Basic Pet Food Allergy Information
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What
causes food allergies?
Current Theories:
Barriers
in the intestines which normally prevent incompletely
digested food proteins from passing into the blood function
abnormally.
Immune
system of animal is hypersensitive.
Damage
to intestines from parasites or viruses allows bypassing
of normal barriers as well as general immune response
to intestinal area may increase antigens in the area
and accidentally create antigens to food proteins instead
of the virus or parasite.
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What
signs could signify allergies?
Continuous scratching or chewing,
Sores on pet’s skin, or paws,
Oozing sores,
Flaky skin,
Chronic ear infections,
Intestinal problems: diarrhea,
Neurological problems
All
these symptoms could signify many other diseases or
problems, so a veterinarian who is informed on the history
of your pet’s health should determine if allergies
may be the problem. Your veterinarian may refer you
to a certified Veterinary Dermatologist in your area,
if your pet is suffering from a skin disorder. If you
think your pet needs a specialist in Dermatology, you
can find all the certified veterinarians using the following
link to: American
College of Veterinary Dermatology.
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How
common are food related skin allergies in dogs and cats?
Reports vary from 1-23% (Reedy and Miller, 1989) and
10-20% in dogs (McDonald, 1993).
It is rare to see dogs and cats with food allergies
alone. They usually coexist with other skin diseases
such as the following: chronic ear infections, bacteria
or yeast infections of the skin, etc. contact allergies
ex: to pollen of grass.
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Are
particular breeds predisposed to allergies?
Neither breed nor sex nor age has been determined to
have any significance in the chances of them developing
allergies.
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Diagnosis
of Food Allergies
Specialists in veterinary dermatology use the pet’s
history, a physical, as well as elimination or challenge
diets to determine if the pet has food allergies that
may be aggravating other allergies.
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About
Elimination/Challenge Diets (AKA - American Kennel Association
- Food allergy trials)
Elimination/Challenge, also known as Food Allergy Diets,
are diets in which all protein sources that your pet
has been exposed to (ex: chicken, pork, beef, corn,
wheat, milk, egg, soy, etc.) is eliminated from his
diet for a period of 10 to 13 weeks. When your pet's
physical allergy symptoms subside (sores heal, stop
scratching or chewing, etc.), then one previous protein,
ex: chicken, is reintroduced into your pet's diet. Recurrence
of old allergies are watched for closely. If your pet
begins to demonstrate old symptoms, then that protein
is once again eliminated from diet and when the allergy
symptoms subside, another protein is reintroduced into
his diet, thus challenging your pet's diet. In this
manner, your veterinarian can determine exactly which
proteins your pet is allergic. Hopefully, your pet can
return to a normal diet with only a few proteins eliminated.
Your
veterinarian may put your pet on a variety of different
diets. They will choose a diet consisting of proteins
your pet has never eaten.
Dogs:
IVD®
(Innovative Veterinary Diets made by Waltham Royal Canin®
Diet)
Duck
and Potato - canned and dry
Venison
and Potato - canned and dry
Rabbit
and Potato - canned and dry
Waltham Royal Canin® Diets Hypoallergenic HP 19
- canine
Iams
Veterinary Formula; Skin and Coat Response K/O
K/O
Kangaroo and Oats
F/P
Herring, Catfish, Potato and Beet pulp
Hill’s® Veterinary Diets
d/d
egg, and rice
canned
d/d : lamb and rice
Nature’s Recipe® Limited Antigen Diets
Lamb
and Potato - canned and dry
Duck
and Potato - canned and dry
Venison
and Potato - canned and dry
Rabbit
and Potato - canned and dry
Purina®
Canine HA (Hypo-Allergenic)
Dick
Van Patton's Natural Balance® Potato and Duck
Cats:
IVD® (Innovative Veterinary Diets made by Waltham
Royal Canin®)
Green
Peas and Duck - canned and dry
Green
Peas and Rabbi - canned and dry
Green
Peas and Lamb - canned and dry
Green
Peas and Venison - canned and dry
Waltham Royal Canin® Diets Hypoallergenic HP 23
- feline
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Why
does it sometimes take 10-13 weeks to show improvement
on the elimination diets?
If an allergic response has been occurring in the animal
for a long period of time, cytokines maybe be present.
Cytokines will continue to cause the allergic response
(histamine release) in the absence of the food proteins
for several weeks.
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Potential
Problems with the Elimination diets:
Deviation from all the restrictions. The many restrictions
can be difficult to f ollow.
Restrictions:
Water
bowls, toys, beds and even prescription medicines cannot
contain any proteins eliminated from the diet. This
is much more difficult than it might seem.
All water bowls, beds and washable toys must be cleansed
thoroughly.
No bones, rawhides or treats of any kind have been available.
Now there is Serenegy™ limited ingredients treats.
Heartguard® is the only heartworm medication available
in an unflavored variety.
Vitamins cannot have flavoring.
If there are other animals in the house that share water,
toys etc., they too must go on the allergy diet.
If you brush your pet’s teeth, only unflavored
toothpaste can be used with a new toothbrush or a mixture
of baking soda and peroxide.
Even the smallest amount of the allergy protein can
cause an allergic response. Think about humans’
peanut allergies. Some people are so sensitive to nut
oil that food made on machines that previously processed
nuts may cause a deadly reaction. The same can be true
for pets. Some of the hypoallergenic treats on the market
may be produced on machinery that processes these restricted
proteins creating the possibility of contaminated treats
Develop allergies to the new proteins. This, however,
usually takes 2-3 years.
Pet allergy may be intolerance to the dietary ingredients
(vitamins and nutrients), preservatives and food additives
that are also in the elimination diet.
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Links
for more Pet Allergy Information:
http://allergies.about.com/od/allergicpets/
http://il.essortment.com/petswithallerg_riiy.htm
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dogs-faq/medical-info/canine-allergies/
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/404_pets.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/46682/control_your_pets_food_allergies.html
http://www.animal-allergy.com/pet-owners/allergy-pets.php4
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