5 common client mistakes that can be avoided with the pruritic patient

This episode is sponsored by Blue Buffalo.

In this episode of the Vet Blast Podcast, presented by dvm360 and recorded live at Fetch Long Beach, our host, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD, to tackle the "itch" that won't go away. From decoding paw licking and chronic ear infections to mastering the nuances of elimination diet trials, they share expert insights on managing allergies in cats and dogs. Plus, learn why consistent flea control is a nonnegotiable for multipet households, and more!

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity.

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: What are some best practices for doing a food trial?

Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD: Making sure it's the right time for the owner, and that sounds super simple, but I do find sometimes that people try to force it when it's not the right time, right? We are here in lovely California in December, [and people get] a lot of visitors for the holidays, right? So is it the right time to start a diet trial right now if grandma [and] grandpa are going to come over, if we're going to have 30 kids in the household, and the dog or cat's probably going to get something? We'll keep them comfortable if it's not the right time, and then come back to it in January....It sounds really simple, but I just asked owners, can you be strict the next 2 months? Because I think we forget a diet trial is a diagnostic test. If we're going to go through that test, you wouldn't do lab work when it's not the right time, right? If we're going to do that diet trial, that diagnostic test, let's make sure at the end we can feel confident that we have our answer, yes or no.

I like to just simply ask, "Is this a good time for you to do it?" And then just talking to them about the options and the importance of using prescription diets, so many times, owners will say, "But I've taken out a certain protein," or "Well, I gave an over-the-counter allergy diet." And it's really important that they understand prescription diets go through the testing to ensure there's no other residues in the food, and we have study after study that shows—I have nothing against over-the-counter diets, there's great ones out there [but]—they're not meant to be a diet trial diagnostic test.

It's saying if we get through those 2 months with a prescription diet, this is why it's important making sure there's no other residues in the food. And then at the end, again, we have our answer of whether they're food allergic or not.

Christman: Got it, absolutely.