Food Allergy Dermatitis

A food allergy:

• Can cause non-seasonal dermatitis, itching, skin and ear infections, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
• Can begin at any age
• Is less common than atopic dermatitis, estimated at 1 in 20 perennially allergic dogs.
• Is more common in cats than dogs
• May or may not be steroid responsive

Neither blood testing nor intradermal allergy testing is reliable for identifying allergy to foods. Although some companies offer blood tests for food allergy, veterinary dermatologists do not promote their use. 

Food allergy is diagnosed by a dietary elimination trial. Determining if a food allergy is responsible for your pet’s problems is not easy and requires complete avoidance of everything your pet has previously eaten.

Since most commercial pet foods contain approximately the same ingredients, and most animals with food allergies have been eating the same diet for some time, changing (or not changing) the brand of food does not typically alter the symptoms.

Only a small number of commercially available diets are truly hypoallergenic; therefore, the veterinary dermatologist can guide you to the best product(s) for your pet. The fun and interesting part of a dietary elimination trial is the food re-challenge that follows.