Skin and Coat Problems: Allergy or Intolerance?
The food you feed your dog or cat plays a crucial role in maintaining good health, healthy skin, and a shiny coat. A balanced, high-quality diet provides your pet with all the essential vitamins, proteins, and nutrients needed for optimal skin condition. However, problems can arise from sensitivities, which often lead to itching, dandruff, hair loss, or other symptoms. This article examines food sensitivities, allergies, and intolerances, highlighting causes, diagnoses, and solutions—including practical tips.
"My dog or cat is itchy"
Parasites, especially fleas, are the most common culprit. Even if you hardly see any fleas, a flea allergy can cause severe itching for months. Mites such as ear mites, scabies mites, demodex or cheyletiella (walking dandruff), lice, and sand fleas are also common.
Then come allergies: an allergy to flea saliva, a food allergy or food intolerance (often itching of the paws, ears, groin, and around the anus), or atopy, an allergy to environmental factors such as dust mites, pollen, grass, or mold. Contact allergy to, for example, a new bed, shampoo, or floor cleaner is less common, but does occur.
Skin infections are a common next step: bacterial infections or a yeast infection (Malassezia) that cause a characteristic musty or "elephant-skin" odor, especially between the toes, in the groin, and ears. Sometimes dry skin due to a lack of essential fatty acids, excessive washing, or excessively dry indoor air plays a role.
In older animals, hormonal problems such as an underactive thyroid, Cushing's disease, or a sex hormone imbalance can cause itching. Stress, boredom, or anxiety can sometimes lead to excessive licking or biting, especially in cats.
In rare cases, it concerns autoimmune diseases, fungal infections such as ringworm or even pain elsewhere in the body that causes the animal to continue licking or biting a certain spot.
Food Sensitivity: Allergy or Intolerance?
Food hypersensitivity is an umbrella term for abnormal reactions to ingredients in food. This includes food allergies (immunological reactions) and food intolerances (non-immunological reactions). Symptoms often resemble each other—such as itching, skin inflammation, or gastrointestinal upset—making a thorough examination essential. Your veterinarian can determine the exact cause.
With a food intolerance, the body cannot properly digest a substance, for example, due to an enzyme deficiency. This leads to triggers such as lactose (milk sugar), which causes gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, or flatulence. It's similar to lactose intolerance in humans, where lactase is lacking.
A food allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to proteins (allergens). The body perceives these as a threat and launches a defense, releasing histamine. This causes itching, redness, and inflammation. Common allergens include chicken, beef, wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, as well as dyes and preservatives. Note: an allergy doesn't indicate feed quality; the animal is simply hypersensitive to a specific protein. Histamine plays a major role here and can build up like an overflowing bucket, leading to chronic symptoms. Meats with high histamine levels include pork, lamb, game (venison, pigeon), and fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines). Beef, chicken, turkey, and horse are low in histamine and cause fewer problems.
Prevalence of Allergies in Dogs and Cats: Allergies occur in a significant proportion of pets, although exact figures are estimates due to varying diagnostics. An estimated 20-25% of dogs exhibit allergic symptoms, of which approximately 2% have a diagnosed food allergy (via elimination diets). Of these food allergies, 80-90% stem from animal proteins and less than 5% from plant proteins such as gliadins in gluten (e.g., wheat, spelt). Environmental allergens cause as much as 80-90% of all allergies, so changing the food isn't always necessary.
With a food intolerance, the body cannot properly digest a substance, for example, due to an enzyme deficiency. This leads to triggers such as lactose (milk sugar), which causes gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, or flatulence. It's similar to lactose intolerance in humans, where lactase is lacking.
A food allergy occurs when the immune system overreacts to proteins (allergens). The body perceives these as a threat and launches a defense, releasing histamine. This causes itching, redness, and inflammation. Common allergens include chicken, beef, wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, as well as dyes and preservatives. Note: an allergy doesn't indicate feed quality; the animal is simply hypersensitive to a specific protein. Histamine plays a major role here and can build up like an overflowing bucket, leading to chronic symptoms. Meats with high histamine levels include pork, lamb, game (venison, pigeon), and fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines). Beef, chicken, turkey, and horse are low in histamine and cause fewer problems.
Prevalence of Allergies in Dogs and Cats: Allergies occur in a significant proportion of pets, although exact figures are estimates due to varying diagnostics. An estimated 20-25% of dogs exhibit allergic symptoms, of which approximately 2% have a diagnosed food allergy (via elimination diets). Of these food allergies, 80-90% stem from animal proteins and less than 5% from plant proteins such as gliadins in gluten (e.g., wheat, spelt). Environmental allergens cause as much as 80-90% of all allergies, so changing the food isn't always necessary.
Totaal allergieën: 100%
├── Milieu (pollen, mijt, vlooien): 85–90%
└── Voedsel: 5–10%
├── Vlees/ei/zuivel: 80–90% → ~4–9% van totaal
├── Granen: <5% → <0,5% van totaal
└── Overig (additieven, etc.): rest
Prevalence in population
Important:
Certain breeds are more susceptible to food allergies, including the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Dalmatian, West Highland White Terrier, Sharpei, Lhasa Apso, Cocker Spaniel, Springer Spaniel, Miniature Schnauzer, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Dachshund, and Boxer. |
Allergy
|
Dogs
|
Cats
|
|---|---|---|
|
Flea allergy
|
5–10%
|
5–12%
|
|
Food allergy
|
1–2%
|
0.5–1%
|
|
Atopic dermatitis
|
10–15%
|
10–15%
|
|
Contact allergy
|
<1%
|
<1%
|
Important:
- 80–90% of all itching in dogs/cats is an allergy.
- Flea allergy = very common, especially in cats.
- Food allergy = rare , but often misdiagnosed .
Other causes of itching and skin problems Itching often has multiple causes, physiological or psychological:
- Physiological: Dermatitis, parasites (fleas, ticks, mites), wounds, allergies, anal gland problems (blockage leading to 'sledding'), seborrhea (disturbed sebum production, hereditary or due to infections/allergies).
- Psychological: Stress, anxiety, boredom or OCD-like behavior (excessive licking as self-calming).
Most common food allergies in dogs
Most common food allergies in cats
|
Rank
|
Allergen
|
Percentage (average)
|
Comments
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Beef
|
30–35%
|
By far the most common
|
|
2
|
Dairy
|
15–20%
|
Milk, cheese, yogurt
|
|
3
|
Chicken
|
12–15%
|
Including chicken meat and fat
|
|
4
|
Soy
|
8–12%
|
Higher than lamb
|
|
5
|
Wheat
|
8–10%
|
Gluten intolerance often confused
|
|
6
|
Lamb
|
4–7%
|
Lower than soy
|
|
7
|
Corn
|
3–5%
|
Less frequently
|
|
8
|
Fish / Egg
|
< 3%
|
Rarely a primary allergen
|
Most common food allergies in cats
|
Rank
|
Allergen
|
Comments
|
|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Beef
|
Most common
|
|
2
|
Fish
|
Common in tuna or salmon food
|
|
3
|
Chicken
|
Often in dry food
|
|
4
|
Dairy
|
Less common
|
|
5
|
Soy
|
Less often than in dogs
|
Diagnosis. Diagnosis is complex because itching overlaps with fleas, mites, anal gland infections, ear infections, or multiple conditions. First, rule out parasites, then food allergies through a strict elimination diet (9 weeks of new protein/carbohydrate, no treats). Improvement? Stick with that food. No improvement? Investigate atopy with a blood or skin test (not 100% reliable).
Some tips that you can also find under 'Diet' for dogs and cats are:
In case of food hypersensitivity/allergy:
- Hypoallergenic, gluten/grain-free options: BF® Adult Turkey (grain-free), BF® Pressed Lamb (gluten-free), BF® Pressed Salmon (grain-free), BF® Lamb & Rice (gluten-free), BF® Sensitive Mini (grain-free), BIOFOOD wet food (single protein, grain-free: chicken, beef, turkey), BF® Sensitive for cats.
- Supplement with BF® Scottish Salmon Oil for dogs and cats, BF® Liquid Sheep Fat, or BF® Sheep Fat Salmon Candies, both for dogs. Protein-free or low-protein.
- BF® Garlic Tablets (various varieties) for dogs and cats, BF® 3-in-1 Garlic & Herb Cookies, BF® Garlic Bonbons (maxi/mini) for dogs, or the BF® natural herb mix with garlic. Due to the strict European Claims Regulation, we are only allowed to provide very limited information about the effects of products containing herbs, including garlic.
- BF® Relax Tablets (valerian) for dogs and cats, BF® 3in1 Relax Biscuits for dogs or BF® Probiotic products for dogs and cats.
- High fiber: BF® Weight Control (very high in fiber), BIOFOOD Bio Chicken All Life Stages (high in fiber), BF® Probiotic tablets for dogs and cats, BF® 3-in-1 Grass & Poo Biscuits for firm stools (don't overfeed) for dogs, and BF® Urinary Control for cats.
- BF® Scottish Salmon Oil (high in omega-3) for dogs and cats, special shampoos. A combination often works best.
- BF® Scottish Salmon Oil for dogs and cats, BF® Liquid Sheep Fat, BF® Sheep Fat Candies for dogs, or BF® Natural Herbal Mix for dogs and cats for digestion, metabolism, joints, stress, and skin/coat. Avoid excessive brushing/bathing; provide a humid environment.
In our shop, under 'Diet', you can see which food and/or other products we recommend for your dog and/or cat.
For more information, email info@bfpetfood.nl or use the contact page.
