Allergies and intolerances
What is an allergy?
Allergies are immunological reactions in response to certain proteins in the food. Frequently these are seen in response to dairy products, mammalian meats (such as beef or lamb) and wheat gluten. Allergies respond well to antibiotics, but usually recur once the course of antibiotics has finished.
What are the symptoms of food allergies?
Common signs of food allergies are:
- loose stools
- dirrhoea
- reduced appetite
- weight loss
- bloating
- vomiting.
Some dogs can also be itchy and suffer from skin allergies as a result of eating a particular food. If the allergy is displayed as inflammation of the skin, it will present itself as being very itchy. The resulting scratching and biting can lead to a secondary infection that can become crusty.
Digestive tract inflammation can also occur, and this would be exhibited as colitis or diarrhoea resulting in blood and/or mucous in the stools.
To determine if your dog has a food allergy, you must follow an exclusion diet. This involved feeding only one protein and one carbohydrate source (usually plain boiled chicken and rice) to your pet for several days. If this does not invoke a reaction, then very slowly new foods can be added. Once a reaction has been identified, it is then possible to confirm what it is that your dog is allergic to.
Hypoallergenic diets
If your vet confirms that your dog or cat has an allergy to a foodstuff, then it is often advised to try a new protein source (e.g. chicken, lamb, turkey, rabbit, etc) that the animal has not previously been exposed to. These diets are sometimes called ‘hypoallergenic’ as it is a food free from common allergens.
It can be beneficial if the new ‘hypoallergenic’, ‘low allergen’, ‘sensitive’ food has added benefits, such as highly digestible, lower in fat, rich in pro- and prebiotics, an optimal ration
The majority of allergens are proteins, and some pets are sensitive to the way the protein has been treated or processed, so they may tolerate some foods but not others.
When switching over to a new diet, it is important that the new food should be introduced gradually over a 7-day period, slowly adding more and more of the new diet mixed in with old food.
Food intolerances
Food intolerances frequently result in vomiting or diarrhoea, but do not create an allergic response.
If your vet confirms that your dog or cat has an intolerance to a foodstuff, then it is often advised to try a new protein source (e.g. chicken, lamb, turkey, rabbit etc) that the animal has not previously been exposed to. When switching over to a new diet, it is important that the new food should be introduced gradually over a 7-day period, slowly adding more and more of the new diet mixed in with old food.
CLINIVET petfood is formulated without beef, dairy, soya or wheat gluten products, making it a suitable food for dogs suffering from these conditions. CLINIVET is also enriched with fructo-oligosaccharrides to promote good gut health and ensure complete digestion; it is an ideal food for dogs with sensitive digestive systems.
CLINIVET is a petfood company, based in Northern Ireland, supplying super premium petfood to the retail and veterinary market. Our dogfood and catfood contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and is formulated without wheat gluten, beef, lamb, dairy or soya products. Have you tried CLINIVET petfood for dogs and food for cats yet?
CLINIVET sells our own brand of pet supplies from our online pet shop. We offer a home delivery service on all pet supplies and pet food products. Please visit our Buy Online section for more information.
For further enquiries, please contact CLINIVET.
