Can dogs suffer from gluten intolerance?

For the past couple of years, the topic of gluten has come up quite a bit in this country. With the increased understanding of Celiac Disease, more people are being diagnosed now than ever before. Gluten Intolerance has also increased in this country.
With all this talk about humans with Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance, is it possible for our pets to have Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease?

While Celiac Disease has not been found to affect dogs, a very tiny percentage of dogs may exhibit symptoms of Gluten Intolerance.

For the most part, dogs can tolerate food containing gluten. For dogs that cannot, they may develop inflammation in their small intestine whenever they eat food containing gluten.
Symptoms to look out for:

Persistent diarrhea

Weight loss

Poor hair coat

Lack of body conditioning

Failure to thrive

When dogs have this condition, they may have a delayed reaction tot he ingested gluten. Like in humans, dogs who have an issue with gluten intolerance have a body that constantly attacks itself. The immune system attacks the gastrointestinal tract whenever gluten enters the body. Gluten destroyed the villi in the small bowel, causing the dog to be malnourished.

Gluten Intolerance can affect any breed, but it is well-documented to affect Samoyeds, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, and Irish Setters. The onset of symptoms can occur at 6 months of age.

How is Gluten Intolerance in dogs diagnosed?
Veterinarians will assess the dog's history of diarrhea, weight loss, and illness before running blood and urine tests. In some cases, your vet may order a fecal examination to look for parasites.
To be absolutely sure, your vet may recommend putting your dog on a grain-free diet for 2 to 4 weeks. If there is marked improvement, the vet will conclude that your dog has a gluten intolerance.

Just like in humans, the condition is completely treatable. Dogs must stay on a grain-free diet for the rest of its life.

If you suspect that your dog may have a gluten intolerance, contact your veterinarian so they can assess the situation.

Celebrities who have Celiac Disease

Getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease can be pretty tough (believe me, I remember how hard it was for me). You may be the first among your family and/or friends that has been diagnosed as Celiac. It can be lonely (even though my grandmother had it, and I was partially raised by her, she had been gone for a few years when I was diagnosed. I had no one). What gave me some comfort was that I was not alone. Some of the celebrities I look up to were also Celiac Disease sufferers. People like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Emmy Rossum had been living with the disease for years before I was diagnosed. I researched both and learned a lot from them. Also, learning that my first celeb crush has 2 Celiacs in his family really helped me feel less alone. Here is a list of celebs who have diagnosed Celiac Disease: Elizabeth Hasselbeck (public figure) Emmy Rossum (actress) Wil Wheaton's mom and sister Meg Cabot (author) Sarah Joy Brown (actress) Joe C (rapper who frequently performed with

South Park's Gluten-Free Ebola Episode

photo credit: southparkdigital Greetings Celiac Warriors! Recently, South Park did a gluten free episode that got a lot of attention in the gluten free and Celiac communities. For the most part, the reaction has been positive. Many folks, including myself, found it hilarious. You may be wondering what the episode was about. I'm going to give you the cliff notes version: The episode starts off with the kids returning to school after their start up company fails. Then the show cuts to the teachers lounge where the teachers are discussing Mr. Mackey who has gone gluten free. Mr. Mackey comes back and starts blaming all the world's problems on gluten. A co-worker becomes annoyed by all the gluten free talk and starts screaming at Mr. Mackey to shut up. Mackey states that behavior problems are due to gluten consumption. A female teacher expresses interest in going gluten free. Later on, the boys are on the radio promoting an "epic" party. Callers ask the boys i

Celiac Women At a Decreased Risk for Hormone-Related Cancers.

When it comes to Celiac Disease, there really are not many benefits to the disease. However, research has shown that women, who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, are at a lower risk for hormone-related cancers, which include Endometrial, Breast, and Ovarian Cancers. Women with Celiac Disease are 15% less likely to develop Breast Cancer, 40% less likely to develop Endometrial Cancer, and 11% less like to develop Ovarian Cancer. Researchers believe that this is due to a decreased level of female hormones that promote reproductive Cancers. Sources: http://thesavvyceliac.com/2012/09/22/celiac-may-reduce-breast-cancer-in-women/ http://www.celiac.com/articles/23048/1/Women-With-Celiac-Disease-At-Lower-Risk-for-Hormone-Related-Cancers/Page1.html (photo courtesy of: http://uvahealth.com/services/digestive-health-1/images-and-docs/landing_page_main_digestive2.jpg/image_large )

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