In dogs from dairy, beef, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, or wheat gluten. Virtually any food ingredient can produce an allergy, however. Proteins are the most common culprits but other substances and additives can also be responsible.
Cats are most often allergic to beef, fish, chicken and dairy. Lesser common ones include soy, wheat, gluten, but also coloring, preservatives etc.
Commercial Diets
There are no diets that are completely “hypoallergenic”, meaning that they will not cause allergies. The closest we have to this kind of a diet are the hydrolyzed diets that can be purchased through veterinarians. Dogs and cats can be allergic to pretty much any protein or carbohydrate ingredient that can be found in pet food.
Diagnosis of food allergies
There really isn’t an easy test. While many tests – using blood, saliva, and even hair – that can be performed a veterinarian or purchased by a pet owner online (there is no proof that they work.
None of the currently available tests have been shown to be accurate.
The “gold standard” or best method that we currently have, for diagnosing food allergies is the dietary elimination trial.
To be a true elimination trial for your dog or cat, this special diet must not contain any ingredients that it has eaten in the past. It also requires that no other foods, treats, or supplements are fed during the trial period, including flavored vitamins and certain parasite preventives.
If your pet's allergy symptoms resolve while on the food trial, the next step is to perform a food challenge by re-introducing your old food. If your pet's symptoms resolve with the food trial AND return within one week of a food challenge, your dog or cat has been definitively diagnosed with a food allergy.
Veterinary Diets:
Veterinary hydrolyzed protein diets, in which the protein molecules are broken down to a size too small to be recognized by your pet’s immune system (e.g., Hill's Prescription Diet z/d®, Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Hydrolyzed Protein® or Anallergenic™, and Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed®).
Rule out Food Allergy with a Simple Homemade Dog Food Trial
1/3 Turkey, (1 lb), chopped and cooked
1/3 Carb of Brown Rice (2 cups) cooked
1/3 Veggie (ie Kale) (2 cups), cook with turkey, or frozen mixed veggies (1 cup)
Sunflower Oil (2 tablespoons)
Krill oil, 1000mg
Calcium, 1 teaspoon (1000mg) . This is less critical for a food trial, only really needed if this diet is being fed long term. If adding in, consider the powder as now many dogs have allergies to eggs. ( ie avoid eggshells)
For a 50lb dog, feed 1/2 of this twice day. (2 cups, twice daily)
Simple Homemade Cat Food Trial
Turkey, (1 lb), chopped and cooked
Sunflower Oil (1 tablespoons)
Krill oil, 1000mg
Taurine, 500mg
Calcium, 1 teaspoon (1000mg) . This is less critical for a food trial, only really needed if this diet is being fed long term.
For a 10lb cat, feed 1/2 cup of this twice day. It equates to 1/4lb (115 grams), twice daily
Feed this as the ONLY food to your dog for a minimum of 6 weeks, ideally for 12 weeks. 80% of dogs respond by 6 weeks.
For cats feed for a minimum of 8 weeks, ideally 12 weeks.
