SKIN ALLERGIES AND 100% PLANT-BASED DIET

An allergy occurs when the immune system produces antibodies against an allergen. These antibodies trigger a series of actions in the body that result in the release of inflammatory substances that cause itching.

Allergies in dogs usually appear between the first and second year of life, the symptoms are usually itching, redness of the skin in areas such as the paws, armpits or ears, the redness can evolve to thickened and darkened skin.

Skin allergy in cats also appears normally in the first years of life, but in them, the symptoms are more subtle and we see that cats increase scratching of certain areas of the body (head, belly and paws), they groom themselves more often or with greater intensity and/or they develop redness, sometimes the first thing we see in them are wounds in the skin especially on the head and neck due to excessive scratching.

The most common causes of skin allergy are:

1.- Flea bite allergy
2.- Food allergies
3.- Environmental allergies (atopy), caused by contact, ingestion or inhalation, are multifactorial.

As for food allergies, they occur when the immune system overreacts to a certain ingredient or component of the diet, in particular the protein fraction.

What foods cause allergies in dogs and cats most frequently?
 
In the case of dogs, the most common ingredients that cause allergies are:
beef, chicken, dairy, eggs, corn, wheat and soybeans. However, in cats allergies to dairy or fish are more common.

How does a 100% plant based diet help us with food allergies?

As you can see some of the ingredients contained in VeggieAnimals also produce food allergies, but most often these allergies are to products of animal origin, therefore our products are considered a hypoallergenic food as it does not contain the ingredients that have a greater relationship with these allergies.

In addition, a vegetable diet is rich in antioxidants and ingredients that produce fewer toxic waste substances for the body after digestion, which leads to less activation of the mechanisms responsible for inflammation and therefore helps control other types of allergies such as atopy by modulating the inflammatory response.

Finally, if you suspect that your buddy has a skin allergy, you notice that he is itching, its coat has changed in shine or appearance, is coarse or with shorter patches, that its skin is reddened, thickened, with pimples, wounds, or if you notice any other changes, visit your vet for advice and a diagnosis.