Pets have food allergies and intolerances too!

Perhaps I should have made the connection sooner, perhaps I wasn't meant to till now, especially as I am a celiac and understand quite a bit about food intolerance issues. However, it took another member on our food allergy group posting this veterinarian's link, DogtorJ ,  on gluten intolerances and our pets. The Veterinarian is a celiac himself which while changing his diet and his changes as his body healed opened an new insight for him about our pets also.

I especially knew about grains and cats, how they aren't good for them, and primarily aren't good for dogs either. Cats and dogs simply don't go out foraging or hunting for grains. They will eat grasses to purge their systems, but they don't specifically look for grains to eat either. They are primarily meat eaters, carnivores. And the pet food recalls of 2007 confirmed this simple fact that glutens, grains didn't belong in our pet's diets.  The sad truth though is that this fact didn't stay in the open. People are all about convenience and going and buying a bag of dry food whose protein is primarily from grain glutens is the easiest and least problematic to feed our fur companions.

Face it, the primary source of protein for most of our pets in their food is derived from glutens/grains, and the second comes from "meat by-products", in simpler terms, beaks, feet, unedible parts of butchered animals that we wouldn't eat ourselves.

So, the basic definition of food intolerance is best described by this veterinarian: "The term “food intolerance” has been applied to both immune-mediated (involving the immune system) and non-immune related disorders (e.g. to food additives) that result from the consumption of certain foods to which an individual is sensitive. The most serious food intolerances are those to the gluten grains (wheat, barley, and rye), casein (dairy products), soy and corn, with the first three being the most common. Celiac disease (gluten intolerance) is finally making its way into the public eye. At the time of my diagnosis in the year 2000, it was considered a “rare disorder in the US, affecting less than 1:5000 Americans.” In 2006, it was declared to be one of the most common conditions in the country, with Johns Hopkins and The Mayo Clinic stating that the official number of celiacs in this country was 1:120 people. However, the unofficial number by celiac researchers is a whopping 1:30. Other papers on this site address this obvious and unsettling discrepancy. "  

Ok, animals are mammals just like us. One of my best friends is a biology instructor, and this is a point she makes over and over when someone tries to separate us from animals. So, if you think about this, their systems are not that different from ours in a general manner. Gluten is glue. I mean think about it, how did you make paste as a child for paper mache? It's used in everything to hold things together! So what do you think it does to us inside? Think again, it does the same to our beloved pets inside.

Scientists are just now finding ties between those persons having Celiac's disease (gluten intolerance) and other autoimmune diseases. Diseases like diabetes, fibromyalgia, autism, epilepsy, attention deficit, and the list goes on and on. As this veterinarian points out, the same autoimmune disfunctions affect pets also, especially epilepsy. And as he took clients' pets off of gluten containing foods and put them on a more natural food for the species, he was seeing epilepsy disappear. Hmmmmmm, are you finding a connection yet?

He writes:

"The unfortunate truth is that pet food is not as scientifically formulated as most would like to think. For the most part, Fido’s food is made with convenience and cost of manufacturing in mind more than science. Yes, the first few ingredients look appetizing enough and there are essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals added to the mix. But are these ingredients natural for the pet and are they readily available for absorption and use by their body? Here in lies the crux of the matter.

The wake-up call comes when one realizes that once the meat source is removed from the diet, the remaining ingredients are mostly unnatural for the pet. If we exclude the beef, poultry, fish, and lamb, the remaining calorie sources are mostly wheat, barley, corn, rice, and oats, all of which are man-raised crops that the dog and cat would never consume in the wild. I love to inquire of my clients “How would a pet get rice? Swim to Viet Nam?”

But what is the problem with these complex carbohydrates being in the diet? Humans consume these with every meal and they are doing just fine, aren’t they? Ahhhh. Are we? If we were, those reading this paper would be reading something else right now, wouldn’t they? The problem is that the grains listed above have some universal problems among humans and pets alike, as do a couple of other problem foods that eclipse even the grains in health issues.

To digress for just a moment, I am a recovered celiac. For forty-something years, I suffered like most other celiacs of a myriad of symptoms, including allergies, heart burn and intestinal problems, depression/chronic fatigue, memory and balance difficulties, joint pain, and even fibromyalgia. I was taking at least four drugs twice daily; caffeine addicted, and was quite frankly not having any fun anymore. I am now two and a half years gluten and casein-free, off all drugs, symptom-free, and feeling better than I did when I was twelve. This miraculous recovery got my attention as a patient and as a doctor. How could this be? How could I be suffering from what millions of people and pets were experiencing but be well in such a short period of time? How could all of these conditions be linked together?

Well, “Fido” is about to teach you something. The fact is that the celiac is a “who’s who” of what is wrong with human beings but the conditions that we suffer from are not limited to those who walk upright. When I read the list of conditions that we as gluten intolerants experience, my first thought was that “This is me. This describes me to a T.” My second thought was “…but this describes everything that is wrong with everyone, including their dogs and cats.” And it does. Suddenly, medicine through the eyes of celiac disease (and other similar food intolerances) made sense. I tell everyone that it was like someone had finally put the right program into a stalled computer and it began operating at lightning speed. All of the idiopathic conditions that are so poorly understood in medicine became “open season” for this medical headhunter.

And, the answers did come one after another. I launched into two years of intensive research while applying the newly unveiled principles to my patients as well as myself. Miracles started happening around me. Allergies abated, intestinal problems cleared up, older pets became less painful and more active, and yes, even their epilepsy stopped. “Wait a second! Epileptic seizures stopped?”, you may be asking. Yes, 100% of my epileptics have stopped having seizures, just like many celiac children that were placed on gluten-free diets have responded. I got the idea from the celiac literature. How that occurs is totally explainable but beyond the scope of this article. It can be found in my paper entitled The Answer on my Website, www.dogtorj.com."

His site is definitely worth reading if you truly care for your animal companions. And perhaps it will open a few thoughts for yourself. If anything, look for pet foods whose first 4 (minimum) ingredients are MEAT, not meat by-products, not water, and that contain no grains or glutens from grains. There are many decent foods out there if you don't care to make your pets' diets yourselves. And there are many raw diets out there too if you choose to go that way. Just  remember that cats normally are also not veggie eaters, they are obligate carnivores.  Most of us read labels on our own foods, well, start reading them for your pets too! And some you would be surprised at aren't as expensive as you might think.

Also think about this, as you feed the correct food, your pet's feeding amount will change as his body realizes that it can use all of the nutrition fed to him. As this happens the amount fed decreases, as does the amount of stool excreted, as do the malodorous emanations issued due to bloat and intolerances. Doesn't everyone like less gass, less poop? And the benefits of feeding properly is a longer, healthier and more active life for your pet.

Pet Obesity.....

Lately you read a lot about the human population and how obesity has literally become an epidemic  in the US. Well it isn't just us humans who are reaching epidemic proportions, it's out pets also who are suffering from obesity.

Face the facts here, like us over 40% of our pets are obese and dangerously overweight. Obesity shortens their lives also and creates compounding illnesses, such as Diabetes, Arthritis, Pancreatitis, Inflammatory bowel disease, Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiac disease, thyroid problems and a myriad of other problems.

One myth on the cause of obesity, spaying or neutering your pet will cause obesity. This is absolutely untrue. Any pet, altered or not will gain weight if it is over fed and not exercised enough. And aging will naturally alter a pet's metabolism, therefore burning off calories at a slower rate.

Types of overweight pets:

The Nibbler: this type probably has access to food all day, and nibbles off and on all day. Thereby giving you the impression that they hardly eat anything. However..... over a 24 hour period they have probably taken in an excessive amount of food and thereby gaining weight.

The Beggar: This type has learned that by begging, (the sad starving puppy look) or by being annoying they can get what they want which is your food and scraps. They have trained you to give in to their desires and cravings for things that probably aren't the best for them in the first place. The more fuss and noise they make the more likely they will be rewarded with food.

The Good Pet: This one is overweight because the owner's signal of affection has been focused on feeding. Usually each person in the household will secretly offer the pet treats and doesn't know the other people are doing the exact same thing. Unfortunately for the pet, too much of this can be a bad thing.

The Gourmet Pet:  The usual excuse to the vet will be, "But Doctor, she just refuses to eat her pet food!" In thi scase the pet has trained it's owners to feed it select foods like chicken, ice cream, cookies, etc. Although some table scraps are ok to feed, and there may be times when you need to feed a special made food (i.e. boiled chicken and rice), this type of pet has been given a choice of what it wants to eat and it has chosen people food. This type also usually overeats because it isn't getting a proper balance of nutrition, plus everything to him tastes so good there is a reward factor in eating.

Ok, so how do you help your pet be healthier and live a longer, happier, more energetic life? Well here are some ideas....

Find a good quality food, you choose, the pet doesn't. A grain free or one with very low carbs. Pets need more protein than carbs and grains really aren't so good for them. The first 3 minimum ingredients should be meats, or meat broth. No meat by products, or meal, these are just the unedible parts, like beaks, feet, feathers, etc. Canned is preferred over dry. Dry simply does not have enough moisture content, and is too easy for it to get spoiled. When you are feeding a good quality food with good quality meats,  your pet will require less as it is using all of the food for nutrition and to keep their systems running properly. Weight loss foods simply don't work, they are lower in protein and higher in the fillers, carbs. One way to know you are feeding a good diet is the amount and how often your pet defecates. When they are using the maximum of their food, their stools will be much smaller, much less frequency, mostly dry looking and will crumble easily, and don't smell hardly anymore!

Take your pet on longer walks, play more, or find your area dog park so he can socialize and play with others. For your cat, provide more toys to keep him entertained and moving more.

And always make sure there is fresh water available. Change your pets diet slowly, this helps avoid digestive upsets, and yes, it is ok to provide a variety of good meals so they don't get bored with one flavor or type.

You will find as you get your pet on a good food, that the weight will come off, slowly, but it will come off and they will maintain a healthy weight. And as their body adjusts to having nutritional food in it, instead of fillers that don't do anything for them, that their craving and amount they eat will decrease naturally too.

There are many resources of good feeding practices on the web, my favorite is Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM's site: www.catinfo.org , however, her site mostly pertains to cats. But the basics are not that different for dogs.

More on Pet Food recalls, some info...

Ok, we all know from the 2007 pet food recalls just how scary they can be. We all went through that time wondering just what was left to feed our pets? And if we fed it to them, were we still unintentionally poisoning them? Many of us watched the news very closely, we found online forums and blogs to stay updated on, we taught ourselves which foods were produced by Menu Foods and tried to avoid them like the plague. Some of us made food for our companions from fresh ingredients for people. Some of us went back to feeding the way nature might have intended them to be and fed raw, in fact alot of cat owners did go to feeding raw. At one point some of us who were/are members on the Feline Diabetes forum who feed raw, including Dr. Lisa Pierson DVM were interviewed for an article in one of the big papers, I forget now which one, about raw feeding. However, when the article came out we were dismayed and angry that he completely misrepresented us and our reasons for feeding raw.

That aside, the point to this is we are still very, very gun shy about our pet foods and the word "RECALL" still strikes terror in our hearts. I personally do my best to watch for new recalls of not only foods, but any pet associated product. I do my best to avoid buying any products from the company, because if they had one type of food with problems, the likelihood of one of the others having problems is too great for me.

The FDA tries to regulate the pet food industry, however, we all know they are way understaffed and unable to keep an eye on everything. But they are a good source to get recall info on from 2006 to present. And you can subscribe to alerts that come to your email box. The Animal and Veterinary page is where to start, there is a link to subscribe to email alerts, and you can select what alerts you want to receive. They also have links to file a complaint about a food that you or your veterinarian feel might have a problem that is making your pet sick. While they might not have all the truth there, they are about the most consistent, and one can confirm or deny rumors on the site.

While it might seem to be a hassle to some of you to check on all this information before you buy food for your companion. Wouldn't it be worth it in the long run? I mean what if you didn't check and your pet became suddenly, fatally ill, and it might have been prevented if you'd fed the better food? And remember, just because it costs more doesn't mean it's any safer. You do the best for yourself, why wouldn't you for your pet?

Pet food and product warnings and recalls

It seems that the pet food companies still cannot get their quality control fixed and stop killing or endangering our pets. Didn't they learn anything from the massive recalls in 2007 from Menu Foods? Didn't we learn anything from those same recalls? I know I did, and I certainly try not to use or feed any brand that was part of that recall. I just don't think it's worth the risk to my beloved pets.

Here are some recent ones:

Nutro is still on the hot seat with numerous consumer complaints on their dog and cat foods, here are two links to read more on the Nutro problems, especially about the puppy food that may contain plastic.

Consumer Complaints on Nutro

Article on Nutro pulls some puppy food

Nutro Cat food and zinc poisoning

If you read these articles above, you will find links other links on the pages for other pet food product problems.

Also Diamond pet food products has recalled the following date codes of Premium Edge Finicky Adult Cat and Premium Edge Hairball Cat with codes of RAF0501A22X (18-lb. bag), RAF0501A2X (6-lb. bag), RAH0501A22X (18-lb. bag) and RAH0501A2X (6-lb. bag).

The petfood in question is low in thiamine, which can cause neurological symptoms and brain damage. More than a dozen cases have been confirmed.

It is recommended that pet owners whose cats have eaten the food specified below contact their veterinarian. Diamond is also asking consumers to return the potentially tainted food.The calls from pet owners or veterinarians regarding this issue! have been centered in the Rochester, NY area. Diamond says t! hat all retail outlets shipped the above lots were contacted, asking them to pull the product from the store shelves; and to contact their customers to have them to check the date code of the food. If you or anyone you know has these date codes of Premium Edge cat food, Diamond is asking you to return them to the retailer (presumably for a refund).

And now one of the scary problems found with Advantage spot on flea product. Seems it's gluing itself and the pet to anything plastic. Read the article HERE .

The Humane Society is a good resource for recalls and product warnings.

It seems that anywhere you go these days, we still have problems and companies who aren't fully disclosing those problems. While I can understand the pet owner's plight to make some care products simpler or more convenient, not all of these wonderful gadgets or foods are good for our furkids. If you really do love and care for your pet, please research and learn about their needs and what truly is best for them before you purchase. And in my humble opinion, while we rely on our veterinarians to provide us trustworthy information and to know what's best, not all of them do. Many believe the sales pitch of the sales rep from the companies they buy their presecription diets or other products through. In many veterinary schools nutrtion is taught by someone from the pet food industry, not someone who knows the digestive system, or endocrine systems in our pets. Take the time to be an informed pet owner, be an advocate for your pet, learn about proper nutrition and such for them. Once you do and then compare labels with the prescription diets in your vet's office. You'll be surprised actually that even some foods off the store shelves are better made than the Rx diets, and are cheaper too.

I know this is one of my favorite rants, but if we were more informed, fed our pets better and proper foods, they would be healthier, live longer and happier lives, and the vet bills would be a whole lot less expensive. And..... when you feed correctly, there is less poo to pick up because your pet is using all of his food as intended and so there is less waste. If you're feeding your pet a food with lots of grain fillers in it, lots of by products, etc., then you will have A LOT of poop to clean up. When you have A LOT of poop, it means that your pet is actually getting very little nutrition from their food and you are feeding more than you would with a proper food. It just makes sense!

Things not to feed your pets....

I see many, many articles published on people food that is toxic to our pets. While I hear people comment on these articles, they rarely listen to them. We so often think of our cat or dog as our child, or family member, and many get treated as such, they get table scraps, chocolate cake, whatever we happen to be eating.

I cringe sometimes watching people do this, and then feel so sorry for the dog or cat when they become ill from all the "goodies" their owner has been feeding them. The problem is, they trust us to care for them, they don't know that it isn't good for them. They see us eating it, and figure since we're making yummy noises over it, then it's ok for them too. Well fact is folks, it isn't good for them. Taking the time to do a little research on proper dietary needs for your pet can go a long way to ensuring their health and happiness, and lowering your vet bills. Trust me, I do my best to feed the best diet I can that is proper for my "kids" and they are truly in fabulous health, and except for spaying or neutering and one accident, they haven't needed a vet just about all their lives. And I have a cat in excellent health that is almost 19.

Here is a basic list with some effects of the foods that many tend to feed their pets. And my motto is this, if it might even remotely damage their health in any way, shape, or form, then it is better to not tempt fate and just simply not give them any of it.

Alcoholic beverages	Can cause intoxication, coma, and death.
Baby food	Can contain onion powder, which can be toxic to dogs. (Please see onion below.) Can also result in nutritional deficiencies, if fed in large amounts.
Bones from fish, poultry, or other meat sources	Can cause obstruction or laceration of the digestive system.
Cat food	Generally too high in protein and fats.
Chocolate, coffee, tea, and other caffeine	Contain caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can be toxic and affect the heart and nervous systems.
Citrus oil extracts	Can cause vomiting.
Fat trimmings	Can cause pancreatitis.
Grapes and raisins	Contain an unknown toxin, which can damage the kidneys. There have been no problems associated with grape seed extract.
Hops	Unknown compound causes panting, increased heart rate, elevated temperature, seizures, and death.
Human vitamin supplements containing iron	Can damage the lining of the digestive system and be toxic to the other organs including the liver and kidneys.
Large amounts of liver	Can cause Vitamin A toxicity, which affects muscles and bones.
Macadamia nuts	Contain an unknown toxin, which can affect the digestive and nervous systems and muscle.
Marijuana	Can depress the nervous system, cause vomiting, and changes in the heart rate.
Milk and other dairy products	Some adult dogs and cats do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in diarrhea. Lactose-free milk products are available for pets.
Moldy or spoiled food, garbage	Can contain multiple toxins causing vomiting and diarrhea and can also affect other organs.
Mushrooms	Can contain toxins, which may affect multiple systems in the body, cause shock, and result in death.
Onions and garlic (raw, cooked, or powder)	Contain sulfoxides and disulfides, which can damage red blood cells and cause anemia. Cats are more susceptible than dogs.
Persimmons	Seeds can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis.
Pits from peaches and plums	Can cause obstruction of the digestive tract.
Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves; potato and tomato stems	Contain oxalates, which can affect the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems. This is more of a problem in livestock.
Raw eggs	Contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases the absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and hair coat problems. Raw eggs may also contain Salmonella.
Raw fish	Can result in a thiamine (a B vitamin) deficiency leading to loss of appetite, seizures, and in severe cases, death. More common if raw fish is fed regularly.
Salt	If eaten in large quantities it may lead to electrolyte imbalances.
String	Can become trapped in the digestive system; called a "string foreign body."
Sugary foods	Can lead to obesity, dental problems, and possibly diabetes mellitus.
Table scraps (in large amounts)	Table scraps are not nutritionally balanced. They should never be more than 10% of the diet. Fat should be trimmed from meat; bones should not be fed.
Tobacco	Contains nicotine, which affects the digestive and nervous systems. Can result in rapid heart beat, collapse, coma, and death.
Yeast dough	Can expand and produce gas in the digestive system, causing pain and possible rupture of the stomach or intestines.

Add to this list:

Avocados  - Avocados contain a toxin known as persin.  Persin is found in various parts of the avocado and avocado trees (eg, leaves, rind, etc).  This toxin is known mostly to cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Any food containing Xylitol (artificial sweetener) it causes death by liver failure.

Please don't feed cooked bones, they splinter because the make up of the original bone structure is changed when cooked. Raw large bones, like joint bones are fine. But splinters from cooked bones can puncture their digestive tract, cut it open, or create a blockage that can kill.

Medications that we take for granted like tylenol and advil, etc are toxic to your pet and can kill them. Please don't give them to your pet.

For proper nutrition and food information for pets here are two of the best sites I have found.

For cats:  Feeding your cat , the basics of feline nutrition, Dr. Lisa Pierson, DVM

For dogs: BARF Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods

Also, our pets really weren't meant to eat grains. Many have problems digesting them, their bodies just aren't able to assimilate and use them. Cats are obligate carnivores, and while some will make the argument that oh they get veggies and carbs from eating mice and birds and the entrails, I beg to differ. Have you ever really paid attention to the lovely bits that are left from what your cat did not eat? They never, ever eat the entrails or digestive tract.  Dogs on the other hand can be opportunity eaters, but they don't on their own eat grains.

If you love your fur kid, do the best you can by them. Don't risk it by feeding them something that can be damaging. And YES the better foods are a bit more expensive, but I'll let you in on a little secret, the better made foods, no grains, their bodies can use all that food, it's nutrition, and there is very little waste, and who wouldn't want to clean up less poop? And when you feed the right stuff, the bit of poop they do excrete, doesn't smell so bad either. :-) It's so nice to not have to rake so much poop in the yard, or there's little to no kitty nuggets in the litter box either. And, because you're feeding them good stuff, their body is using the food you give them, they are healthier, the vet bills go down and the little bit more you're paying for the Good stuff makes it worth it. And just because it's expensive doesn't mean it's better. Meat should be the very first ingredient, not meat by product, or beef meal, etc because that's not pure meat. There should be no corn, wheat, or barley in the ingredients.  And no Gluten anywhere!

I could go on, but would probably wear you out so I'll stop the soap box here. :)