Food allergies account for roughly 10% of allergies diagnosed in pets, and can arise at any time - even in response to food the animal has eaten for years. Nearly as common as inhalant allergies, food allergies or sensitivities can wreak havoc on a pet's health and like inhalant allergies, may also have the primary symptom of itching skin. It's common for pets with food allergies to lick their paws or other areas of skin after eating foods they are sensitive to.

Food allergies may also cause digestive symptoms like diarrhea, loose or mucusy stools and gas. These symptoms occur more often in severe cases of food allergy, but they arise from many causes, so see your vet for symptoms appearing for the first time, or those that are unusual for your pet. We have more suggestions for people with pets experiencing these digestive symptoms in our next email, so don't miss it if your pet has gastrointestinal woes!

The good news about food allergies is that the "testing" is largely done at home and once addressed, many food allergies resolve quite well. The idea is to evaluate the ingredients in everything your pet eats, temporarily eliminate those foods and all their ingredients, then slowly re-introduce each type of food or ingredient one at a time. Monitoring your pet for the recurrence of symptoms identifies the offending foods or ingredients. Allergy formula foods are often suggested.

A holistic vet or a holistic pet care reference book can help you devise an appropriate elimination program and menu. For dog parents, we highly recommend the book, The Allergy Solution for Dogs. Many pet parents begin with one of these six strategies to start looking for the allergy-provoking elements in their pet's diet:

• Choose Novel Proteins: Allergies to specific sources of meat protein are becoming more common in pets. Many holistic pet food makers recognize the need for alternative proteins in foods, which offer allergic pets a chance to eat a completely new source of protein that they have not been exposed to before. Many of these foods use fish, game meats, and other unique proteins, which can be a blessing for pets sensitive to the usual protein sources like chicken or beef.

• Opt for Grain-Free: As with meat proteins, grains also have unique protein qualities that can trigger an allergic response in pets. Cats in particular may benefit from a switch to a grain-free food, as they lack some enzymes to digest carbohydrates and thus are more likely to have issues with grain-heavy foods. Many great grain-free formulas are available for cats and for dogs.

• Switch to Raw Food: Sometimes food sensitivities may arise from chronic improper digestion or simply from other elements found in canned or dry foods. Raw foods are highly digestible and free of many extra ingredients required in cooked or canned foods, so a raw diet may ease the response in allergic pets.

• Try Home-Prepared: For severe allergies, there's no better way to go. At its most basic, you provide meals with just one to three ingredients, including your own choice of raw or cooked meat. While a bit more time consuming, this strategy offers the most control and is the fastest way to assess food allergies. We offer many books with tips on home-prepared diets for allergic pets, as well as food pre-mixes to help make home food prep easier.

• Seek Simple Formulas: Some holistic pet food manufacturers have developed formulas for allergic pets following the "simple is better" rule of thumb, with a small number of ingredients, making your allergy sleuthing work easier, and easing the digestive burden on the allergic pet.

• Go Organic: The extra purity and quality that goes into organic pet foods can make a big difference for pets, particularly those whose allergies are hard to pin down. If meat proteins, grains, or other elimination diets don't identify the offenders, switching to organic food may bring the results an allergic pet needs.

For more information on Food Sensitivities & Allergies, please read our Holistic Healthcare Library articles, "The Role of Protein in Good Nutrition," "Is Grain-Free Food Right for Your Companion?" and Ask the Vet: Food Allergies."