Last week Rocco had a relapse.  Not a serious one. But it was a sufficient reminder and further evidence that he is a sensitive dog suffering from food allergy and food intolerance.

Rocco is a one-and-a-half-year-old, black and white springer spaniel. As his owners tell me, he is a delightfully playful dog and very naughty. He is also a rather special pet, for Rocco was the first to notice that his owner was pregnant and would protectively follow her around the house watching over her.

I had last seen Rocco when we were treating him for a skin disorder found to be related to food allergies. He had since been placed on a special diet and was doing very well. So well, in fact, that when the family decided to treat themselves to a Chinese dinner, Rocco was allowed to partake of their dinner. The influence of Chinese food on Rocco quickly manifested itself.

Additives could end up being toxic to our pets

He began to show clear signs of discomfort. He listlessly paced the house and stood in corners panting miserably. Where usually he was only too willing to play, now he preferred to be left alone. The crisis happened when his owner took Rocco for a walk and saw that his urine was pink.

Having already been through all of this and taking an educated guess at what might have happened, Rocco’s owner carefully parted the fur all over his pet’s body and checked the skin beneath. Rocco had developed a patch of reddish scabs on the skin on his hind quarters, something his owner dreaded. At the clinic, I could see for myself that Rocco was not himself.

So much so that he could not hold his urine and peed in the clinic.  That allowed me to take a sample.  In the interim, we had a quick chat to eliminate the obvious – had Rocco eaten any foods that naturally contain red pigments, such as beetroots or foods with artificial red colouring. Beetroots were quickly eliminated, but the matter of Rocco having consumed Chinese food around 36 hours earlier pointed to a possible reason for his distress.

Chinese food is very nice to eat.  It looks good, and it certainly tastes good but what sometimes goes into it can be harmful to our pets. Although we have many excellent Chinese restaurants and outlets that produce good-quality Chinese food, this kind of nutrition is totally inappropriate for our pets. Even putting aside that much of it is deep-fried – never a good thing for dogs and cats – certain additives such as artificial food colouring and flavour enhancers that humans might be able to tolerate in small quantities could end up being toxic to our pets. Additionally, natural flavour enhancers that are good for humans might actually be harmful to animals.

Artificial food colouring

One of the most popular Chinese meals is sweet and sour pork, and while it is possible to achieve some level of red colour using natural ingredients, there is no way that the quasi-fluorescent red we sometimes see in this meal comes from anything natural. Although approved food colouring is widely used in all manner of pre-packaged and processed foods, the European Food Safety Authority has stated that there is insufficient evidence to support the safe use of the colourant Allura Red AC (E 129) for animals. The authority has recommended that studies be carried out for the possibility carcinogenicity and potential damage to DNA caused by Allura Red.

Artificial flavour enhancers

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is another approved artificial additive sometimes found in Chinese food (as well as others).

MSG started out as a natural flavour enhancer. It was first discovered in 1908 by a Japanese professor named Kikunae Ikeda, who extracted it from a glutamate-rich seaweed and used it to enhance savoury flavours. Today, it is commercially produced by mixing other ingredients to simulate the flavour enhancing qualities of the original MSG. Although it is generally regarded as safe to eat in small quantities, the US Food and Drug Administration acknowledges that it receives regular reports of negative side effects and allergies in humans. So if it’s not good for you, it’s even less good for your pet.

Natural flavour enhancers

It may come as a surprise that what is highly beneficial to most humans may be harmful to animals. Onions and garlic fall into this classification. Since these ingredients form the basis of many meals (not only Chinese), pet owners need to be particularly vigilant about feeding their pet dogs or cats leftovers or junk food.

Onions and garlic both contain thiosulphate, which can cause haemolytic anaemia and which, in turn, causes shortness of breath. Dogs are lacking the enzyme humans naturally have that helps us digest thiosulphate. Although it would take a large single meal of onions or garlic to trigger such a crisis, feeding your dog or cat repeated meals containing these ingredients is not beneficial to their well-being. It’s also worth bearing in mind that onions and garlic in any form, be they raw, cooked, dehydrated or powdered, are similarly harmful to pets.

Rocco’s urine was found to contain traces of blood, as well as being highly alkaline and he was given the appropriate treatment. The whole experience was yet again a confirmation of Rocco’s sensitivity to food. Although his owners regretted having relaxed Rocco’s food rules, it was easy to understand that they wanted him to share their meal just as if he was another member of the family.

They are now adamant that he will have to stick to his vet-approved diet… for his own good.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.