Some ingredients in dog food can cause your dog to develop an allergy. It’s possible for a dog to develop an allergy to food within just a few days of eating the food or it may take several years before developing. It is important to recognize and acknowledge the symptoms if they occur. They include constant itching, licking or rubbing their face in an attempt to alleviate their itchy eyes and ears, excessive gassiness and chronic vomiting and diarrhea. Your dog may experience a few of these or most of these.
If you believe your dog may be suffering from a food allergy it is best to consult a veterinarian to get an official diagnosis and treatment. Typically testing for food allergies involves an elimination diet trial which is essentially a way of systematically removing all suspected ingredients from the dogs diet for somewhere around twelve weeks. After such time these ingredients will be slowly added back in to determine which causes another allergic reaction.
It should be understood that allergies aren’t caused by quality of food but rather a specific ingredient. There are hypoallergenic diets available from some pet food companies where they have altered the characteristics of the proteins and they are therefore easier to tolerate. You should talk to you veterinarian if this is something you feel your dog needs.
Ten percent of dog allergies are allergies to food and account for approximately twenty percent of the causes for scratching and itching in dogs. There is no link between breeds and food allergies nor is male or female less susceptible to developing an allergy.
Although there in much that is not yet understood about the exact response that occurs with a food allergy in dogs we do know the symptoms, how to diagnose allergies as well as how to treat it. It is possible for an allergy to develop anywhere from five month to twelve years however the majority show within two and six years.
It is important to realize that there is a difference between food allergies and food intolerances. Food intolerances may cause things such as vomiting or diarrhea but do not create a normal allergic response. Food allergies on the other hand cause symptoms of skin problems as well as itching and scratching. Both allergies and food intolerances can be fixed by providing a diet that does not contain the particular agent that is causing the problem.
Studies show that certain ingredients are more likely to cause a food allergy than others. These foods in no particular order are: wheat and soy, lamb, fish, chicken eggs, corn, chicken, dairy products and beef. If you look at this list many of these products are also common products in dog food. More than likely this is not a coincidence but rather a direct correlation based on the level of exposure.
Food allergies in dogs cause the same basic symptoms as seen in cats. These include itchy skin which mostly affects the face, ears, armpits, forelegs, anus and feet. They may also cause the following secondary symptoms. Reoccurring ear infections, skin infections, hair loss or excessive scratching. Some dogs may also experience an increase of bowel movements each day.
There are many other problems that can create similar symptoms as food allergies in dogs. Because of this it is important to identify and treat any other problems prior to attempting to diagnose food allergies. Once this is done the diagnosis for food allergies in fairly straight forward. After any other problems are ruled out it is now possible to begin a food trial.
A food trial diet as was mentioned at the beginning of this article is one in which you feed the dog a protein and carbohydrate diet in which the dog has not eaten before. Food trials typically last twelve weeks. It is important that the dog only eat the specialized diet and not any treats, rawhide bones or any other foods. This diet is best outlined by your veterinarian. It may be a homemade diet or a particular limited antigen diet which is one that has been altered to prevent the triggering of an allergic responses. The dog should also be closely monitored to prevent it from being able to have other access to garbage or food.
The reason a twelve week trial diet is important is because studies show that at three weeks (which used to be recommended) only twenty-six percent of those dogs with food allergies responded before day twenty-one. In contrast, the large majority responded within twelve weeks. Once the twelve weeks has been completed it is important to place the dog back on the original diet to see if another reaction occurs. It if does then the food allergy will be confirmed. If not, but it still appears there is some type of food allergy then a new food trial should be conducted but with a different source of proteins and carbohydrates. Consult your veterinarian for further direction and diagnosis.
