When Is the Food the Problem? Signs That Tell You Apart
Many problems we see start with food, and many have nothing to do with it. Telling them apart matters, so you do not waste weeks changing bags while the cause lies elsewhere, or the reverse. Here are the signs that point to food, and the signs that mean go to a vet now.
Signs that point to the food
If these appear while everything else stays the same, the formula is the first place to look.
Persistent itching and reddened skin
Food sensitivity usually shows on the skin rather than in the stomach. Itching around the face, ears, paws and belly is a known pattern.
A dull coat and heavy shedding
The coat mirrors nutrition. A shortage of essential fats or zinc shows there before anywhere else.
Repeatedly loose stools
Not a single bout, but stools that are not firm on an almost daily basis for weeks.
Persistent gas and bloating
Usually hard-to-digest ingredients or an unsuitable fibre level.
Weight moving with no clear reason
If activity has not changed and the portion is constant, the energy density does not suit the animal. Review it: petzybites.com/pets-calculator
Signs that usually have nothing to do with food
These need a vet, not a new bag.
Limping or pain on movement
A bone, joint or injury problem.
Sneezing and discharge from eyes or nose
Usually a respiratory infection.
A persistent cough
A respiratory or cardiac issue.
Itching in one spot only
Usually external parasites such as fleas, not a food allergy.
Red flags: go immediately
Do not experiment with food and do not wait.
Complete refusal to eat
More than a day for a dog. For a cat even one day carries greater risk, because it affects the liver quickly.
Repeated vomiting, or blood in vomit or stool
This is an emergency.
Sudden abdominal swelling with unproductive retching
In large dogs this is fatal if delayed.
Severe lethargy, or pale or blue gums
These need immediate intervention.
If you decide to change the food, do it properly
A proper change gives you a clear answer; a sloppy one confuses you further.
Change one thing only
If you change the food, the treats and the supplements together, you will never know which made the difference.
Take seven days
One quarter, then half, then three quarters, then all. An abrupt change causes diarrhoea that will muddle the picture.
Wait three to four weeks
Skin and coat take time. Judging a new formula after a week is not fair to it.
Keep a note
Write down dates, amounts and observations. That page saves your vet a great deal of time.
Things that count as food but we forget
Easy to overlook.
Treats
If treats exceed a tenth of daily calories, they are what is unbalancing the diet, not the main food.
Table scraps
Salt, spices, onion and garlic are harmful, and onion and garlic are genuinely toxic.
Milk
Most adult cats and dogs lose the lactase enzyme, so milk causes diarrhoea.
Our brands, made in Egypt
Petzy Bites is an Egyptian factory in the industrial zone of Banha. We formulate to international standards, and every batch carries a lot number tying it to its raw materials and production date, so a problem can always be traced to its source.
Where to buy
In our store at 101bite.com/store, priced in Egyptian pounds with delivery inside Egypt, or through the retail points we serve in Cairo, Giza and other governorates.
Thinking of manufacturing your own brand
We manufacture for third parties with a minimum order of three tons. Request a quote at petzybites.com/private-label
