Dog Food Allergies - Stop The Torture!

By Dorothy Medlum


Food allergies are not only for humans. They can be found in your pets and are difficult to diagnose because dog food allergies can appear so rapidly. The greatest problem, of course, is the pet can't let you know what his symptoms are and these are oftentimes confused with other problems.

Some symptoms of dog food allergies are: excessive scratching, hair loss, skin infections, as well as ear infections. Many times antibiotics are used for skin infections and they will clear up briefly, only to return again when the antibiotics are completed. An animal with itchy skin that doesn't seem to improve with the use of antihistamines or steroids, might possibly be suffering from a dog food allergy.

There is also a difference between the dog food allergies and food intolerance. Intolerance to certain foods may cause symptoms such as diarrhea or frequent bowel movements and vomiting. Fortunately, whether the animal is suffering form food allergy or food intolerance once the proper diagnosis has been made, they both are treatable.

Beef, chicken, wheat, eggs, soy, and dairy products are what most dog food is made from. So therefore, it should not come as a surprise that most dog food allergies are going to be to one of the major ingredients found in the food.

When pet food companies began marketing lamb and rice formulas many dog food allergies seemed to go away.

Many veterinarians agree that it is not because of something special in the lamb and rice formulas that reduced the incidence of dog food allergies, but rather that the dog's diet was changed and the animal had not developed intolerance to the new food.

Dietary Change to Test for Food Allergies

Once other causes are ruled out, such as flea bites, intestinal parasites, yeast and bacterial infections, a dietary change may be needed to reduce the symptoms of dog food allergies.

A new food source containing protein and carbohydrate should be the only diet of the pet for at least 12 weeks to determine which of the ingredients in their old food was causing the allergic reaction.

The food source must be completely different than the previous one given. No treats or other food should be given. Once this has been determined, the pet is not having an adverse reaction to the new food; other foods can then be added. If however, symptoms to occur, that food would then also be eliminated.

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Thanks for browsing by and checking out more about allergies. Reliable information on this subject is often scarce and not very helpful, so hopefully you got some good info you can put to work. Of course if you would like to learn even more about Dairy Allergies then navigate to our website, bestallergyinfo.com.

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