Chronic food-related health issues in animals, such as itchy skin and “leaky” gut are also known as intestinal dysbiosis. However, many affected dogs do not have diarrhea or weight loss, but instead commonly exhibit “hot spots”, chewing on the coat, and licking the paws or anus.
Other signs and symptoms include vague abdominal pain, acid reflux, nausea, abdominal bloating, flatulence, chronic fatigue, constipation, pancreatitis, and even seizures. Sometimes, serum liver enzyme levels are elevated; in other cases they are asymptomatic, and are diagnosed only after endoscopic intestinal biopsy.
Food sensitivity testing for common offending allergens and peptides in dogs (and cats) has been available for some time and tests for the grains most often associated with IBD and other symptoms of adverse food reactions – such as, but not limited to wheat and other glutens, like barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats (unless labelled as gluten-free), as well as corn (often a GMO product now) and soy (a phytoestrogen). These grain types are among the major constituents (top five ingredients) that make up the bulk of standard commercial kibble fed to most dogs.
