Dog Food Allergies

Dog Food Allergies

Make Your Own Dog Food Wet/Dry Pets With Allergies $1.00

Reduce Dog Food Allergies

Dog food allergies manifest themselves in several different ways.

Dogs that are intolerant to certain foods may have physical problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, gassiness, or bloating of the stomach.

Food allergies are caused by an immune system reacting inappropriately to the present food that is being ingested. This is when we try to find the offending food to decrease or eliminate the problem.

Dogs also suffer other symptoms due to actual allergies rather than intolerance. Itchy skin is the most common symptom of a dog who is allergic to the food that he is presently on.

This itchiness is usually noticed on the dog’s sides, tail, butt, paws, face and ears. The incessant itching, scratching and licking is sometimes as irritating to us as it must by for your dog.

The allergy needs to be found and eliminated quickly, so the incessent licking and scratching doesn’t go on to cause open wounds that can get infected.

An obvious food allergy will show up soon after switching or changing your dog’s food. This is then usually easy to fix by removing the new food from the diet. Adding only one new food at a time over a period of many weeks will help define which foods your dog can tolerate.

If your dog’s allergies suddenly start even though no new foods have been introduced, then it may become more difficult to find the cause of the allergy.

This is the immune system reacting to a sudden sensitivity to the allergen, and is harder to figure out what has caused this problem. In this case you will have to start from scratch to try and eliminate this dog food allergy. The present diet must be completely stopped.

Although we all know by now that we are supposed to slowly introduce new foods slowly, and one at a time, in this case switching suddenly is necessary.

Put your dog on a diet consisting of foods to which he has never previously eaten.

If you have always feed a lamb based protein source kibble, then try a chicken based kibble. Many foods for dogs with allergies are completely grain free, because grains are a known allergy causing ingredient for many dogs.

After starting a new diet, it may take several weeks for the allergy to slowly stop. Introduce a new diet consisting of a minimum essential ingredients, but making sure the diet is also nutritionally complete.

The fewer the better.

There are many excellent high quality, chemical free, grain free dog foods available which have just the very basic ingredients necessary for optimum health.

Always consult a vet if the symptoms are sudden and severe.

There are also many other types of allergies that are not food related, such as infestation of parasites and fleas, environmental or even seasonal allergies.

These should be eliminated as the cause of your dog’s problems and are treated differently than dog food allergies.

It is not always a quick process, but if you can relieve your dog of discomfort, it is worth time spent investigating.

About the Author

Allergies and the food we feed our dogs are generally related. I found eliminating low quatlity dog food has completely cured my dog, Lady, of a horrible allery problem. This included incessanct paw licking, scratching and itching. Thousands of dollars spent at the vet couldn’t help determine the exact cause, but within one month on a special grain free diet , she was 100% better. Find the top recommended foods for dogs with allergies here.

Dog food allergies question.?

I have a doberman pincer who (after I have fed him) always seems to be itchy after I feed him. Chewing on himself and the lot.
I have heard that some pet foods cause this problem, and Im guessing that my dog has these allergies from the dog food that I am feeding him. Im using Pedigree wet and dry adult dog food.
I want my buddy to not itch anymore after feeding him!! (I love him so much)
Can you recommend a dog food that will help him not be allergic to it?
This question really means a lot to me! And my buddy needs your help!
Super Super THANKS if you can help me!!

You’ll have to find a food with very few ingredients: one protein source and one carbohydrate source. Both ingredients must be something that he’s never eaten before. Dogs (and humans) only develop allergic response to something the second time they’ve had contact with it.

There are several veterinary diets available from Royal Canin, Iams and Hill’s. Some of the formulas are duck/potato, rabbit/potato, and kangaroo/oat.
You can also try Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance:

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/allergy.html

They have venison/sweet potato, duck/sw tater, fish/sw tater, and a true lamb/rice. Remember, if he’s ever eaten fish or lamb (or any of the other meats) in treats, dry food or canned food, those foods won’t work as a true diet trial.
There are other commercial foods but again, be sure to read the label! Only one protein and one carb source and usually canola oil plus vitamins/minerals. Anything else won’t give you accurate results.

The key to the food: you must stick with that food for 10 to 12 weeks, and feed nothing else. No treats, no rawhide, no chews, no flavored Nylabones, no people food or table scraps, and no flavored medications (like chewable Heartgard, you’ll have to switch to unflavored or Revolution).
If you see improvement, you know he has a food allergy.

Now what? Well, you can stick with that food for his lifetime (food allergies never go away). Or, you can challenge the diet to find out what he’s allergic to.
You’ll get some answers suggesting grain-free diets, or avoid by-products. That may help, but only coincidentally. The top 5 allergens for dogs are beef, chicken, corn, wheat, and soy. But–dairy, egg, fish, and other proteins can be the problem as well. Avoiding by-products or grains won’t help if the diet is chicken-based and he happens to be allergic to chicken.
The way to challenge the diet: introduce one new ingredient every 2 weeks (continue to feed the special food for his main diet). For example, start with cooked chicken. Give him a few bites every day for that 2 weeks. If no change is noted, that ingredient is OK for him to eat. If he gets itchy, stop feeding that ingredient until he is normal again. Make a note of that and be sure to avoid that ingredient for the rest of his life. Now try the next ingredient, for example corn. Continue down your list. Most dogs react to 2 or 3 things.
Once you’ve figured out his problems, you know to avoid those ingredients. You must read ingredient labels of foods both dry and canned; treats, chews, and medications.
Best wishes to you and your itchy pup!

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