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 A
new study by More
Than Pet Insurance reveals that an increasing number of
UK pets are suffering from food intolerances and allergies.
Almost 10% of pets suffer from food intolerances, mirroring
the trend amongst humans estimated at 40-45% of the population.
Contrary to popular belief, food intolerance is likely to
be associated with the food that is most commonly eaten. Pets
are most often allergic to wheat (e.g. biscuits) and beef;
other common allergens include pork, chicken, milk, soy and
fish.
Recognising dietary intolerance is difficult for pet-owners
as recurring signs are often passed off as minor illnesses.
Once diagnosed, healing the problem is not so easy either.
This is made worse because of a lack of legislation governing
pet food labelling, which means pet owners cannot always clearly
identify what they are feeding their pets.
Pet food manufacturers are currently not obligated to name
actual ingredients and some pet food labels use general terms
such as 'meat by-products' and 'cereal or animal derivatives'.
More Than's Veterinary Adviser, Sophie de Pelet, comments:
"The way that we care and cater for our pets has changed
over the last 50 years. Dogs and cats are no longer kept outside
and fed on household scraps, but instead live indoors as part
of the family. They tend to be fed more dried, cereal-based
biscuits and canned food, the contents of which may be contributing
to dietary problems. We all like to treat our pets, but feeding
them snacks and titbits can also be at the root of dietary
intolerance in affected animals."
"Food allergy and intolerance symptoms that pets suffer
from are very similar to those seen in humans, for example,
eczema, dermatitis, vomiting, diarrhoea and lethargy, all
of which can be difficult to attribute to diet alone as this
can be caused by so many other disease processes. As a result,
diagnosis and treatment can be a lengthy and thus costly exercise.
Allergy tests carried out by vets can aid diagnosis, but can
cost in excess of £200. Exclusion diets (containing
unique forms of protein and carbohydrate specifically catered
for the animal in question) will be necessary to confirm diagnosis.
Most pet insurance policies will cover the costs of testing,
so pet owners should check their policy details to avoid unexpected
expense."
Paula Peacock, a Veterinary Nurse at Yorktest
Veterinary Service, Europe's leading specialist in food
intolerances, comments: "Since we launched our allergy
testing service for pets in 2000, more than 12,000 pets have
been tested for suspected food allergies and the results,
together with the subsequent action of both vets and owners,
have proved to be beneficial.
"There is now a wide range of veterinary prescription
diets available and while normal pet food is often poorly
labelled, there is also an ever-growing range of hypoallergenic
diets which do state all ingredients clearly to the benefit
of pet owners and vets. Vets will often also recommend a home-made
diet as with humans, prevention is often the best cure."
95% of vets surveyed agreed that pet insurance was a responsible
thing for pet owners to have as well as giving you the peace
of mind that vet bills will be covered.
(source: More Than pet insurance survey)
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Pet