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Nadia,
The only guidance I’ve ever received or read from trustworthy experts in diagnosing and treating dog food allergies is a food trial:
*Novel protein diet for up to 12 weeks (or other hypoallergenic test diet, like hydrolyzed) to evaluate for relief
*Followed by challenging testing the dog with one single food at a time, a former/suspected ingredient allergenI’ve been there, with a very itchy dog with food and other allergies. And the above is the route I’ve followed, with a primary care vet and boarded specialist. We also did things to exclude other diagnoses. That’s what I would recommend.
I’ve heard (and read here) of others referencing blood tests, saliva tests, hair tests, etc. But to the best of my knowledge, there is not medical evidence to support their efficacy and they are not the standard of care in the medical community.
I worry that such tests not only scam well-meaning pet owners out of money (which they could use otherwise to help their pets), but also lead people to come up with long lists of ingredients that their dogs are supposedly allergic to such that diet choices become severely limited. (IMO, it is very unlikely that these dogs are allergic to numerous and very uncommon things, things that the dog has never been exposed to.)
Re fleas, allergy or standard reactions to them are more common than are food allergies. (Inhalant and environmental allergies also are common culprits for itching.)
Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. It will eliminate a lot of flea problems. Flea dirt is more likely to be discovered than fleas and fleas spend more of their life cycle off the dog in its environment than on. Vacuuming will also help keep pollen, irritants lower inside (as will removing shoes, etc.)
Just saw this last night on News 11 NYC. Horrible to watch. Her vet said nothing to her about possible side effects of these meds. I always wondered why people wold not even think twice about giving their pet these oral pesticides.
https://pix11.com/2019/07/22/side-effects-risk-of-some-flea-and-tick-medications/Let’s hope it’s acute rather than chronic, maybe he got into something toxic?
Did he receive oral or topical flea/tick medication recently? Seresto collar?
See how he looks 10 days from now. But I would leave a message for your vet to call you back and discuss if he continues to be sick
Example /forums/topic/4-year-old-chihuahua-jack-russel-mix-and-seizures/#post-120430
Anon Whole Dog Journal’s article regarding DCM sounds pretty science based to me. There are also articles in Whole Dog Journal regarding the negative effects of yearly vaccinations for our pets . Holistic is not voodoo science anyway. Where some vets will push everything the drug salesman brings to their practice, holistic vets questions the need and the worth of giving certain medications when at times the side effects are worse then the problem . Example flea and tick medicines. Some have devastating effects on the health of our pets and the vets don’t find out till it’s too late. Below is full Whole Dog Journals article .
DCM in Dogs: Taurineās Role in the Canine Diet
What is taurine-deficiency dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and how can dog owners prevent it? (Hint: It involves more than just grain-free foods.)By Linda P. Case – August 15, 20180
TAURINE FOR DOGS: OVERVIEW
Taurine Is Needed For:
1. Healthy heart function
2. As a component of bile acids
3. Retinal function
4. Reproductive healthDietary Risk Factors for Reduced Taurine Status:
ā Low-protein diet (limited taurine precursors)
ā Heat-damaged or poor-quality protein sources
ā High dietary fiber (i.e., rice bran, beet pulp, cellulose)
ā Lamb and rice diets (speculated)
ā Plant-based protein sources (peas, lentils, legumes) (speculated)Possible Risk Factors for Taurine-Deficiency DCM:
BREEDS
American Cocker Spaniel
English Setter
Golden Retriever
Labrador Retriever
Newfoundland
St. BernardSIZE
Large-breed dogs
Dogs with slower metabolic ratesDIET
Factors that reduce taurine production
Factors that increase taurine-degrading microbes in the intestine
Factors that reduce bile acid productionIn mid-July 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an alert to veterinarians and pet owners regarding reports of increased incidence of a heart disease called canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This disorder is characterized by weakening of the heart muscle, which leads to a decreased ability of the heart to pump, and if untreated, to cardiac failure. The reported cases occurred in breeds that are not considered to be genetically predisposed to this disorder.
Further, a significant number of the dogs were found to have reduced levels of circulating taurine in their blood and have responded positively to taurine supplementation. It is speculated that these cases are related to the consumption of foods that negatively affect taurine status, leading to taurine-deficiency DCM. Foods containing high levels of peas, lentils, other legume seeds, and/or potatoes were identified by the FDA as potential risk factors. These ingredients are found commonly in foods that are formulated and promoted as āgrain-free.ā
As these things go, there followed a lot of hype and a fair bit of hysteria in response. Let us avoid this type of reaction and instead look at the evidence: What do we currently know about the role of diet and taurine in the development of DCM in dogs ā and how is it that āgrain-freeā foods have been recently targeted as a possible dietary cause?
grain free dog food concerns
Signs of Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in DogsDCM is a disease of the heart, which causes the heart muscles themselves to weaken, which, in turn, reduces the ability of the heart to pump blood through the dogās body as it should. The heart becomes enlarged and flabby, and fluid begins to accumulate in the dogās lungs. As this condition progresses, it causes congestive heart failure.
Early signs of DCM may include:
ā Lethargy, decreased energy
ā A persistent cough
ā Difficulty breathing, rapid or excessive breathing, or seeming shortness of breath
ā Episodes of collapse
ā Anorexia (chronic loss of appetite)By the time these signs appear, the disease may already be fairly advanced. Thatās why itās important to make an appointment to see your veterinarian right away if your dog displays any of these signs, or more than one of these signs. Often, owners of middle-aged or senior dogs think that their dogsā symptoms are ājust old age,ā but a quick diagnosis and treatment can restore an affected dogās quality of life to nearly normal ā and extend the dogās life far past an untreated dogās prognosis.
Treatment usually involves medications that help the dogās heart to contract, slow his rapid pulse, help control the accumulation of fluid in his lungs, and dilate his blood vessels ā all actions that will improve the heartās performance.
What is Taurine? Why Do Dogs Need Taurine?
The nutrient taurine is a unique type of amino acid, called a beta-amino sulfonic acid. It is not incorporated into proteins but rather is found primarily as a free amino acid in body tissues and circulating in the blood. Taurine has many functions, but two that are important for this discussion involve its role in normal heart function and its presence as a component of bile acids, which are needed for fat digestion. Most animals obtain adequate taurine to meet their needs by producing it endogenously (in the body) from two other amino acids, methionine and cysteine.
This means that while most animals require taurine physiologically, most do not have a dietary requirement for taurine. The exception to this rule is the cat. Cats (but not dogs) always require a source of taurine in their food. If they do not have it, one of the diseases that they can develop (and possibly die from) is ā you guessed it ā DCM.
taurine structure
Taurine-deficiency DCM is well documented in cats. We also know quite a lot about the dietary factors that contribute to this disease in that species. In contrast, dogs (usually) do not require a source of dietary taurine. However, we know that some dogs still develop taurine-deficiency DCM. Why does this happen? The history of DCM in cats can help in untangling what may be occurring in dogs.Taurine-Deficiency DCM in Cats
Looking back, I cannot avoid a sense of dĆ©jĆ vu. In the early 1980s, veterinarians began reporting increased incidences of DCM in pet cats. By 1987, a role for dietary taurine was suspected. In a seminal study, a veterinary researcher at UC Davis reported low plasma (blood) taurine levels in 21 cats with clinical signs of DCM.ā1 When the cats were supplemented with taurine, all 21 recovered from the disease. This discovery led to a series of controlled studies that supported the existence of taurine-deficiency DCM in cats who were fed diets that contained sufficient concentrations of taurine.
What was going on?
It has to do with bile acids. Another role of taurine in the body is that it is necessary for normal bile acid function. Taurine is linked to bile acids in the liver to form bile salts. During digestion, these compounds are secreted into the small intestine, where they function to aid in fat digestion. Animals are very efficient at conserving the taurine that is secreted into the intestine by reabsorbing the bile salts back into the body further down the intestinal tract. This occurs through a process called āenterohepatic reutilizationā and prevents a daily loss of taurine in the feces.
Herein lies the problem for cats with DCM: If anything happens during digestion that causes the degradation of the bile salt taurine or that inhibits its reabsorption into the body, more is lost in the feces. If this happens consistently, the cat will experience an increase in his or her daily need for dietary taurine. Simply put ā if anything causes the cat to poop out more taurine-bile acid complexes (or their degraded by-products), the cat will be in danger of a taurine deficiency if a higher level is not provided in the diet.
This is exactly what was happening in the cats with taurine-deficiency DCM ā and is possibly what we are seeing today in dogs. The difference is that we know what diet factors caused taurine deficiency in cats during the late 1980s. These factors are not yet fully understood for dogs (but we can make a few guesses).
What We Know About Diet and Taurine Status
The studies with cats found that several dietary factors influenced taurine status. These were the level and type of dietary protein, the amount and type of dietary fiber, and the degree of heat that was used during food processing. These factors could affect taurine status in three ways:
1. Bile Acid Binding
Certain fibers and peptides (small protein chains) in the food can bind with bile salts in the small intestine and make them unavailable for reabsorption into the body. This results in an increased daily loss of taurine in the feces and a subsequent increase in daily taurine requirement to replace that loss.
2. Increased Microbial Degradation
Thermal processing of protein (extrusion or canning) can lead to the production of Maillard products ā complexes of sugars and amino acids that are poorly digested in the small intestine. The undigested complexes travel to the large intestine and provide an intestinal environment that favors increased numbers of taurine-degrading bacteria. An increase in these bacterial populations reduces the proportion of taurine that is available for reabsorption and reuse by the body.
3. Reduced Taurine Availability
Taurine is found naturally in animal-based proteins but is not found in plant-based protein sources. Therefore, providing diets that include a sufficient level of high-quality animal proteins (that are not heat damaged) should ensure adequate taurine intake.
However, protein that is of low quality or that has been excessively heat-treated will be poorly digested, reducing the availability of taurine and of its precursor amino acids, cysteine and methionine.
In the early 1990s, in response to this new information regarding the interaction of dietary factors and taurine status in cats (and their relationship to DCM in cats), the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) increased the recommendations for dietary taurine in extruded and canned cat foods.
Taurine Deficiency in Dogs
Unlike the cat, dogs who are fed diets containing adequate levels of protein should be capable of synthesizing enough taurine from cysteine and methionine to meet their needs. Therefore, a requirement for dietary taurine has not been generally recognized in dogs.
However, there is evidence ā evidence that we have had for at least 15 years ā that certain breeds of dogs, and possibly particular lines within breeds, exhibit a high prevalence of taurine-deficiency DCM. Genetically predisposed breeds include the American Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Saint Bernard, Newfoundland, and English Setter.ā Although the exact underlying cause is not known, it appears that some breeds have either a naturally occurring higher requirement for taurine or a metabolic abnormality that affects their taurine synthesis or utilization.
A second factor that affects taurine status in dogs is size. There is evidence that a large adult size and a relatively slow metabolic rate influences the rate of taurine production in the body and may subsequently lead to a dietary taurine requirement. It is theorized that increased body size in dogs is associated with an enhanced risk for developing taurine deficiency and that this risk may be exacerbated by a breed-specific genetic predisposition.
There is additional evidence that large and giant breed dogs have lower rates of taurine production compared with small dogs. Ultimately, studies suggest that certain dogs possess a genetic predisposition to taurine depletion and increased susceptibility to taurine-deficiency DCM and that this susceptibility may be related to the combined factors of breed, size, and metabolic rate.
Taurine in Dog Food Diets
The recent spate of cases and media attention to taurine-deficiency DCM in dogs suggests that this is a very new problem in dogs. However, it is not new. A connection between diet and DCM in dogs was first described in a paper published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2001. What is new is the sudden focus on certain pet food ingredients and the target that appears to have been placed upon the backs of all āgrain-freeā pet food brands by some bloggers and veterinarians.
Not to put too fine a point on this, but the 12 cases of taurine-deficiency DCM described in the 2001 paper were collected between 1997 and 2001, years before grain-free dog foods had arrived on the pet food scene. Rather than disparage one class or type of dog food (or pet food company), it is more important to look at specific dietary factors that may be involved in DCM in dogs.
Generally speaking, these are expected to be the same as those identified for cats, including low protein levels, poorly processed or heat-damaged proteins (leading to Maillard products), and the inclusion of a high proportion of plant-based protein sources such as peas and legumes.
Over the past 15 years, reduced taurine status in dogs has been associated with feeding lamb meal and rice diets, soybean-based diets, rice bran, beet pulp, and high fiber diets. As with cats, there appear to be multiple dietary (and genetic) factors involved.
For example, it was theorized that the perceived (not proven) association between lamb meal and taurine status was due to low levels of available amino acids present in the lamb meal, or to excessive heat damage of the protein, or to the confounding factor of the inclusion of rice bran in many lamb meal-containing foods. To date, none of these factors have been conclusively proven or disproven. However, the most recent study showed that three types of fiber source ā rice bran, cellulose, and beet pulp ā all caused reduced plasma taurine levels in dogs when included in a marginally low protein diet, with beet pulp causing the most pronounced decrease.
Complicated? You bet. This is why it is important to avoid making unsupported claims about certain foods and brands. Taurine-deficiency DCM has been around for a while in dogs and continues to need study before making definitive conclusions about one or more specific dietary causes.
Current Considerations of Taurine in Dog Food
We know that any dietary factor that reduces the availability of taurine precursors, binds taurine bile salts in the intestine, or causes an increase in the bacteria populations that degrade taurine, can reduce a dogās ability to synthesize taurine or will increase taurine degradation and/or loss in the feces. These changes could ultimately compromise a dogās taurine status (especially if the dog was genetically predisposed) and affect heart health. In extreme cases, as we are seeing, this can lead to taurine-deficiency DCM (see āA Few Things to Know About Taurineā above).
The FDA report identified foods that contain high amounts of peas, lentils, legume seeds, or potatoes to be of potential concern. The FDA also stated that the underlying cause of DCM in the reported cases is not known and that at this time, the diet-DCM relationship is only correlative (not causative). However, this has not stopped various bloggers and even some veterinarians from targeting small pet food companies and/or grain-free brands of food, and implying that these foods, and these foods alone, are causing taurine-deficiency DCM in dogs. Their reasoning is that peas and legumes are present in high amounts in foods that are formulated and marketed as grain-free.
However, the truth is that many companies and brands of food include these ingredients. More importantly, there is no clear evidence showing that a particular dog food type, brand, or even ingredient is solely responsible for taurine-deficiency DCM in dogs.
Rather, it is more reasonable and responsible to speculate that one or more of these ingredients, their interactions, or the effects of ingredient quality, heat treatment, and food processing may play a role. Furthermore, the underlying cause could be the protein, starch, or fiber fractions of these ingredients. As plant-source proteins, peas, lentils, and legumes include varying amounts of starch (both digestible and resistant forms) and dietary fiber. These protein sources are also generally less nutritionally complete and less digestible than are high quality animal source proteins ā additional factors that could influence a dogās ability to both produce and use taurine. Potatoes, in contrast, provide a digestible source of starch in an extruded food but also contain varying levels of resistant starch, which is not digested and behaves much like dietary fiber in the intestinal tract.
Conclusions on Grain-Free Food and DCM
Because any or all of these dietary factors could be risk factors for taurine-deficiency DCM in dogs, and because peas, legumes, and other ingredients identified by the FDA report have not yet been fully studied, the heart of the matter is that no conclusions can yet be made about the underlying dietary cause or causes of taurine-deficiency DCM in dogs.
But given what we do know, we recommend feeding a diet that contains sufficient levels of high-quality, animal-source protein, does not include plant-source proteins as primary protein sources, and does not contain high levels of dietary fiber.
If you are worried about your dogās taurine status or heart health, whether due to his diet history or physical signs that are of concern, see your veterinarian for a complete physical examination and, if needed, to measure plasma levels of taurine.ā
Cited Studies
1. Pion PD, Kittleson MD, Rogers QR, et al. āMyocardial failure in cats associated with low plasma taurine: A reversible cardiomyopathy.ā Science 1987; 237:764-768.
2. Earl KE, Smith PM. āThe effect of dietary taurine content on the plasma taurine concentration of the cat.ā British Journal of Nutrition 1991; 66:227-235.
3. Hickman MA, Morris JG, Rogers QR. āEffect of processing on the fate of dietary taurine in cats.ā Journal of Nutrition 1990; 120:995-1000.
4. Hickman HA, Morris JG, Rogers QR. āIntestinal taurine and the enterohepatic circulation of taurocholic acid in the cat.ā Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 1992; 315:45-54.
5. Freeman LM, Rush JE, Brown DJ, et al. āRelationship between circulating and dietary taurine concentrations in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy.ā Veterinary Therapeutics 2001; 370-378.
6. Backus RC, Ko KS, Fascetti AJ. āLow plasma taurine concentration in Newfoundland dogs is associated with low plasma methionine and cysteine concentrations and low taurine synthesis.ā Journal of Nutrition 2006; 136:2525-2533.
7. Ko KS, Backus RC, Berg JR, et al. āDifferences in taurine synthesis rate among dogs relate to differences in their maintenance energy requirement.ā Journal of Nutrition 2007; 137:1171-1175.
8. Fascetti AJ, Reed JR, Roger QR, et al. āTaurine deficiency in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy: 12 cases (1997 ā 2001).ā Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 2001; 223:1137-1141.
9. Delaney SJ, Kass PH, Rogers QR, Fascetti AJ. āPlasma and whole blood taurine in normal dogs of varying size fed commercially prepared food.ā Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2003; 87:235-244.
10. Torres CL, Backus RC, Fascetti AJ, et al. āTaurine status in normal dogs fed a commercial diet associated with taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy.ā Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2003; 87:359-372.
11. Ko KS, Fascetti AJ. āDietary beet pulp decreases taurine status in dogs fed low protein diet.ā Journal of Animal Science and Technology 2016; 58:29-39.
Linda P. Case is the owner of AutumnGold Consulting & Dog Training Center in Mahomet, Illinois. Linda is the author of Dog Food Logic, has a new book, Dog Smart, and writes The Science Dog blog.
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Reporting Dogsā Adverse Reactions is Your DutyLEAVE A REPLY
Well, as you said that your wife is pregnant, so it is better that you should go for natural remedies. There are many things that really do work naturally like using of health food store, neem oil, add some garlic to their food which will help to kill the fleas.
Another method is Borax, if you have carpet in your home, you can sprinkle them and after 24 hours you can become up.
But, if these methods does not work, then you can go for pest control services, as they will have an extensive experience in flea control.Topic: Anxiety Scratching
Back in December, my mother adopted a 3 year old beagle from a local rescue group. She had been shipped up to NY from KY. Her “story” was that she had been tied outside, used to breed, was mistreated and had no social contact with people. She arrived in NY missing 4-5 of her front teeth. Why they had been extracted is a mystery, but it could have been from her attempting to free herself of the rope/chain around her neck, eating rocks or tooth decay. Despite her rough start, she’s a sweetheart. Tail always wagging.
She has never experienced affection. She jumps up on her hind legs to greet you, but doesn’t lick. She plays well with my mother’s other dog, a 3 year old mixed breed.
But she has this one issue: constant scratching under her neck. From day 1 this has been an issue. At first, the vet that the rescue uses said it could be from the medication she was on (from the dental surgery), or from the flea/tick preventative that they had given her prior to her trip up north, or the dewormer that they give prior to any adoption.
The scratching never stopped and it’s completely random. We’ve brought her back to the vet. They gave her a different antibiotic. No help. We asked if it could possible be an emotional response and she said that dogs don’t do that (which I didn’t believe).
So now it’s been almost 3 months and she still scratches, day and night. I’ve tried anti-itch cream but it doesn’t help. She’s scratching herself raw. She does have separation anxiety. She’ll cry and howl at the front door if you leave. It’s gotten better over time but she does not like being left alone.
And now we’ve noticed accidents when my mother has gone to let them out in the morning. Since no one witnesses it, we don’t know for sure which dog has been peeing. But my mother’s other dog doesn’t have issues like that. And it only happens after my mother goes to bed and the dogs are left alone.
Is there anything that can be done to address the itching?
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https://enewstalk.com/dwEzoqI had 3 dogs. One was a 13 year healthy Chihuahua. Another one was a healthy 10 year MinPin Chihuahua. And my healthy 10 year old Boxer mix. I had always bought them Pedigree dog food. I started to do research on healthier dog food and the grain free got good reviews so back in 2016 I changed to grain free. All my dogs were very healthy at the time. After changing to grain free dog food I now have 2 dogs that have passed and my Boxer is now sick. All within 2 years of feeding them grain free dog food. They have all gotten congestive heart failure. I thought I was doing something wrong for all my dogs to be passing from this disease. After talking to my vet and doing the math. I realized that it was the grain free dog food killing my animals. My MinPin started to have allergies. It started with ear problems. I was slow to figure out what was going on and I so I lost my MinPin the day after Christmas. Grain free is killing our fur babies and so is the toxic flea medication. Its pure pesticide that you put on your animal. If you love your fur babies, don’t feed them grain free dog or the toxic flea medication.
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