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June 30, 2014
Is it the food?
Well my dog, Coco, developed a skin disorder soon after birth that caused her to shed layers of skin all over our house. After a few visits to our veterinarian and a few treatments that were only partially effective, my wife became very frustrated. Tumbleweeds and snowflakes are not a pretty sight on the floor.
We always have discussions about the root causes of disease. Coco's issue was no different. Could it be autoimmune or auto inflammatory like we see in humans? Why not.
In the Functional Medicine world of patient care this is a perfect place for an elimination diet protocol. My wife, being a nutrition based thinker, decided that this was the plan for Coco.
Experiment A: So, my poor dog went on a pure beef diet! After 3 weeks of no grains or other foods, her skin was clear. We were ecstatic.
Experiment B: What are the major triggers? We re-challenged her with many foods. So far she can eat most fruits, vegetables and beef. If we feed her grains like corn or wheat, her skin flares. We retried her old "high quality" dog food that had grains and her dandruff returned.
Now, I realize that this case is an N of 1 study and not proof of disease causation. However, it is a successful hypothesis modeled after human food responses that we see in clinic. It is highly likely that Coco's immune system was reacting to a food or multiple food proteins in her processed dog food.
The current state of food in the world is of concern. Modern processed and adulterated foods have made this era the largest experiment in human and animal history. Our immune systems are geared to respond to foreign proteins. As in celiac disease, if the body abnormally targets a food protein, then disease will develop. If the novel food proteins are genetically altered, is it not possible that our immune systems are overreacting because of the novel protein structure.
I am starting to believe that for many reasons this is occurring. Proving it is another story altogether. For now, we take it one patient or dog at a time and personalize the care and hopefully reach a successful outcome.
Dogs - love em!,
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