One Health

On September 13^th, we acknowledge National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where a person's body reacts to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley which means common items like cereal, pasta, bread, and even beer! Ingesting even a small amount of gluten can cause a person's body to attack and damage the small intestine.

Celiac Disease affects about 1 in 100 people worldwide but only 30% of those people are properly diagnosed. If left untreated, people can develop serious long-term health consequences like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, small bowel cancer, and coronary artery disease.

It's important for people with Celiac Disease to avoid gluten- even small crumbs or cross contamination. But, some people may not realize that their pet's food may be affecting them as well! For people with Celiac Disease, touching dog food can be a source of contamination. It is also possible for a reaction to be triggered by saliva from a dog licking you. These reactions are rare but something to keep in mind.

Are there ways your organization can help people learn about Celiac Disease this month?

References:

Celiac Awareness Day 2025 | Celiac Disease Foundation

Is Your Pet Making You Sick? Hidden Gluten in Pet Food and How It Affects People with Celiac Disease - Celiac.com

------------------------------
Kaitlyn Davis
Research Associate
UTK Program for Pet Health Equity
TN
------------------------------

On September 13^th, we acknowledge National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where a person's body reacts to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley which means common items like cereal, pasta, bread, and even beer! Ingesting even a small amount of gluten can cause a person's body to attack and damage the small intestine.

Celiac Disease affects about 1 in 100 people worldwide but only 30% of those people are properly diagnosed. If left untreated, people can develop serious long-term health consequences like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, small bowel cancer, and coronary artery disease.

It's important for people with Celiac Disease to avoid gluten- even small crumbs or cross contamination. But, some people may not realize that their pet's food may be affecting them as well! For people with Celiac Disease, touching dog food can be a source of contamination. It is also possible for a reaction to be triggered by saliva from a dog licking you. These reactions are rare but something to keep in mind.

Are there ways your organization can help people learn about Celiac Disease this month?

References:

Celiac Awareness Day 2025 | Celiac Disease Foundation

Is Your Pet Making You Sick? Hidden Gluten in Pet Food and How It Affects People with Celiac Disease - Celiac.com

------------------------------
Kaitlyn Davis
Research Associate
UTK Program for Pet Health Equity
TN
------------------------------

Well, as a celiac myself, this post is a tad misleading. Unless you are French kissing your dog right after they eat their kibble, it is likely not an issue. Of course, if you don't wash your hands after handling a gluten containing kibble yes you can ingest a small amount. And for many a small amount is a problem. Yes, that is true. As far as contact with the skin, the gluten molecule is too large to pass through the skin, so it is not considered a problem for most people. Of course, there will be those who are sensitive to skin contact as well. But for most of us, it's not something we need to be concerned with. Still, it's an interesting topic of discussion. Always best to err on the side of caution. But in all the years, and for me, it has been decades, that I have been part of an online celiac group. I don't think this has ever come up! Yes, my dogs lick my face. Yes, I have a G.I. reaction if I ingest gluten and I don't think I have ever gotten sick from a dog lick. But, it might be hard to know. Have others with celiac disease had a reaction related to a dog? Now I'm really curious!

------------------------------
JUDITH PEARSON
President
The Dixon Animal Protection Society
NM

Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2025 07:51 AM
From: Kaitlyn Davis
Subject: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day

On September 13^th, we acknowledge National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where a person's body reacts to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley which means common items like cereal, pasta, bread, and even beer! Ingesting even a small amount of gluten can cause a person's body to attack and damage the small intestine.

Celiac Disease affects about 1 in 100 people worldwide but only 30% of those people are properly diagnosed. If left untreated, people can develop serious long-term health consequences like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, small bowel cancer, and coronary artery disease.

It's important for people with Celiac Disease to avoid gluten- even small crumbs or cross contamination. But, some people may not realize that their pet's food may be affecting them as well! For people with Celiac Disease, touching dog food can be a source of contamination. It is also possible for a reaction to be triggered by saliva from a dog licking you. These reactions are rare but something to keep in mind.

Are there ways your organization can help people learn about Celiac Disease this month?

References:

Celiac Awareness Day 2025 | Celiac Disease Foundation

Is Your Pet Making You Sick? Hidden Gluten in Pet Food and How It Affects People with Celiac Disease - Celiac.com

------------------------------
Kaitlyn Davis
Research Associate
UTK Program for Pet Health Equity
TN
------------------------------

Hi Judith, 

Thanks for chiming in and sharing your lived experience! I think what you said makes a lot of sense. As someone who does not have celiac disease, I don't quite understand the nuances, I just know that people have a range of sensitivities to gluten. I went back and took another look at the article that I referenced. It seems like this idea of cross-contamination from pets, particularly saliva, is most dangerous for kids who are often crawling and playing with pets in a very close way, as well as people with dermatitis herpetiformis- the skin manifestation of celiac disease. But, they are definitely not common reactions. Glad I reread that!

While these may be rare reactions, I still think it is interesting to consider as this forum focuses on ways that human and non-human animal health interacts!

Thanks for participating!

Well, as a celiac myself, this post is a tad misleading. Unless you are French kissing your dog right after they eat their kibble, it is likely not an issue. Of course, if you don't wash your hands after handling a gluten containing kibble yes you can ingest a small amount. And for many a small amount is a problem. Yes, that is true. As far as contact with the skin, the gluten molecule is too large to pass through the skin, so it is not considered a problem for most people. Of course, there will be those who are sensitive to skin contact as well. But for most of us, it's not something we need to be concerned with. Still, it's an interesting topic of discussion. Always best to err on the side of caution. But in all the years, and for me, it has been decades, that I have been part of an online celiac group. I don't think this has ever come up! Yes, my dogs lick my face. Yes, I have a G.I. reaction if I ingest gluten and I don't think I have ever gotten sick from a dog lick. But, it might be hard to know. Have others with celiac disease had a reaction related to a dog? Now I'm really curious!

------------------------------
JUDITH PEARSON
President
The Dixon Animal Protection Society
NM

Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2025 07:51 AM
From: Kaitlyn Davis
Subject: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day

On September 13^th, we acknowledge National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where a person's body reacts to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley which means common items like cereal, pasta, bread, and even beer! Ingesting even a small amount of gluten can cause a person's body to attack and damage the small intestine.

Celiac Disease affects about 1 in 100 people worldwide but only 30% of those people are properly diagnosed. If left untreated, people can develop serious long-term health consequences like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, small bowel cancer, and coronary artery disease.

It's important for people with Celiac Disease to avoid gluten- even small crumbs or cross contamination. But, some people may not realize that their pet's food may be affecting them as well! For people with Celiac Disease, touching dog food can be a source of contamination. It is also possible for a reaction to be triggered by saliva from a dog licking you. These reactions are rare but something to keep in mind.

Are there ways your organization can help people learn about Celiac Disease this month?

References:

Celiac Awareness Day 2025 | Celiac Disease Foundation

Is Your Pet Making You Sick? Hidden Gluten in Pet Food and How It Affects People with Celiac Disease - Celiac.com

------------------------------
Kaitlyn Davis
Research Associate
UTK Program for Pet Health Equity
TN
------------------------------

It's a fascinating conversation! Well worth having. Dermatitis Herpetiformis is not a contact dermatitis. it is an auto immune reaction to the ingestion of gluten. So if a kid is crawling on the floor and the dogs drool and then picks up a crumb and eats it yes, they will ingest it. Is that enough to elicit a response? Perhaps for someone super sensitive But little kids suck their fingers too, so yes, it could be. I Suddenly had acne when I was 30, and it was DH, that's how I knew my gut issues were celiac disease. DH can be related to celiac or it can be a gluten response all on his own. It's complicated right? But it would be an interesting question to put to my celiac group. J

Hi Judith, 

Thanks for chiming in and sharing your lived experience! I think what you said makes a lot of sense. As someone who does not have celiac disease, I don't quite understand the nuances, I just know that people have a range of sensitivities to gluten. I went back and took another look at the article that I referenced. It seems like this idea of cross-contamination from pets, particularly saliva, is most dangerous for kids who are often crawling and playing with pets in a very close way, as well as people with dermatitis herpetiformis- the skin manifestation of celiac disease. But, they are definitely not common reactions. Glad I reread that!

While these may be rare reactions, I still think it is interesting to consider as this forum focuses on ways that human and non-human animal health interacts!

Thanks for participating!

Well, as a celiac myself, this post is a tad misleading. Unless you are French kissing your dog right after they eat their kibble, it is likely not an issue. Of course, if you don't wash your hands after handling a gluten containing kibble yes you can ingest a small amount. And for many a small amount is a problem. Yes, that is true. As far as contact with the skin, the gluten molecule is too large to pass through the skin, so it is not considered a problem for most people. Of course, there will be those who are sensitive to skin contact as well. But for most of us, it's not something we need to be concerned with. Still, it's an interesting topic of discussion. Always best to err on the side of caution. But in all the years, and for me, it has been decades, that I have been part of an online celiac group. I don't think this has ever come up! Yes, my dogs lick my face. Yes, I have a G.I. reaction if I ingest gluten and I don't think I have ever gotten sick from a dog lick. But, it might be hard to know. Have others with celiac disease had a reaction related to a dog? Now I'm really curious!

------------------------------
JUDITH PEARSON
President
The Dixon Animal Protection Society
NM

Original Message:
Sent: 09-15-2025 07:51 AM
From: Kaitlyn Davis
Subject: National Celiac Disease Awareness Day

On September 13^th, we acknowledge National Celiac Disease Awareness Day.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where a person's body reacts to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley which means common items like cereal, pasta, bread, and even beer! Ingesting even a small amount of gluten can cause a person's body to attack and damage the small intestine.

Celiac Disease affects about 1 in 100 people worldwide but only 30% of those people are properly diagnosed. If left untreated, people can develop serious long-term health consequences like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, small bowel cancer, and coronary artery disease.

It's important for people with Celiac Disease to avoid gluten- even small crumbs or cross contamination. But, some people may not realize that their pet's food may be affecting them as well! For people with Celiac Disease, touching dog food can be a source of contamination. It is also possible for a reaction to be triggered by saliva from a dog licking you. These reactions are rare but something to keep in mind.

Are there ways your organization can help people learn about Celiac Disease this month?

References:

Celiac Awareness Day 2025 | Celiac Disease Foundation

Is Your Pet Making You Sick? Hidden Gluten in Pet Food and How It Affects People with Celiac Disease - Celiac.com

------------------------------
Kaitlyn Davis
Research Associate
UTK Program for Pet Health Equity
TN
------------------------------