Reviewed by Dr. Terry White, DVM
Can pet food cause allergies? Yes! If you’ve ever noticed your furry friend itching more than usual or turning their nose up at dinner time, you’re not alone. Your fur baby’s food allergies and sensitivities can be challenging. At EverPal, we are committed to keeping every fur baby healthy and happy. We’re here to guide you through the mystery of food allergies for dogs and cats.
In this post, you'll hear expert advice on:
Spotting the Signs of Allergy
First things first: how can you tell if your pet might be dealing with a food allergy or sensitivity? Here are some common clues:
Itchy Skin: Constant scratching, especially if it’s out of season for fleas.
Gastro Troubles: Look out for vomiting or diarrhea that isn’t linked to a known illness.
Ear Infections: Frequent infections can be a sign, especially in dogs.
Paw Licking: Excessive licking of paws is a common symptom in allergic pets.
What Kind of Allergy Does My Dog or Cat Have?
Pets can be allergic to their environment (such as insect bites, dust, or molds), or foods. How do you know if it’s food allergy? This is difficult to identify. However, there are some clues:
The itching is not seasonal
Itching started before 6 months old or after 5 years old
Vomiting or diarrhea accompanies the itchiness
The pattern of the lesions suggests they could be from a food allergy, especially if there's itchiness near the tail or repeated ear infections
I’ve heard about those Blood/Hair/Saliva Tests for Food Allergy. Should I try it for my fur baby?
The short answer is no because it’s unlikely they will be helpful. These tests can find antibodies to food proteins, which might only show that the pet has eaten those foods, not that they're allergic. Plus, pets might be allergic to how their bodies change the food proteins during digestion, and no test can predict or detect that.
Sources of Food Allergy for Dogs and Cats
Just like people, pets can be allergic to pretty much anything in their diet, but some culprits pop up more often than others:
Protein sources: Common proteins like beef, chicken, and even dairy can trigger allergic reactions in pets.
Grains: Wheat, corn, and soy are grains that some pets just can’t stomach.
Additives: Sometimes, it’s not the main ingredients but the additives, preservatives, or coloring in food that causes issues.
Frequently Asked Questions: Food Allergy
Is my pet’s food allergy due to a change of diet?
In fact, the opposite is true. Most food allergies take time to develop, which means your fur baby could be on the offending diet for years before showing any signs of food allergy.
How do I know if my pet has food or environmental allergies?
It's not entirely possible to know without seeing a vet because oftentimes food allergy pets can also have environmental allergies so they have to be treated in different avenues. Therefore, we advise consulting a vet for accurate diagnosis.
What kind of testing is performed?
For food allergies, the most reliable “test” is an elimination diet trial, where the dog is fed a diet with novel ingredients it hasn’t eaten before.
What happens after testing?
After the elimination diet phase, your vet will provide guidance on the conclusion from the elimination diet. If your dog’s allergy symptoms get materially better, it could suggest food allergies are the underlying cause.
You will have two options:
Keep your fur baby on the same prescribed diet since we know it’s safe for your dog.
Continue to the Challenge Diet where we identify the specific sources of allergens.
Oftentimes, both food and environmental allergies could be concurrent, which makes it more difficult to diagnose allergies. We feel you - treating allergy is a long journey. Your dedicated veterinarian at EverPal and our support team are here to guide you through the whole process.
Are at-home saliva/hair/skin/blood dog allergy tests useful for identifying food allergies?
The truth is that currently there are no reliable at-home food allergy tests for dogs and cats. A common refrain when it comes to food allergy testing is that it's at least a starting point, but that's not what the evidence supports. Since these tests are so prone to false positives, they're actually very poor starting points. Many dogs who test "positive" for allergies, are actually not food allergic at all. That means you're unnecessarily eliminating things from a diet that won't actually help, and likely takes time and attention away from treatments that will actually work.
Embracing Hypoallergenic Solutions
Finding the right food for your pet with allergies or sensitivities might seem daunting, but here’s how you can start:
Veterinary Visit: Always start with a chat with a vet. For example, one of our EverPal veterinarians can help pinpoint the problem and recommend specific diets or tests.
Elimination Diet: This is the gold standard for identifying food allergies. It involves feeding your pet a simplified diet of foods they’ve never had before. If symptoms improve, we reintroduce foods one at a time to identify the allergen.
Choose Hypoallergenic: Hypoallergenic diets are designed with novel protein sources (like duck or venison) or hydrolyzed proteins, which are broken down so they’re less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
How to actually conduct a hypoallergenic diet trial:
Imagine your pet’s current food is called "Food A" and the new, hypoallergenic diet is "Food B."
Switch your pet to Food B for a set period.. Your animal will most likely respond in 3-4 weeks, but it’s advised to extend the period to 2 months to confirm.
The Labrador retriever and cocker spaniel tend to require longer trials - 8 to 12 weeks
If your pet stops itching, switch back to Food A for 2-3 weeks to see if the itching comes back.
If your pet itches on Food A but feels better on Food B, it means they're allergic to Food A.
What is A Good Hypoallergenic Diet?
The food you use for an allergy test should have just one type of meat and one type of grain, both of which your pet has never eaten before. Recently, you might have seen new pet foods with duck, venison, and other unique ingredients in stores. It's important to know that if your pet eats these foods regularly, you can't use them for allergy tests later on.
Tips for a Smooth Transition
Be Strict with the Diet: every family member should adhere to not giving your fur baby other foods (including edible chew toys and vitamins) during the diet trial period.
Get Refunds If Your Pet’s Unhappy: Most pet foods for allergy tests come with a full money-back guarantee. If your pet doesn't like the food, you can return it for a full refund, even if you've already opened the bag.
Read Labels: Get into the habit of checking food labels for the ingredient list and nutritional adequacy statement. Stay tuned for future posts where we'll explain how to read food labels!
Patience is Key: Finding the right diet can be a process of trial and error. Stay patient and keep a diary of what works and what doesn’t.
Guidance from Veterinarians
Navigating food allergies and sensitivities in pets can be a challenge, but it’s far from impossible. With a bit of detective work and a lot of love, you can find a diet that keeps your pet both happy and healthy.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with your concerns by scheduling a virtual consultation with EverPal's Medical Director Dr. Terry White who has 40 years of experience.
We currently provide veterinary services in San Francisco, South San Francisco, Daly City, Oakland, and Berkeley in California.
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