TAKING CARE OF YOUR DOG'S FOOD ALLERGIES

One in five dogs suffers from some form of allergy.  The major types of dog allergies include flea allergy, food allergy, atopic dermatitis, and inhalant allergy.  This article will cover the problem of food allergies.

Common Allergy Symptoms

Discharges from the nose and eyes, constant scratching, tail-chasing, coughing and wheezing are some of the more common symptoms. Other symptoms of food allergies include vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes, even changes in behavior. If you observe any of these symptoms in your dog, the chances are that your dog is suffering from an allergy or allergies.

Food allergies are probably the most tedious of allergies to diagnose because they can mimic any of the other allergies.

Determining the Allergen

First, remove all possible allergy causing ingredients from your pet’s diet by using homemade meals of a protein and starch source your dog has not had before.  To do this, check the ingredients of any commercial foods you have been using.  You will also need to make a list of the home made foods you feed your dog.

Assuming your dog has not had these food items before you may be able to use lamb and rice. Gradually add an additional food ingredient to your dog’s diet for about a week for each new ingredient.  You will need to make this food yourself - so that you can add one ingredient at a time.  If your dog’s symptoms return after adding a particular food ingredient, there’s a good chance that you have identified the allergen.

Allergic reactions may take a week to appear so be sure to confirm your findings with your vet.  Of course, once the offending ingredient has been verified, you will need to keep your dog from consuming that item.

Main Problem Foods

According to multiple studies the main ingredients that are more likely to cause food allergies in dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn, and soy.  These items are typically the most common ingredients in dog foods, unfortunately.  This correlation is not coincidental since many proteins are similar in form and it is likely that the incidence of allergic reactions is related with the amount of exposure (the greater the exposure, the greater that chance of reaction).

Figuring out what allergies your dog has and what is causing them may be a tedious, pain-staking process, but it is worth the effort especially as you see the relief you give your dog translate to a better disposition and mood.

Great Resource for your Dog's Health - Vet Secrets


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