Common Pet Food Allergens

Common Pet Food Allergens

By Village Pet Supplies

The Top 5 Food Allergens in Pet Food:

• Corn

• Wheat

• Soy

• Dairy

• Red Dye​

​Why corn and wheat?

Corn, or maize, and wheat are common ingredients in a lot of dog foods. Many dogs suffer from allergies to these ingredients as a result of an over reactive immune system to these products.

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Subject | Allergens

Why Soy and Dairy?

The body can treat the soy and milk proteins as allergens, causing hypersensitive reactions, resulting in itching, pruritus (itchy skin), GI symptoms, and distress for the pet.

Subject | Allergens

Why Red Dye?

Anything unnatural can cause an immune response in the body to get rid of the invader, and red dye (Red 40) is a common culprit.

Subject | Subject

Why is our food different from Petco or Tractor Supply?

We're human-grade and holistic

This means:

• You could eat our food because it's made with food up to human-consumption standards

• ​Our food is free of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and artificial additives and preservatives. It is preserved with natural mixed tocopherols, which are found in naturally-occurring oils (sunflower, for example). It is a vitamin E compound.

Our ONLY DRY dog food that contains dairy is FROMM

Every food in our store is free of all the top 5 most common allergens EXCEPT the dry formulas of Fromm--it's made in Wisconsin (think Cheeseheads!), so there's dairy in Fromm. HOWEVER, there isn't dairy in the Fromm WET formulas.

Subject | Allergens

Multiple Choice

Why are corn and wheat common allergens?

• They can cause immune system reactions

• They aren't natural in a wild animal's diet

• Animals can't digest these things easily, just like people

Multiple Choice

Why is our food different than Petco or Tractor Supply? (Check all that apply.)

• It's only sourced in the USA

• It's human grade

• It contains natural additives and preservatives

• There are no grains in any of our foods

Multiple Choice

What's tocopherol?

• A preservative found in all pet foods

• An naturally-occurring oil added to our foods

• An artificial flavoring commonly found in Petco/Pet Smart brands

• An essential oil added to give our foods the "holistic" label

Multiple Choice

The only dry food we carry that contains dairy is:

• Verus

• Annamet

• Farmina

• Fromm

​When a customer suspects their food is the culprit, ask these questions:

• What are the animal's symptoms?

• What brand food are you feeding/which formula?

• Is there any corn, wheat, soy, dairy, or red dye in that food (to your knowledge)?

• What types of treats are you feeding?

• Is the animal getting any table scraps or treats from neighbors, the bank, drive-thru employees, children, elderly parents, dog walkers, etc.?​

Subject | Allergens

Symptoms of Food Allergies:

​Itching

Hot spots/chewing

Red, irritated skin​/hives

Yucky smelling ears

Infected ears

Yeasty smelling coat​

Dandruff

Fur loss

Loose stool

Vomiting​

Subject | Allergens

60 Days

This is the time it takes an animal to clear an allergen from its system.

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With a switch and a deduction of allergens in their diet, they should start progressing in two weeks. ​

Subject | Allergens

Common Brands Customers May List as Food They're Feeding (Containing Allergens):

• Blue Buffalo (General Mills)

• Pedigree (Mars)

• Purina Dog Chow​ (Nestle)

• ​Tractor Supply--4 Health (Diamond Manufacturing)

Subject | Allergens

The goal isn't to try to force the customer to switch to our brands--it's to educate them on the possible allergens that may be in theirs, causing their pets issues. as well as the sourcing and quality of their foods.

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Cross Contamination

Even the best-reading food could be made in a plant that runs grains on the same belts as their grain-free food.

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The only way to know for sure is to call the company and ask!​

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Our food is food we KNOW; it is not cross-contaminated.​

Subject | Allergens

Multiple Select

Which of these is a symptom of food allergies? Check all that apply.

• A bad smelling coat

• Itching

• Losing fur

• Loose stool

Multiple Select

Which questions should you ask a customer who suspects food allegeries? (Check all that are correct!)

• What is the formula of the food you've been feeding?

• What kind of food have you been feeding?

• How much do you typically spend on your pet's food?

• What kinds of symptoms is your pet having?

Multiple Choice

An allergen takes ____ days to clear an animal's system.

• 14 days

• 20 days

• 30 days

• 60 days

Multiple Choice

Should you try to convince the customer to switch their not-so good brand to one of ours?

• Yes, after you educate them why it's better for the animal

• No, but you should educate them why certain allergens may be causing the animal's problems

Treats: Look for the Green Star!

All of our treats are NOT top-5 allergen free. The GREEN STAR means they are top FOUR allergen-free and MAY contain DAIRY.

Always check the label before recommending. ​

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Subject | Allergens

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What exactly is grain-free?

Grain-free means the food won't contain any wheat, rice, rye, barley, or oats.

• Some of our foods DO contain rice, rye, barely, or oats, because these are not common allergens. ​

• Our foods do NOT contain wheat, because it is a top-5 allergen.

• Our treats MAY contain wheat, so always check label.​

• If there is rice, barely, rye, or oats in a treat or food, it is NOT grain-free.

Subject | Allergens

Best Treat to Suggest for Allergy-Prone Animals

Limited ingredient is the answer!

• If you're suggesting a treat for an allergy-prone animal, always go with a limited ingredient option. A freeze-dried treat is the best way to go, and sometimes jerky, but always read the label, because sometimes there is something surprising in there.

• Some good limited ingredient options: Pure Bites, Tickle Pets, Stella and Chewy's (Beef Hearts, Chicken Hearts, Lamb Livers)​​

• Grain-free biscuits are an option, as well as Fruitable treats.​

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Multiple Choice

When you see a green star on the label beneath a treat, what does it mean?

• It contains wheat

• It may contain dairy

• It contains grain

• It's top 5 allergen free

Multiple Choice

What does grain-free mean?

• It has no wheat, barely, rye, rice, or oats

• It has no wheat

• It has no corn or wheat

• It has no rice or barley

Multiple Choice

What's the best treat to recommend for an allergy-prone anmimal?

• Any kind of biscuit with a green star

• A limited-ingredient treat

• Anything soft

• Allergy-prone animals should stay away from treats