the skin itchiness develops in a patient less than six months of age or in one who is over six years of age, there appears to be an increased likelihood of a food allergy cause.
Unfortunately, there is no simple blood test to diagnose food allergies in cats and dogs.
Pet owners are advised not to be misled with advice to the contrary. Although there are blood tests offered to make such diagnoses, they are not reliable. They result in a high number of false positives and may also yield false negatives in patients who do have food allergies.
The unreliability of blood testing to diagnose food allergies is the consensus belief of board certified veterinary dermatologists in North America.
At the moment, in my opinion, these blood tests are a waste of money.
An elimination food trial over an 8-12 week period is the best way to diagnose food allergies.
If an animal has food allergies, the most common offending foods are beef, milk, lamb, wheat corn, chicken egg, soy, chicken, tuna, and salmon. They cannot develop an allergy to a food component to which they have not been exposed.
In the elimination food trial, a home-cooked diet is preferred and should be composed of a single protein source to which the patient has not been exposed, and a carbohydrate.
Bison, elk, rabbit, squid, white fish, kangaroo, camel or ostrich are some of the unique protein sources that can be considered for the trial.
Ancient grains and carbohydrates like rutabaga, butternut squash, parsnips, peas, and sweet potatoes are also used in the trial. Your veterinarian, perhaps assisted by a dermatology or veterinary nutrition specialist, will be needed to plan the diet and conduct the trial.
If such a food trial confirms food allergies as a problem, feeding the pet the elimination diet long-term is one obvious option. It is also possible to perform additional food ingredient challenges in order to formulate a diet that the patient can continue to eat safely. However, a true food allergy cannot otherwise be cured and will not be outgrown by a pet.
Barry Burtis is a retired local companion animal veterinarian.
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Managing your pet's adverse food reaction - InsideHalton.com
