(Original Article Published via RawFoodForPets.com)

Allergies in Cats and Dogs

Dogs and cats, just like huumans, can have allergies. More than 30% of all skin irritations in our pets and fur kids can be attributed to allergies. Allergens can be found in foods, inhaled allergens like weed, tree and grass pollens, moulds or fungi, insects, carpet fibres and even other pets. The age of onset for initial allergy symptoms is usually between 6 months and 3 years of age.

Just like we inherit allergies from our parents, so can our fur kids. If one or both parents have allergies that will increase the likelihood that his / her offspring will also have allergies. It is for this reason that some breeds are more predisposed to allergies than others. That is not to say however that allergies are limited to only these breeds.

Allergies can present as a variety of symptoms, but in the dog, the most common symptoms occur as skin irritations: itching, scratching, digging, and gnawing at the skin, often to the point of creating open raw wounds over large areas of the body. Chronic ear infections are another common symptom. Occasionally dogs will have respiratory symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a nasal or ocular discharge. Food allergies may produce, in addition to skin irritations, vomiting and / or diarrhoea. Symptoms can extend to include epileptiform seizures, and many holistic vets feel that allergies can ultimately result in chronic diseases such as arthritis, asthma, chronic urinary tract infections, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

Interestingly, whereas dogs typically have itchy skin symptoms, a human allergic response usually produces respiratory symptoms. An estimated 10 percent of the human population may be allergic to animals (the rate for being allergic to cats is about twice as high as for dogs); a higher rate of 20 to 30 percent of individuals with asthma have pet allergies.

In a nutshell, allergy is the result of an immune system that has, for one reason or another, turned against the self. Sometimes, this reaction seems instantaneous, as when your fur kid receives a food that contains something to which he or she is allergic, and he or she breaks out almost immediately with rashy, itchy skin. But frequently, allergies may only become evident in your fur kids after gestating for a long period, as long as three years or more. It becomes almost impossible to pinpoint the exact cause that has instigated the symptoms.

Health care is an ongoing process and a healthy body is the best guard against environmental stresses. When looking for holistic or integrated pet care, we recommend finding a veterinarian who prioritizes nutrition and diet in the initial stages of treatment. Nutrition is truly the foundation of health, and should not be overlooked in any disease or health problem. Good quality nutritional supplements should also be added to the regimen. Quality nutritional supplements can go a long way to improve health and assist your pet in overcoming disease or illness! Other things to look for would be credentials or certifications in specific modalities including acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, etc. Ask the practitioner for a list of treatment options they offer and/or the modalities that they are proficient in.

Keep in mind that alternative therapies can often complement traditional veterinary care and may eliminate or allow you to use fewer conventional drugs.

Inhalant Allergens

Your pet can be allergic to the same inhalant allergens that may cause you to suffer. These include pollens, moulds and house dust mites. Pollen allergens often occur seasonally, such as ragweed, cedar and grass pollens. However other allergens are present year-round, such as moulds, dander and dust mites.

Contact Allergens

It is thought that up to 70% of pet allergy exposure is by contact with the skin, thus making it the leading source of irritation and allergy to a substance. Animals with allergic disease may have small cracks, invisible to the naked eye, on the surface of their skin. When an affected pet comes into contact with pollens in the environment, allergens gain entry through these small openings. Because our pets are not bathed daily, offending allergens can remain on the skin for days or weeks at a time, causing continued irritation, itching and other symptoms.

Flea Allergens

One of the most common type of allergens in both dogs and cats is flea allergy. This allergic reaction is caused by the saliva of the flea, and can often lead to severe hair loss, itching and secondary skin infections. One flea bite on an allergic pet can cause intense reactions. Flea allergy can often be managed through avoidance with flea deterrent products. A word of caution when choosing an insecticide: Pyrethrum is a common ingredient in many insecticides and can also cause allergies.

Food Allergens

Food allergy is the most likely cause of allergy symptoms in animals less than 1 year of age. Food allergies also manifest themselves with ear inflammation/infection (which can lead to head shaking), feet licking & chewing, face rubbing and itchy skin. In some cases, dietary change alone may not be enough to bring your pet below symptom level. Some may suggest that this lack of improvement may indicate the test results are not as accurate as they should be. Keeping in mind that allergies are cumulative, dietary change alone many not be enough to bring your pet below symptom level because there are still more allergens reacting other than the foods that dietary change alone cannot address.

Adverse reactions to food consist of two different responses: immune-mediated and non-immune-mediated. The disease caused by the former is called food allergy and is a type-IV hypersensitivity reaction, whereas the latter reaction is recognized simply as food intolerance.

While sometimes complicated, allergies are the best understood of all unwanted food reactions because they always involve immune system reactions to specific components in foods. If you have an allergic response to a food, certain proteins in your immune system identify and bind together with specific components (called antigens) in foods. While food antigens are typically protein-like in nature, our, and our pets’, immune system can mount an allergic response to some carbohydrates in foods, as well as some fat-plus-carbohydrate-containing molecules (called lipopolysaccharides). Still, in every one of these situations, our immune system gets involved in a food allergy, and, because it does, levels of immunoglobulins in our blood can be measured to document the allergenic response. However, even though blood work can be used to help identify a food allergy, this blood work is not always conclusive, since food allergy tests can often show “false positive” results in which a food allergy is not actually present, and the immune system has reacted to some other non-food molecule.

Food intolerances, in which the pet develops an allergic response to a non-nutrient in the food, such as additives, coloring, flavour enhancers and preservatives, however, is increasing based on our daily interactions. While dietary therapy is not a mainstay in the treatment of itchy pets, feeding the best, most natural and holistic diet possible is recommended. All pets, regardless of the presence of disease, benefit from eating the best diet.

Supplements work best when fed with a good diet. Supplements form the foundation of the treatment of many pets with allergic dermatitis, so feeding the best diet to these pets is indicated.

Some pets experience modest to dramatic improvement in their skin disorders (such as less itching, less flakiness, less redness, or less body odour) when fed a wholesome diet, even when the diagnosis of food allergy is not technically the correct diagnosis. This may be the result of contamination of the commercially purchased diet with additives, chemical preservatives, pesticides, or hormones. It may also occur as the result of processing the food, which removes nutrients from the diet and alters the nutrients. For example, heating of the foods to temperatures over 200 degrees Celsius causes an increased level of trans-fatty acids. Many foods contain increased levels of Omega-6 fatty acids relative to Omega-3 fatty acids; increased Omega-6 fatty acids predispose to inflammation. Because a wholesome diet designed to be hypo-allergenic is also available in raw format, dietary therapy is often recommended for pets with skin disorders.

Food intolerances are less clear-cut than food allergies. One thing that we have learned to date is that food intolerance are not the same as food allergies, and they are not dependent on interactions between food antigens and our immune system. In fact, a food intolerance is not dependent on any single interaction, and for this reason, it tends to be less predictable than food allergy and also less consistent.

Perhaps the best known example of food intolerance is lactose intolerance in humans. Since one entire category of food intolerances work in the same way as lactose intolerance, it is worth taking a close look at lactose intolerance and how this process occurs.

Lactose is a sugar that is present primarily in milk of mammals, including cows. For this reason, lactose is often referred to as “milk sugar“. Lactose is a compound sugar made up of glucose and galactose. In technical terms, it is called a disaccharide. Unless we can break lactose apart into glucose and galactose within our digestive tract, we cannot fully digest most milk or milk products. The way that lactose gets broken apart within our digestive tract is with the help of an enzyme called lactase. If enough lactase is present to break apart the amount of lactose present in the food, we do not become lactose intolerant. We are able to tolerate lactose because we have enough of the enzyme (lactase) to break apart the amount of lactose that we consume. However, this “if” can be a big “if“. Many people do not have enough lactase enzyme in their digestive tract to break down the substantial amounts of lactose that they consume.

Lactose intolerance is just one example of an enzyme-related food intolerance. It is possible for a person (or fur kid) to have an equal amount of difficulty breaking apart other sugars found in food.

To evaluate the response of a pet with a suspected reaction to food, it is necessary to feed the hypo-allergenic diet, and nothing else, for at least 8 weeks, 12 weeks recommended. Fresh water (or distilled water) should be used during this period. No treats or table scraps can be given to the pet, or the 8-week dietary trial must begin again.

Environment-related cross reactions are closely related to allergies since they always involve the activity of our immune system. At its most basic level, cross reactivity involves the ability of our immune system to recognize similarities between all types of allergens regardless of their source. Earlier in this section, we focused specifically on food allergens that our immune system gets exposed to through the process of eating. But things we do not eat can also contain allergens, and if these allergens closely resemble certain protein structures in our food, cross reactions can occur. When cross reactions occur, our immune system ends up responding to a second protein structure in the same way that it responded to the initial allergen. For example, we might breathe in pollen from a birch tree during the season in which birch trees release their pollen. Inside of birch pollen is a potential allergen called Bet v 1. Our immune system can react to this birch pollen allergen, and as a result, we can end up with a seasonal allergy to this tree pollen allergy.

Now let’s consider the food side of this cross reaction. Inside the protein structure of an apple, there is a protein molecule called Mal d 1. This molecule is similar to the Bet v 1 molecule found in birch pollen, and it can also act as an allergen. Because our immune system can recognize the similarity between the Mal d 1 molecule in apples and the Bet v 1 molecule in birch pollen, we huumans can end up not only with a seasonal tree pollen allergy, but with a year-round allergy to apples as well. This phenomenon is referred to as a cross reaction, and in this case, it involves a cross reaction between an inhaled molecule in the environment (birch tree pollen), and a molecule in food (apple allergen).

Environment-food cross reactions can be as complicated or even more complicated to recognize as food allergies and food intolerances. On the environment side, they might be seasonal and only a problem during certain times of year. On the food side, they are likely to be year round, and may involve a half dozen or more foods. Due to all of these complicating factors, cross reactions may often require the help of your integrated vet to correctly identify.

The most common reason for failing to improve is one of two causes:

• The pets itching is not related to food allergy / hypersensitivity;
• Or the pet parent rushes the dietary trial and does not give the pet at least 8 weeks to see whether the hyper-allergenic diet will work.

Commercial vitamins and minerals, which most often contain flavouring, are added after the trial diet and after the pet has been assessed for any reaction to these supplements.

To summarise:

• Allergies can either be attributed to food intolerances or dermatitis;
• Food intolerances are becoming common, as observed by us daily, and the best approach is dietary therapy;

Diagnosing dermatitis can be extremely difficult and time consuming as there are five different canine skin allergies. We discuss these in more detail below.

Common Indoor Allergens

Common Fungi & Mould Allergens

Moulds can be found almost anywhere, and all moulds produce airborne spores. Typically, their growth is stimulated by warmth and increases in humidity. They tend therefore to be most prevalent during hot humid months. Basements, compost piles, cut grass, barns and wooded areas are very typical spots for finding large populations of moulds. In an older bathroom, a hot shower will also temporarily increase the mould population. Typically, therefore, moulds will and can be found in almost any and every home and office environment, both indoor and outdoor. The important point about mould allergy is that it is often related to an overgrowth of Candida; this yeast causes cross reactivity to many other yeasts and mould fungi. Once a Candida allergy is triggered, your fur kids may experience allergies to more common moulds (see: Mould Allergy, AFSA (Article)). Following is a list of ways in which mould population can be decreased or diminished to a large extent.

What is the difference between Food Allergies and Food Sensitivity?

Dr Jean Dodds published an excellent blog article (see: Food Sensitivity vs. Food Allergy: Is It Not Really Just the Same Thing? Dr Dodds (Article)) that will help pet parents in understanding the differences. We are often “reminded” by pet parents with difficult pets, and their vets, that food “allergies” are in fact the cause for the fur kids discomfort, whilst we know that this is not the case. The real disappointment comes when the pet parent agrees to switch the fur kids back to commercial kibble-based products to appease the vet.

• Food allergies reflect a more immediate immunological response. A classic example of a food allergy is anaphylactic shock caused by peanuts: as soon as the person or animal comes in contact with the allergen “the peanuts“ their airway closes and they cannot breathe. This response is virtually instantaneous. Boom! The antigen (in this case, peanuts) triggers an immediate, and sometimes life-threatening, immunological and physiological reaction. Rashes, hives and swollen eyes are examples of less severe “but also serious“ allergic responses. These are all called Type I hypersensitivity reactions. In the blood, they show up as antibodies to immunoglobulins E (IgE) and G (IgG) working together with immune complexes.
• Food sensitivity (or intolerance), on the other hand, is typically a chronic condition and often does not involve an immunological response. It generally builds up over time, perhaps even after months or years of exposure to the offending food. Food sensitivity is caused by Types II and III hypersensitivity reactions. They show up in saliva or faeces as antibodies to immunoglobulins A (IgA) and M (IgM). By detecting IgA and IgM antibodies, food sensitivity testing is able to clearly identify the specific food(s) causing the sensitivity or intolerance. It can also differentiate between food sensitivity and food allergy.

Although they are generally not life-threatening, food sensitivities can affect many different aspects of the dogs physical well being. Common signs of food sensitivity include:

• GI tract issues similar to Irritable Bowel Disorder (IBD);
• Chronic scratching itchy skin;
• Chronic burping and gas rumblings (borborigmi);
• Chronic skin, ear and foot infections, especially with yeast;

The first step in providing the proper relief to the fur kids’ with food sensitivities is to accurately identify the offending ingredient(s). With the proper information, you can begin feeding your fur kid a diet that agrees with his body, and he can get back to doing what he does best, being a dog.

Atopic Dermatitis

Veterinarians rank atopic dermatitis as being the most common allergy affecting dogs, and usually presents when the dog is young. Atopy as it can often be called is triggered by a variety of different antigens, for instance, dust, mould, pollens and other airborne and surface organic materials. The dog may appear healthy with no visible symptoms and then start scratching and chewing intensely and in some cases until the skin is raw, broken and bleeding.

Parasitic Dermatitis

Usually presents with the dog constantly scratching, pawing and chewing. Fleas are again the main cause of parasitic dermatitis  as well as mites, deer fleas, gnats, chiggers and ticks to a far lesser degree. Sarcoptes and Cheyletiella mites  are particularly nasty and usually cause a severe reaction resulting in scabs forming in the affected areas. The Demodex mite normally attacks young dogs or puppies that have an immune disorder, poor nutrition or live in a harsh environment, or have a protein deficiency.

Bacterial or Yeast Infections

Candida albicans is the most common micro-organism growing in all dogs stomachs. When an over growth occurs it causes a pH-imbalance. This happens as a result of poor nutrition, heartworm medication, thyroid problem, genetic and / or environmental stress, and in some cases long term antibiotic medication. The external symptoms of bacterial and yeast infections  usually present as constant itching and licking of paws, genital area, and redness and inflammation. There may also be an odour between the toes, the inner thighs and the dogs underarms.

Nutritional Dermatitis

Nutritional dermatitis is probably the most common of all canine skin allergies and is the result of poor nutrition. You may be buying a commercial brand dog food labelled appropriately but is missing the correct vitamins and nutrients.

Neurogenic Dermatitis

Obsessive and persistent chewing and licking characterises this form of dermatitis, and is often the result of frustration, confinement or separation anxiety.

General Discussion

As discussed by Dr. Messonnier in his book, the typical allergic pet itches but has normal appearing skin. This helps differentiate atopy from other diseases that cause itchiness but also cause skin lesions (abrasions, wounds, injuries, gashes) (mange, flea allergies, bacterial infections, yeast infections, skin cancer). The itchiness can be mild, moderate, or severe; but most allergic pets do not start off with severe itching. A pet with severe itching is more likely to have mange, fleas, or food allergies.

Many dogs and cats with allergies also have flea allergies and chronic bacterial infections. Chronic skin infections are so common in allergic dogs that every dog with chronic skin infections should be screened for atopy and hormonal diseases such as hypothyroidism, another overlooked underlying disorder. Because allergic skin is not a normal skin, it is prone to secondary infections.

Secondary yeast infections are therefore becoming increasingly common in atopic dogs. Most of the time the yeast Malassezia is the contributing agent. Dogs with secondary yeast infections are typically quite itchy, greasy with greasy yellow scales, red, and quite smelly. Yeast infections are often misdiagnosed but should be considered in any dog with the aforementioned clinical signs.

Under the next heading, we list the various skin common conditions in more detail. The itchy skin diseases in the first part (Table 1: Itchy Skin Diseases in Dogs) are characterized by constant scratching, biting at the skin, and rubbing up against objects to relieve the itch.

The next two sections, (Table 2: Hormone-Related Diseases with Hair Loss in dogs, Table 3: Other Diseases with Hair Loss in dogs) list diseases characterized by hair loss with few if any other signs. Hair loss can mean impaired growth of new hair. It may involve the entire coat, or you may see patches of hair loss on certain parts of the body. In general, hair loss caused by hormonal diseases is symmetric (the same on both sides of the body), while that caused by parasites and other causes is asymmetric.

The next heading (Table 4: Skin Diseases with Pus Drainage) lists diseases in which the predominant sign is skin infection or pyoderma . Pyoderma is characterized by pus, infected sores, scabs, ulcers of the skin, papules, pustules, furuncles, boils, and skin abscesses. As stated before, the skin infection is often secondary to some other skin disease, particularly an itchy skin disease that causes your fur kid to attack her own skin.

After that, the following section (Table 5: Autoimmune and Immune-Mediated Skin Diseases in dogs) lists autoimmune and immune-mediated skin diseases, characterized by blebs . Blebs, also called vesicles, are blisters that contain clear fluid. Large ones are called bullae. All tend to progress through rubbing, biting, and scratching, eventually producing skin erosions, ulcers, and crusts. Look for these changes to appear first on the face, nose, muzzle, and ears.

During the course of grooming, playing with, or handling your fur kid, you may discover a lump or bump on or beneath the skin. To learn what it may be, see the last section (Table 6: Lumps and Bumps on or Beneath the Skin in dogs) on lumps or bumps on or beneath the skin. Tumours and cancers, contains more information on this.

The list below is not exhaustive.

As with most conditions, the most healthful natural diet will improve the pets overall health.

Table 1: Itchy Skin Diseases in Dogs

Table 2: Hormone Related Diseases with Hair Loss in Dogs

Table 3: Other Diseases with Hair Loss in Dogs

Table 4: Skin Diseases with Pus Drainage

Table 5: Autoimmune and Immune Mediated Skin Diseases in Dogs

Table 6: Lumps and Bumos on OR Beneath the Skin in Dogs

So what am I to Do?

Breathe. Start with a blank page. Go back to basics. Nobody can define the value of our pets, or associate a monetary target to them. Therefore, time should not be a trade-off in our journey trying to navigate Pandoras box of allergy causes and contributors. Other than de-sexing (it warrants a whole separate thesis):

• Do not over vaccinate. Ask yourself, do he, she or they really need to have that vaccination?
• If so, ask your vet not to use all-in-one jabs. Vaccinate weeks apart to give the immune system time to recover. Perhaps your vet is open to titre testing. Much better approach to test the antigen or antiviral loads before agreeing to vaccinating.
• Do not use ticks and fleas prevention chemicals if there are no ticks and fleas. Keep in mind that most veterinary over-the-counter medicines do not deter or prevent ticks and fleas. Most of these chemicals act systemically against ticks and fleas, and ultimately, your pet. In order for the tick or flea to die, it must first have a bite. So these toxins must stay in the blood stream for this to happen. And like vaccinations, these chemicals become cumulative in the body. Rather consider natural or herbal preventative solutions first.
• Do not de-worm if there are no worms. Your vet can do fecal analysis to determine if worms are a problem or not. And even if so, consider natural or herbal solutions first.
• Investigate real food. McKibble and McCan cannot contain real food. No bag of rendered animal or plant-based protein powder can survive as long as a bag of McKibble without a serious amount of chemicals helping it along. No McCan can not go rancid without a serious amount of chemicals stopping it. You will not find a cockroach feasting on a bag of McKibble, and they can survive nuclear holocaust (the roaches that is …). Checkout our supreme catalogue of food at our storefront.
• Remember that true food-based allergies are extremely rare. Yes, some huumans become allergic to peanuts, but considering that for some vaccines, Peanut Oil #65 is used as an adjuvant, it kind of lead us to speculate that drag over resulted in a Peanut Oil #65 protein molecule binding to an antibody entering the huumans immune system via the jab might be the reason.
• Remember, there is a difference between allergies and intolerance, and that chicken-flavored bag of McKibble might not have sufficient viable chicken-based protein in it to warrant the scrutiny, but the chemicals used to preserve it might warrant it instead.

All the above reflect unfavorable on your vet, and it is not their fault. It is very much systemic of our current instant gratification society. Take responsibility for the decisions you make on behalf of your fur kids and stay informed.

Articles and Videos

Good reference articles & videos further reading available at:

• Dr. Jean Dodd, Coconut Oil: The good saturated fat (Dr Dodds);
• Diet and Skin Disease in Dogs and Cats by Tim Watson from the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, UK (Nutrition.Org);
• Understanding Canine Allergies (Whole Dog Journal);
• Dr. Becker, Allergies In Pets (Dr Becker);
• Dr. Becker, Allergic Dermatitis: The #1 Sign Your Pet Has Allergies – And What to Do About It (Mercola)
• Dog Skin Allergies & How To Deal with Them (Organic Pet);
• Dr. Becker, Help Your Dog Overcome These 3 Common Allergies… (Mercola);
• Itchy Skin Wins Big, A Mystery to Vets (Dogs Naturally Magazine);
• Dr. Becker, Is Your Dog Chronically Itchy or Smelly? Could Be This (Mercola);
• Dr. Becker, Could This Natural Remedy Relieve Your Dog’s Itching and Scratching? (Mercola);
• Dr. Jean Dodd, Food Sensitivity vs. Food Allergy: Is it not really just the same thing?, (Dr Dodds);
• Canine Atopic Dermatitis: New Targets, New Therapies, by Douglas J. DeBoer from the Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (Nutrition.Org);
• Clark, W.R., Hypersensitivity and Allergy, in At War Within: The double edged sword of immunity, 1995, New York, Oxford University Press (Amazon);
• Mould allergy (South Africa) (Allergy Foundation);
• South African report of first case of chromoblastomycosis caused by Cladosporium (syn Cladophialophora) carrionii infection in a cat (PubMED);
• Invasive aspergillosis in developing countries (PubMED);
• Indoor Mold, Toxigenic Fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: Infectious Disease Perspective (PubMED);
• Seasonal respiratory allergy and the associated pollens in South Africa (Journals South Africa) (requires Adobe PDF reader);
• Mold allergy (South Africa) (Health 24);
• Characterisation of allergens and airborne fungi in low and middle-income homes of primary school children in Durban, South Africa (PubMed);
• Common indoor and outdoor aero-allergens in South Africa (AJOL);
• Mold Allergens in Respiratory Allergy: From Structure to Therapy (PubMed);
• The South African Journal of Natural Medicine 2008, Issue 39, pp 72 to 80. Treating candidiasis (Article);
• Occupational allergy among table grape farm workers in South Africa – (UCT) (requires Adobe PDF reader);
• The Air-Borne Fungi in Johannesburg (Journals South Africa) (requires Adobe PDF reader);
• Allergic Disorders in Africa and Africans: Is It Primarily a Priority? (PubMed);
• Aerospora of an Eragrostis curvula pasture in South Africa (BioMED);
• SMUT (Fungus) (WikiPedia);
• Allergic bronchopulmonary stemphyliosis NCBI (PubMed) (requires Adobe PDF reader).

Research

1. Holm J, Baerentzen G, Gajhede M, et al. Molecular basis of allergic cross-reactivity between group 1 major allergens from birch and apple. J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl. 2001;756(1-2):307-313. doi:10.1016/s0378-4347(01)00089-5
2. Fritsch R, Bohle B, Vollmann U, et al. Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, and Mal d 1, the major apple allergen, cross-react at the level of allergen-specific T helper cells. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1998;102(4 Pt 1):679-686. doi:10.1016/s0091-6749(98)70287-8