Is it food allergies? | Pet Peeves

I recently had a pet owner ask me about a supplement for their dogs. It seems the two dogs are having issues with gut health, according to the owner, and they wanted to know what we thought about a probiotic chew for their dogs.

The two pets are small-breed dogs — a shih tzu and poodle mix. Their ages range from 2 to 10 years. The owner says that they both tend to have loose stools, and the younger one has a history of throwing up after eating.

They also have signs of skin allergies. The older one licks his paws and shakes his head while the younger one is itching a lot and eating grass. The owners were asking for some guidance concerning supplements and feeding.

My first thought is that a food supplement such as a probiotic is not going to be enough to address these concerns. My second thought is that the age range of the pets increases the possibility that they may not be suffering from the same conditions. There are so many things that can cause gastrointestinal upset in a dog.

These pets are kept up to date on their yearly inoculations, and their bloodwork and fecals have all been normal and negative, so for practical purposes and to streamline treatment, we will consider all of the symptoms that can be seen when a dog has allergies.

The vomiting shortly after a meal and intermittent diarrhea, as well as the itching, licking paws and shaking head, can all be things seen with food allergies. The gastrointestinal signs can be food allergies. The itching and skin issues can be food allergies or environmental allergies such as pollens and molds.

So, getting back to the question about a supplement such as a probiotic chew, there is certainly a place for probiotics in the health of a pet. But, in today’s world, sometimes the usefulness of the probiotic can be oversold. A probiotic chew alone would not have the ability to clear up the symptoms seen in these pets. I am often asked about vitamin supplements sold on the radio and online. My answer to these is that you can try them, but the results tend to be spotty at best.

My suggestion with these two dogs is to put them on a trial of a hypoallergenic food. There are many options today, but two good suggestions are the Royal Canin HA or the Science Diet Derm Defense. A food trial of a hypoallergenic diet should be continued for at least 12 weeks before one decides if it is working. This should be the only food they get during the trial.

Probiotics are helpful for gut health, but during a food trial one needs to be sure they are hypoallergenic. If they are not, they should be reserved for after the trial. Antihistamines such as Benadryl, Zyrtec or Claritan can be given for the itching and skin inflammation during the trial.

For some skin allergies, allergy testing can be pursued at a veterinary dermatologist’s office. Some owners choose to go the route of Cytopoint or Apoquel, which are medications that control the itching without the side effects of steroids.

These would be my suggestions at this time. The owner would need to get the pet into the veterinarian to rule out other concerns if the vomiting or diarrhea persists.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Is it food allergies? | Pet Peeves