# Human Food Allergies & Dog Food/Treats



## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

This is sort of an odd question/concern, but is a concern of mine.

I'm quite allergic to fish and seafood. I know this is a popular ingredient in dog foods. Now, I was planning on not feeding my dog a food or treats that were primarily fish or seafood based because I'm worried that *I* might have a reaction to it just from the dog eating it. I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid about it or how diligently I need to keep fish and seafood products out of my pup's diet for my own health. I also am hoping not to have to exclude it as an ingredient in the mix entirely because I know fish oils and whatnot are good for the dog nutritionally.

I haven't really been able to find much (any) information on this. Has anyone run into allergic reactions in themselves from what their dogs eat?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

misstray said:


> This is sort of an odd question/concern, but is a concern of mine.
> 
> I'm quite allergic to fish and seafood. I know this is a popular ingredient in dog foods. Now, I was planning on not feeding my dog a food or treats that were primarily fish or seafood based because I'm worried that *I* might have a reaction to it just from the dog eating it. I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid about it or how diligently I need to keep fish and seafood products out of my pup's diet for my own health. I also am hoping not to have to exclude it as an ingredient in the mix entirely because I know fish oils and whatnot are good for the dog nutritionally.
> 
> I haven't really been able to find much (any) information on this. Has anyone run into allergic reactions in themselves from what their dogs eat?


I guess it depends on how allergic you are. You may have to consult your allergist. I have a fairly severe nut allergy, but ONLY if I ingest them. I can be around them, and handle them without any trouble. However, I have a friend with a severe shell fish allergy, and watched her have a TERRIBLE reaction after touching a door knob at a public aquarium, where we later learned that one of the staff had touched the knob after feeding shrimp to some of the fish.

So I guess the answer is, "it depends". Living in a family of people with significant allergy issues, and having spent WAY too many nights in the ER or at Children's, I'd err on the side of caution.


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## LilyMyLove (Jul 11, 2009)

Flax oil will give you similar benefits as fish oil, sans the fish.

-Have you had anaphalaxis from this allergy? If you have had a serious reaction with anything other than ingesting seafood, I would steer clear. There are plenty of food and treats without it.

Meghan


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

I agree with Karen it depends on how allergic you are. Can you dine at the same table with someone eating fish? can you handle fish but just not eat it? the amount of fish oil in the products that don't have fish as their main ingredient are probably not a very big amount. the problem would likely come from handling the food or your dog kissing you right after you eat. I will be interested in following this as I have a ton of non severe food allergies.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

I know some one who was allergic to fish and had a reaction to the food while filling the food dish


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I have a severe reaction to ingesting it and a lesser reaction when there is just trace amounts in something that I eat. I do get lesser reaction if fish/shellfish is cooked around me as well. It seems to be an allergy that gets worse with each exposure. I used to be able to eat it. 

Now my parents dogs have always been on chicken/rice blends and I've never had a problem with their dogs, but haven't actually read the entire ingredient list for their food to see if it contains any fish or seafood products as well. 

I will probably end up sticking to a chicken/rice type of formulation as well and hope to heck my guy isn't allergic to that. I wouldn't want him and I to have competing opposite allergies. He's on a chicken/rice food now with no problems, so I'm thinking chances are that won't be a problem.

I've just been doing my research on the high quality feeds available where I live and was running into lots of fish/seafood products on the labels so that is what got me to thinking. At the very least it will help me narrow down my choices anyhow. I think I'll play it safe and try to avoid it if I can.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

sounds like as long as it isn't a primarily fish blend that you should be fine. a lot of foods add fish oil but it is pretty far down in the ingredients.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

misstray said:


> I have a severe reaction to ingesting it and a lesser reaction when there is just trace amounts in something that I eat. I do get lesser reaction if fish/shellfish is cooked around me as well. It seems to be an allergy that gets worse with each exposure. I used to be able to eat it.
> 
> Now my parents dogs have always been on chicken/rice blends and I've never had a problem with their dogs, but haven't actually read the entire ingredient list for their food to see if it contains any fish or seafood products as well.
> 
> ...


There area SO many foods available with different protein sources that I think it's unlikely that you couldn't find something that would work for both of you, even he he DID turn out to be allergic to chicken or beef. I know there are good duck, bison, lamb, rabbit and ostrich based foods around. It's unlikely that the ONLY food he could eat would be the ONLY one you need to avoid.

Are you allergic to "real" fish too? or just "shell fish"? (which, of course, aren't really "fish" at all) That makes a difference too. there are a number of salmon - based foods.

Shell fish allergies as so nasty that I'd be really cautious. As you said, they tend to get worse with exposure, and can become life-threatening quickly.


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