Pet Health Community

"My pet scratches all year long!"

This is a common complaint I get at my practice. Owners get very frustrated and feel bad about their pet possibly being uncomfortable. Many also get upset because they spend lots of money on medication, only to have the itching and scratching return as soon as the medication is stopped.

When I talk to owners about their pets' constant scratching I ask them lots of questions to determine if their pets have any food allergies. Food allergies are very hard to diagnose and it can take a lot of time and observation. Some things I ask pet owners to think about in these instances include:

* When does the itching and scratching occur?
* Is there a pattern to the areas their pets are scratching?
* What types of foods are they feeding?
* Have they recently switched pet foods?
* Is the scratching getting better or worse?
* Do they give their pets any treats? If so, what type and how often?

Changing Your Pet's Diet
If you look online at "food for food allergies in pets", you'll see many food types and brands, as well as different opinions about all of them. After years of trying to figure out what's best, I've concluded that every pet is different. I have seen improvement in many pets' food allergies on commercial diets, over-the-counter diets, diets with limited ingredients, home cooked diets, and raw food diets. I've also seen an equal number of pets get worse on these same diets.

The diet that works for one animal may not work for another. And it can take time to work through different pet diets until you find the one that helps your own pet. If I suspect a food allergy in one of my patients, typically I have the owner:

* Start with a protein source that the pet has never tried before. If the pet has been eating a chicken-based diet, I'll recommend changing to a fish-based diet.
* Look at the amount of grains in the pet food and shoot for a grain-free diet.
* Keep the pet on the prescribed diet for 6 to 8 weeks, meaning no treats, no rawhide"026 nothing but the specific foods allotted.
* Consider other pet care products you are using, such as heartworm or flea prevention. Some of these products taken orally have beef or pork flavoring, which also may interfere with a food trial.
As you can imagine, pet food trials are hard to do in real life. So if you think your pet has a food allergy, build up your patience and talk with your vet. It may take time to figure out which diet is best. But if you find it, the allergic reactions could disappear altogether, making all the time and effort worth it.

Have you ever had a pet diagnosed with food allergies? Share your experiences with the Community about your pets' food allergies how you've been able to cope.