Expect to be at PetDerm for approximately 60 minutes. If you did not fill out the New Patient Intake form, please arrive 15 minutes early to fill out the form.
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Yes! We ask you to fill out our New Patient Intake that is detailed record of your experience of your pet’s symptoms. Please set aside 10 to 15 minutes to complete the intake. Also, we request medical history from your primary veterinarians(s) and you.
An elimination diet trial is the only accurate and reliable method to identify a food allergy. Intradermal allergy testing, blood testing and saliva/hair all produce unreliable results, please make an informed decision if you proceed with these tests.
At this time, there is no reliable at-home allergy test on the market. While they are available (using your pet’s hair or saliva), they are not validated nor tested against conventional allergy tests. Most importantly, they don’t provide you an accurate diagnosis nor with a solution for long-term allergy management. For food allergies, unfortunately, no […]
It is not recommended to use raw food for an elimination diet trial. Raw diets can pose health risks due to potential contamination with harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria. These bacteria can make both pets and their owners’ sick. For a safe and effective elimination diet, it’s best to use a specially formulated commercial diet or a home-cooked diet prepared […]
Food allergies may appear in dogs and cats at almost any age. Studies show, however, that food allergy is more likely than environmental allergy to appear in very young animals (less than 6 months) and in older animals.
Food allergy is a genuine allergic response where the immune system becomes overly sensitive to ingredients a pet has previously eaten. For food allergy to occur, the pet must have been exposed to the problematic allergen or a similar one with cross-reactivity. On the other hand, food intolerance doesn’t need prior sensitization and can happen […]
The only reliable way to diagnose food allergies in dogs and cats is through a strict elimination diet trial. While some tests claim to detect food allergies using blood, hair, or saliva, they are not reliable or dependable.
Food allergies account for up to approximately 30% of pets with allergies, but they can be layered with allergies to house dust mites, pollens, grasses, and trees, which makes it hard to treat with diet alone. And because there is no accurate food allergy testing available in veterinary medicine, a change in diet might only […]