Food Allergies

PET DISEASE AND ALLERGIES: FOOD ALLERGIES

Background: Food allergies are immune reactions to one or more proteins found in beef, poultry, pork, milk, eggs or fish. Preservatives commonly found in pet foods may also cause allergic reactions. Animals of any age or breed may develop a food allergy. Furthermore, animals with food allergies are often allergic to fleas or other environmental causes.

Clinical Signs: The most common clinical signs of food allergy include scratching, biting or licking, as well as digestive disturbances such as vomiting, diarrhea or excessive gas. Other signs of allergies may include skin or ear infections, although these are more often seen with other types of allergies.

Diagnosis: The only definitive way to diagnose a food allergy is for a veterinarian to prescribe a special diet free from ALL but one meat protein. It is not sufficient to just switch from one commercial food to another because most foods have a variety of animal proteins and will still elicit an allergic response. Generally, the meat protein in this diet is one never experienced by the pet before, such as duck or fish. If signs of allergy disappear, then the old food is slowly reintroduced to "double check" that the allergy was indeed food related.

Treatment: Long term treatment of food allergy is simple: avoid those foods which cause the allergic response.

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