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Food allergies are the body's reaction to certain proteins or carbohydrate sources in the diet that it sees as "foreign". Clinical signs of food allergies can be hair loss (usually in patterns), persistent or chronic intense itching (that may or may not respond to steroid therapy), biting or chewing at oneself, pulling out fur, frequent stools (+/- diarrhea), gas, etc.

Many other things can "look" like food allergies such as parasites (mites, fleas, etc.), dry skin, primary skin infections, fungal infections, hormonal imbalances (hypothyroidism), insect-bite reactions, drug reactions, other primary skin problems, and inhaled allergies (which are in a separate class of allergies). These other medical conditions must be ruled out before assuming a food allergy is the cause of the problem. Also, any concurrent problems such as fleas, skin infections, etc. must be treated/controlled during treatment to ascertain effectiveness of treatment.

Many breeds are predisposed to developing food allergies and some of these breeds are Dalmatians, Boxers, bulldogs, Shar Peis, Poodles, German Shepherds, and many cats. Animals with food allergies can show signs at any age but usually become apparent at less than 6 months and over 6 years of age. Allergies can develop at any time, just as they do in people.

There are many tests available to try to diagnose food allergies such as skin-patch testing in which the animal is sedated, shaved, and a series of allergens are injected just under the skin and reactions are measured. There are blood tests that can be indicative of food allergens but tend to be less accurate. Once medical causes for symptoms have been exhausted (which most clients get frustrated and visit veterinarian after veterinarian because the problem never gets "solved"), then food trials can be implemented using starting with one protein and one carbohydrate source.

Food trials (called "diet trials") must be continued for several weeks (up to 12 weeks) and the animal must be monitored by your veterinarian for signs of improvement. The diet trials may mean purchasing special foods that are designed to be nutritionally balanced without compromising the integrity of the trial. No tablescraps or treats can be given which is why most diet trials fail (owner compliance can be very low because they don't understand the necessity of keeping the diet free of all other allergen sources accept the ones being "tried" in the trial). Most non-prescription diets have more than one protein source (beef, chicken, lamb, etc) and/or more than one carbohydrate source (such as corn, wheat, rice, etc.). Vegetable additions, preservatives, and many other factors can alter the response to a true diet trial. So can items your pet eats when "exploring" its yard, park, etc. Even rawhide chews, bones, and other "toys" such as pig ears, etc. must be eliminated during the trial period.

Client compliance (keeping up with prescribed treatments for the prescribed length of time) is the number one failure of food allergy testing. Working closely with your veterinarian and possibly a veterinary dermatology specialist will help to control food allergies in your pet.

Some animals suffer greatly with the symptoms of food allergies and experience intense itching to the point of self-destruction, pain, and discomfort, not to mention secondary skin infections, etc. It is imperative that these animals get treatment immediately so that their symptoms can be lessened and monitored by your veterinarian.

Never ASSUME your pet has food allergies and try to treat it yourself. Make sure you get in for an examination to rule out other causes of the symptoms and allow treatment of suffering, pain, and itching.

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