Pets & Vets – Food allergies and trials

Food Allergies and Trials

Wise Words By Deirdre Wilson

October … and Hallowe’en around

the corner. Pumpkins (and other squashes) are not just for carving though; they can be useful in the veterinary world. It is possible that some of the ones grown round here will end up in pet food, but why? Dogs and cats are not renowned for eating them.

Skin allergies are extremely common in pets and can be due to a variety of causes. Insect bites, mainly from fleas, are our most common allergy, whilst seasonal allergies from tree and grass pollen can be rife at times. Food allergies are thought to be more common than realised but testing for them is hard. It requires a lot of discipline not just by owners, but everyone involved in the care of your pet. Animals eat a variety of commercial foods that contain proteins and flavourings that the body may come to recognise as foreign and which the immune system attacks. The resulting inflammation can occur in the digestive tract, but more commonly affects the skin. Animals itch around the face, especially the ears, but also the feet and over the rump. In fact, inflammation and damage of the ear canals is most commonly due to allergies and may be the only symptom of allergy in your pet. Most owners think that it is a new food that causes allergies. However, your pet may have been on the same diet for a long time with no trouble at all. It takes time for allergies to develop then, all of a sudden, the immune system rejects the food and an allergy develops. So how do we know if your pet is allergic to a particular foodstuff? There are no reliable blood or skin tests; instead, we do a food trial that is quite demanding for pets and owners to follow. Prescription diets are best used for food allergy testing. They contain novel proteins such as venison, or hydrolysed proteins where the allergens have been stripped off. The carbohydrate sources are also unique, for instance our lovely pumpkins or sweet potato. This food is the only thing that should pass your pet’s lips – no treats, no milk, no chews, no leftovers. They need to be on this diet for eight to twelve weeks for it to be effective. All family members need to be onboard with this or it will fail, and all the effort wasted. Once symptoms resolve, your pet is gradually introduced to its original food sources to see if the itch starts up again and, if it does, the answer is obvious – your pet has a food allergy.

So, pumpkins are not only great for carving, they’re great for pets as well!

BOURNE

SPALDING t. 01778 422863 e. info@alder-vets.co.uk 15 Exeter Street, Bourne PE10 9NW

t: 01775 766646 e: info@alder-vets.co.uk 58 Bourne Rd, Spalding PE11 1JW