PAMPERED PETS

QMY four-year-old labrador has had several episodes of little bumps appearing all over the body. My vet calls them “hives” and suggests it is a reaction to a food allergy. What do you think?

AFOOD allergy (adverse reaction to food) is the third most common allergy after fleabite and hay fever.

To determine the exact thing your pet is allergic to is very difficult because the diagnosis can be quite lengthy, needs a dedicated owner, involvement of the entire family and is full of pitfalls, such as your pet scavenging for scraps when you are not watching.

Symptoms commonly include itching, with the dog licking and scratching the ears, face, feet, bottom and abdomen. Some dogs develop hives like yours.

Others have bacterial infections that respond to treatment but relapse once the treatment finishes if the underlying food allergy has not been diagnosed and dealt with.

To diagnose, a hypoallergenic diet is selected containing ingredients that the dog has never knowingly eaten and is therefore not allergic to.

This is then fed to the exclusion of all else for eight to 12 weeks. If there is an improvement, the pet’s original diet is then fed to see if there are signs of food intolerance.

Home-cooked diets have been suggested as the most reliable hypoallergenic diet but can be tedious for the owner. Commercial veterinary diets may make the diagnosis easier. These are nutritionally balanced and modified to be hypoallergenic. Your vet will recommend the most suitable one for your dog. ● David Grant MBE was a vet at the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital for Animals. Write to him at Express Yourself, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN. He is unable to enter into individual correspondence.