Hidden allergens in your pet ' s food

There's a lot to be said about where allergies come from (hello, genetics and lots of insults to the canine immune system from stupid and unscientific vaccination protocols), but once you have a dog with allergies, the "where" question comes in a distant second to the "what now" question.



While pets can be allergic to many things in their environment, one of the most difficult and perplexing -- and hard to diagnose -- problems is the food allergy. While a dog can be allergic to only one ingredient in a food or their diet, dermatologists have told me that they're seeing mostly dogs with multiple food allergies now. And it can be very difficult to pinpoint those allergies and to eliminate those allergens.



There are blood tests for food allergies, and they've improved in recent years, but the gold standard remains the elimination diet. And vets often use commercial foods for such diets, even multi-ingredient foods, largely because most owners don't want to prepare a homemade diet, even for a few months or weeks for diagnostic reasons.



But even so-called "hydrolized protein" allergy diets can contain substances to which your pet can react. They work by breaking proteins down into particles, called hydrolysates, that the immune system isn't supposed to react to. But many dogs do react to them, which means the information you get from doing a food trial with such a food is useless, and they're also useless as a therapeutic diet, at least, for those dogs. Furthermore, the process of hydrolizing proteins can in and of itself release biologically active peptides, to which the dog may also be or become allergic.



Just ask all the moms and pediatricians who've become skeptical of the use of hydrolized milk for babies and kids with cow's milk allergies.



And if the "allergy diet" is a dry food, there's also that pesky little critter known as the food storage mite. These mites can be present in all kinds of cereals, not just pet food, but they're a potent allergen for some dogs -- and so are their feces. (They can also be present in cheese, and any food that can grow mold.) One study found nine of out ten bags of dry pet food contained food storage mites.



Homemade, grain-free diets still sounding crazy to you, allergies or not?

Comments

[Alex V]

If I wasn't going off to college, I would certainly feed my dog a raw diet. I just think it would be a lot of work for my mom. However, Loki doesn't have a problem on the dry food.

[Carol]

I've almost NEVER had a dog with a food allergy or stomach upset on raw, home made food -- and that includes a dog with pancreatitis who was violently ill on almost every commercial food we tried, and another brother/sister pair who had raw, red, itchy skin.



The siblings live in NYC, and their owner switched them to raw last month. This month? No more raw skin, no more bumps, no more scratching.



I don't really care what anyone else feeds -- I don't proselytize about food -- but I do get pissed at all the 'oh, you're a crazy hippie if you feed raw or home made' naysayers.

[Dorene]

What about cats? Lindsey has always had itchy ears and recently had an aural hematoma, so now the vet is worried that he's got serious allergies. Lindsey is now on grain-free wet food with added pumpkin and we've taken him off dairy products as a treat (both the dog and the cat like dairy products), but I'm not so sure where to go next.



Read any journal articles on itchy ears in kitties, lately, Christie?

[Carol]

My girl with pancreatitis is also very lean, fit and muscular.

[matt]

One of my dogs has a chicken allergy, which we discovered after several versions of a "bland" diet and ellimination of certain foods. You have to read labels carefully, as many foods will have chicken fat or other products listed as an ingredient, even if it is marketed as some sort of other treat, such as beef or vege. Also, be sure to stay away from by-products in pet food!

[Janeen]

Yeah. I had a dog with Addison's, allergies and epilepsy. One of the best things I did for him was switch him to a home-cooked diet (he couldn't tolerate raw).



Now my Kelpie may be suffering from chronic pancreatitis (bizarre as she's very lean and fit) and as soon as I have a kitchen again - we're going back to a home-made diet.



I love the Pitcairn book for preparing a home-made diet. It's very well organized and has lots of good advice on basics.

[baltimoregal]

I strongly suggest Orijen dog or cat food if you have a breed with any sensitivities! It is low-carb and has no gluten, grain, OR CORN!

The adult dog food, for example, is 70% protein and 30% fruits and vegetables with lots of essential fatty acids and native botanicals (no need for the dog to grass or for you to add fish oil). It's all made in Canada with local, fresh, HUMAN-grade meats. One formula does have chicken, so wouldn't work for an allergic dog but another has only fish for meat.

I use the adult formula and there are no upset stomachs for my pit mix! Plus her coat is beyond shiny and the poop is nothing! She loves it- seriously, it is good stuff. You can look at my website for proof.

Orajen's website (including all ingredients_: http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/