Histamine Intolerance in Pets: The Hidden Cause of Chronic Itching & Digestive Issues in Pets

allergies gut health Mar 10, 2025

Histamine Intolerance in Pets: The Hidden Cause of Chronic Itching, Digestive Issues & More

If your pet has been struggling with persistent itching, digestive troubles, or unexplained behavioral changes, you might be dealing with something more than just allergies or food sensitivities. The culprit? Histamine intolerance—a little-known issue that could be affecting your pet's well-being.

Histamine intolerance isn’t a disease but rather a symptom of deeper imbalances within the body.

The good news? With the right approach, you can help your pet overcome this issue and restore their health naturally.

What is Histamine and Why Does It Matter?

Histamine is a naturally occurring compound that plays a vital role in immune responses, digestion, and even brain function. When your pet encounters allergens or irritants, histamine is released as part of the immune system’s defense mechanism.

In normal amounts, histamine helps regulate bodily functions. But when histamine levels build up faster than the body can break them down, it can lead to issues such as:

Chronic itching and skin irritation
Digestive upset (diarrhea, vomiting, gas)
Respiratory issues (sneezing, congestion)
Hyperactivity or anxiety-like behaviors

If you’ve tried changing your pet’s diet, eliminating allergens, or using medications without success, histamine intolerance might be the missing piece of the puzzle.

Histamine Intolerance in Pets: A Hidden Imbalance

Histamine intolerance isn’t about the amount of histamine in your pet’s food alone—it’s about how well their body is able to process and clear it. Under normal circumstances, the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) helps break down histamine, keeping it in balance.

However, some pets struggle with histamine overload due to poor enzyme function, underlying gut issues, or excessive exposure to histamine-rich foods and environmental triggers. This can make symptoms persist even after switching diets or avoiding common allergens.

The Real Cause: Why Histamine Intolerance is Just a Symptom

Histamine intolerance is rarely the root problem—it’s often a sign of a bigger issue beneath the surface. Here are some of the most common root causes:

1. Leaky Gut Syndrome

The gut is where histamine is produced and broken down, and if your pet’s gut is inflamed or compromised—commonly known as 'leaky gut'—they won’t be able to manage histamine properly. A leaky gut allows harmful substances to pass into the bloodstream, which triggers chronic inflammation, leading to more histamine release and poor breakdown.

📌 Test for leaky gut here: Innovative Pet Lab (use code NaturalPet25 for 25% off)

2. Imbalanced Gut Microbiome

The bacteria in your pet’s gut also play a major role in how histamine is processed. If the microbiome is out of balance—due to antibiotics, poor diet, or environmental toxins—it can increase histamine production and decrease your pet's ability to handle it. Gut dysbiosis often results in a domino effect where digestion is impaired, and histamine levels start to rise unchecked.

📌 Try probiotics designed for histamine balance like Histamine-Safe Probiotics for Pets mentioned below.

3. Liver Dysfunction

The liver plays a crucial role in detoxifying excess histamine. If your pet’s liver is overburdened due to toxins, medications, or poor diet, histamine accumulates in the system.

📌 Support liver function with products that support all three phases of detoxification like Standard Process Hepatic Support.

4. Environmental Triggers

We often overlook environmental triggers, but things like mold, pollen, dust mites, and even certain chemicals in cleaning products can increase histamine levels. If your pet’s environment is filled with histamine-releasing triggers, their body can become overwhelmed, even if they aren’t eating high-histamine foods.

5. Chronic Stress and Hormonal Imbalances

Stress has a profound impact on how well your pet's body can manage histamine. Cortisol, the stress hormone, can influence histamine levels, and when stress becomes chronic, it can disrupt the entire immune system. Hormonal imbalances can also affect histamine metabolism, leading to an increase in histamine-related symptoms.

How to Heal the Gut and Manage Histamine Naturally

Restoring your pet’s gut health is the key to managing histamine intolerance long-term.

Here’s where to start:

1. Peptide Therapy for Gut Repair

Peptides like BPC-157 and KPV are powerful tools for healing the gut lining, reducing inflammation, and improving histamine regulation.

BPC-157 helps repair intestinal tissue and reduce oxidative stress. It works by supporting the lining of the gut, helping to close 'leaky' junctions and reducing the chronic inflammation that can trigger excess histamine production. BPC-157 is particularly effective for pets with long-standing gut issues like IBD, chronic diarrhea, or histamine intolerance because it promotes tissue regeneration and reduces oxidative stress in the gut.
KPV calms the immune response and lowers gut inflammation. KPV is particularly helpful for pets suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases or those who are experiencing gut inflammation due to histamine intolerance. By calming the immune response and lowering gut inflammation, KPV helps restore balance and improves your pet’s ability to manage histamine levels naturally.

📌 Get peptides for pets like these through Integrative Peptides. Learn more about these peptides here: BPC-157

2. Anti-Inflammatory Herbs for Gut Healing

Incorporating gut-soothing herbs can make a huge difference in reducing inflammation and histamine overload:

✔ Slippery Elm – This herb works by coating and soothing the gut lining, reducing inflammation, and helping to restore the integrity of the gut barrier. It’s incredibly effective for pets with irritated or inflamed guts, and it helps reduce histamine reactions.

1/4 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight, 1-3 times daily.

✔ Marshmallow Root – Another great herb for gut healing, marshmallow root helps soothe the digestive tract, promotes healthy mucus production (which protects the gut lining), and reduces inflammation, allowing the gut to heal naturally.

1/4 teaspoon powder per 10 pounds of body weight, 1-3 times daily. Or if using a tincture: Give 3-10 drops 2-3 x a day as needed for symptoms.

✔ Turmeric/Curcumin – Turmeric is one of the most powerful natural anti-inflammatories. Its active compound, curcumin, helps lower inflammation throughout the body, including the gut, which can be beneficial for pets suffering from chronic histamine intolerance. It also has antioxidant properties, which help protect the cells in your pet’s gut from further damage

Follow dosing recommendations on label for your pet's body weight.

3. Key Nutraceuticals for Histamine Intolerance

✔ Quercetin – Known as a natural 'antihistamine,' quercetin helps stabilize mast cells, which are responsible for releasing histamine during allergic and inflammatory responses. By reducing histamine release, quercetin can help alleviate symptoms like itching and digestive upset.

Start with 500mg twice a day for dogs >50lbs, 500mg once a day for dogs 25-50lbs, 250mg per day for pets under 25lbs.

✔ Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Omega-3s are fantastic for reducing inflammation throughout the body, including the gut. They help lower systemic inflammation and support the healing process, making them a great addition for pets dealing with histamine intolerance.

Follow dosing recommendations on the label.

✔ Standard Process VF Antronex for Pets - This product helps improve the blood flow to the liver, helping to clear excess histamine from the body which can greatly improve the dog's itchy skin and make them more comfortable. This is a more natural alternative to benadryl and other anti-histamines and doesn't have adverse side effects. Antronex can be used alongside quercetin, which helps remove excess histamine too.

Follow dosing recommendations on the label.

✔ Probiotics - Not all probiotics are created equal, and for pets with histamine intolerance, it's important to choose strains that don't produce histamine. I recommend using strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum, which help reduce gut inflammation and promote a healthy balance of gut bacteria without contributing to histamine levels.

Give 1 capsule per for dogs >50lbs, 1/2 capsule per day for dogs 20-50lbs, 1/4 capsule per day for dogs/cats <20lbs

Testing: The Key to Understanding Your Pet’s Health

Instead of guessing, comprehensive testing can help pinpoint the real cause behind your pet’s symptoms.

✔ Gut microbiome testing – Identifies bacterial imbalances

Animal Biome is our go-to recommendation.

✔ Stool analysis – Detects parasites and inflammation and functional gut health tests that assess if your pet has a leaky gut and/or local immune system issues.

Innovative Pet Lab is the best for assessing the functional health status of your pet's gut. Use code NaturalPet25 for 25% off.
Affordable Pet Lab is an in-home screening test for easy to access lab testing.

✔ Heavy metal & toxin screening – Evaluates how well your pet is breaking down and absorbing its food. We use a HTMA test for every member who joins our Healthy Holistic Pet for Life Blueprint Program to identify where their root issues are inhibiting them from healing.

Learn more about HTMA testing here!

📌 Find the right test: Free Gut Health Guide HERE!

Final Thoughts

Histamine intolerance is a symptom, not the root cause. By focusing on gut health, liver support, and reducing stressors, you can help your pet heal naturally.

💡 If you’re ready to take the next step toward lasting health for your pet, book a call here to see if our Blueprint program is the right fit for your pets with gut health issues.

Let’s get your pet back to feeling their best—naturally!

Further Resources:

*Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian or doctor. The information contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in thenaturalpetdoctor.com, you are taking full responsibility for your actions. Please consult your veterinarian for medical advice for your own pets. Dr. Katie Woodley cannot answer specific questions about your pet’s medical issues or make medical recommendations for your pet without first establishing a veterinarian-client-patient relationship. Links in the blog are typically affiliate links that let you help support us.