We saw Tinkerbell this morning, a sweet little Cocker Spaniel cross dog, who was shivering and trembling in her owner's arms. Some pets can be pretty scared at the vet's office, but I don't think nerves were Tinkerbell's problem. It seems Tinkerbell had been scratching and biting at her skin and had pulled patches of hair off all over her body. On this frosty November morning, being without her nice warm fur coat, poor Tinkerbell was cold!
I combed through what was left of her hair and checked for evidence of a flea infestation. I didn't really expect to see one; if you were a flea, you would probably pick a much better place to live, one where there actually was hair, and where the skin wasn't hot, inflamed, infected and under attack from chewing teeth and scratching claws all the time. But flea control is essential for any itchy dog and I didn't want to miss something so obvious. Tinkerbell had been in earlier this summer for virtually the same problem. The prime targets on her body are her feet and her ears, although her entire body was now affected. Since this wasn't a seasonal issue, and sure enough, no fleas or flea"dirt" (dried feces) was seen, I suspect she has a food allergy. It isn't one of my favorite diagnoses to make since it requires a huge commitment in time and energy for owners and is a life-long management issue-there is no "cure" for allergies.
Few people realize that dogs rarely get eye or respiratory issues when they have allergy problems like people do; they get itchy! Sometimes their itchiness shows up as the dog licking or chewing the feet or shaking their head. Chronic ear infections often have allergies as the underlying cause. The immune system is "over-reacting" to some stimulus, and if it is a particular food, can do so for 6 WEEKS after ingesting that food. That is how good (or bad) the immune system is. Then because of the self-trauma of licking and chewing, secondary infections will develop, often with bacterial or yeast organisms taking hold. It is important to treat ALL of the problems as well as the underlying cause or the pet will never get better.
Now, it isn't a specific brand of food that is the problem; it is usually one or more ingredients in that food that causes the immune reaction. It seems that in humans, I hear most often about wheat or gluten or corn-type allergies or sensitivities. In dogs and cats, it tends to be animal protein sources, especially chicken, beef and dairy. And it is important to note that you can't be allergic to something you haven't been exposed to before, so that old food you have always fed your dog with no problem is exactly what is most likely to be the culprit. It had to take time for the immune system to build up antibodies against the particular antigens or allergens.
There are two ways we might go about diagnosing and treating a food allergy in pets. The first is to feed a "novel" or new protein source, one the dog has never been exposed to and has therefore not had the opportunity to build antibodies against. Foods such as venison or rabbit or even kangaroo are now formulated for just this purpose. The second way is to feed a hydrolyzed protein source, one where the protein has been broken down to the smaller amino acid components so is not recognizable by the immune system as a problem. We have to feed either of these ways EXCLUSIVELY for a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks in order to get all the old antigens or allergens out of the system. Everyone in the family has to be on board, no treats or snacks at all. By that time, the pet may be feeling so good that the owner may not want to change foods ever again, and that might be just fine. Some pets could eventually develop allergies to the novel protein, so we discuss what to look for down the line. But if the owner wants to chance it, we can then do a challenge-feed one type of protein for a week or so and see if the pet's skin or ears react.
Tinkerbell went home with some information about food allergies in dogs, as well as antibiotics for the secondary bacterial infection we found. Her owners will treat her ear infection with some drops to put in the ears every day. They will use an oral antihistamine to help alleviate her itchiness, as this has helped her in the past. (We had to increase her dose a bit as Tinkerbell's weight really snuck up on us this year. We will really have to work on that, too!) She has an antibacterial shampoo, as topical therapy is often beneficial for these dogs, and, of course, her new food. See what I mean about a big commitment for her owners? It will be a challenge, for sure, but I am optimistic that her owners want the best for their friend and will call if any problems come up. We set them up for a recheck for the infections in a couple of weeks and will touch bases on the allergy issue at that time. She is a lucky dog to have such devoted humans caring for her.
Peace,
DrReneigh
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