| The hairs
of dogs and cats can cause allergic reactions among sensitive
or asthmatic humans. But these dogs and cats can also suffer similar
allergic reactions. One of the identified causes of pet allergies
is food. Some ingredients mixed
in the pet food or in the human food which is given to pets
may have cause the allergy. Vets have identified that these
may produce the allergy:
· Dairy products
· Soy, wheat and similar food
· Sources of carbohydrates
· Processed meat products
· Additives such as
o Preservatives
o Food coloring
o Food flavoring
The symptoms of a possible allergy are varied.
That is, the symptoms will lead the owner to believe that the
pet is suffering from another illness and not from a certain
food allergy. Still the presence of these symptoms must warn
the owner that the dog and cat are having allergic reactions
to the food given to them:
· The presence of sores – but this may not
always show
· Unexplained irritation – that makes the pet (especially cats)
less approachable
· Occurrence of a non-specific itch – indicating that something
is not right inside their bodies
· Massive loss of hair – something that should sufficiently
alarm the owner
· Vomiting – especially in cats, which throw up food, liquid,
and hairballs. The vomited hairballs are pretty good signs that
the cat has allergy.
To accurately diagnose the food allergy, the
owner must bring the dog or cat to the veterinarian. The animal
doctor will conduct skin tests and blood tests. So far, only
these two kinds of procedures are available to determine an
allergy. But sometimes, the results of these procedures do not
accurately indicate an allergy.
The treatment of food allergy among dogs and
cats can be viewed as an experiment or a “trial and error” process.
That is, the owner must take stock of the kind of food eaten
by the pet, and then, one by one, specific food items may be
withheld to see if it was the one causing the allergy.
For example, the Brand X cat food may be changed
and the cat will start consuming the Brand Y food or the home-cooked
ones. Then, the owner will wait for six to eight weeks. Only
after such time will the change in the diet show considerable
effects.
Some owners may resort to purchasing “hypo-allergenic
diets”. But, like the earlier change in diet, the positive results
of the hypo-allergenic diet can be detected only after the same
six to eight weeks.
The so-called hairball medications for vomiting
cats are not always effective. The best course is to always
monitor the nutrients and ingredients that are fed to the cat. |
