Jenny Liu, DVM
The warm weather is upon us and so begins allergy season for both
human and beast. Medically speaking, from both Western and Eastern
perspectives, the allergy symptoms means the body is out of balance. For
animals that have allergies the most common manifestation is skin and/or ear
disease vs. humans whom commonly have “hay fever” signs of runny nose,
congestion, itchy eyes etc. In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine
(TCVM) this is the manifestation of excess Heat and the generation of
“Wind” which causes itching. In Western medicine, the interpretation is an
overreaction of the immune system causing inflammation, histamine release
leading to redness, itching & swelling. The scratching or irritation breaks
the normal skin barrier which then allows secondary infection by the
bacteria and yeast.
In Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), food is
considered one component of medicine. Food items are viewed to have
certain thermal and other characteristics that can help the body get back to or
maintain balance. Food is a component of therapy that can be done at
home. TCVM usually recommends foods that have “Cooling” energy to
help quell all the Heat generated from the inflammation.
So what are foods with cooling energy?
Below is a list one can consider adding to or changing the current diet from:
Proteins Carbohydrates Vegetables/Fruit
Turkey, Duck, Rabbit,
White fish, Liver,
Gizzard, small amounts
of sardines
Barley, Oats, Rice,
Millet, Quinoa
Sweet potato, Tofu,
Corn, Carrots, dark
leafy greens, Broccoli,
radish, daikon radish,
green beans, asparagus,
zucchini, cucumber,
summer/winter squash,
beets, Watermelon,
apples, pear, banana,
berries, Seaweed
It’s good to rotate through the various proteins, carbohydrates
and vegetables if possible. Also cooking the foods will help digestion
and appeal for some animals (especially older pets). For example, the
family Labradors, are the typical “hoovers,” but even they will drop raw
spinach or greens to the floor. However, if you offer them steamed or
cooked spinach in their food they gobble it up with no problem. Even if
your pet does not suffer from allergies they will likely still enjoy these
foods. If you decide to go completely homemade for your pet, then
consultation with a veterinary nutritionist is advised so that nutritional
deficiencies can be avoided
If your pet has allergies and is on a lamb, venison or chicken based
diet, TCVM usually recommends changing away from this. Theses proteins
are considered Warming or Hot energetically and usually further aggravate
skin conditions. If your pet is on dry food, it is also recommended that they
change (gradually to can food or fresh foods). Dry food takes a lot of energy
for the body to break down and also generates Heat with digestion, which
further contributes to allergies.
The caveat to all this is if your pet has true allergy to certain
proteins or other food items then adjustments need to be made. Skin
diseases are challenging to treat and a more in depth approach is
usually needed. In TCVM, food is considered a foundation in treating
skin disease, so it is an essential part of treatment and it tastes good too.