Has your foodie pup been behaving dif-fur-rently recently? Strange even?
Scratching its ears like mad.
Vomiting after meals.
Not having the energy to fetch or beg for treats with those round puppy dog eyes?
Before you jump to conclusions that your furry friend is going barking mad, the cause could actually be dog food allergies.
As with any other allergy, this one happens when the immune system recognizes a specific component in dog food as an invader and triggers a response.
Signs that your dog is allergic to its diet will be visible on the skin or might cause an upset tummy.
The problem is those are also the signs that point to other issues, such as infections and gastritis.
How can you tell if your pooch is suffering from a food allergy and how to treat it and prevent allergies from ruining your pup’s day?
Today we uncover it all so that your dog can go back to whining and dining like it did before.
Bone A-pet-treat!
In most cases, protein is the main component in your dog’s food, causing the allergy. This is not a complete list, but many dogs are insensitive and allergic to these foods and ingredients that contain protein:
Chicken
Beef
Wheat
Egg
Lamb
Soy
Rabbit
Fish
Pork
Dairy
Even eating the same type of dog food or brand of dog food for a long time can cause allergic reactions, which complicates the diagnosis.
However, food allergies that develop over time are not as simple as crossing those foods from the list. Your pup can be allergic to more than one food or ingredient from this list.
Besides food, dog allergies can be environmental but also skin or gut-related. Therefore, they can point to other allergies.
Are the symptoms more straightforward?
Depending on the severity, your pooch might react to the food immediately or show signs of allergy within minutes, days or even weeks after eating. Symptoms of dog food allergies to watch out for are:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Itchy skin and paws
Hives
Facial swelling
Weight loss
Lethargy
Low energy levels
Aggression
Hyperactivity
Ear infections
Licking
Unlucky pups will display more than one of these common food allergy symptoms. However, the same signs can also point to other issues — including gastrointestinal problems and reactions to flea bites.
If the symptoms appear right after you introduce a new food, your pup will break out in hives or swell up right away — a sign of a severe allergic reaction that needs immediate attention from your local vet.
How to tell what’s troubling your dog, exactly?
The vet starts by ruling out other conditions that cause the same symptoms. After that, they suggest either testing or food elimination.
Food allergies are one of the most common allergies that can affect dogs. It’s likely your pooch is suffering from it, but the sure way to know if your pup is allergic is by eliminating specific food that triggers allergies.
Without food elimination, it can be challenging to determine if your pup’s itchy skin, ear infection, or diarrhoea has something to do with their diet or is a sign of skin, gut issues or something else.
As mentioned, dog food allergies can develop suddenly — meaning you can’t eliminate the food your pooch has been enjoying for years.
To diagnose the food allergy, you’ll have to remove the food that doesn’t agree with your dog from its life — also known as a food elimination trial.
In most cases, the trial lasts around 12 weeks, starting with the vet suggesting a diet suitable for your pup.
Your vet will advise you on what to cook for your pooch at home. That way, you choose a few ingredients to test what might be causing your dog trouble.
What about dog food allergy testing?
Tests that diagnose allergens are not straightforward either — not even a vet can use those tests to get accurate results, let alone at-home allergy testing kits.
Changing up the diet after the food elimination trial — essentially avoiding ingredients that trigger allergies for your pup — is how to treat dog food allergies.
For some dogs, vets can even prescribe medications that can soothe common symptoms of allergies, such as itchy skin and distressed tummy.
So, does your dog have food allergies?
Diagnosing the exact food allergy your dog has (or if it has it at all) is a challenge.
It can be difficult to tell since the symptoms of food allergies in dogs overlap with skin infections or various gastral issues that can torment your pup.
Even more, a dog can develop allergies to the food it’s been eating for years.
How can you help your pup get out of this impawsibly scratchy situation?
Take your pooch to the vet and cook meals with a few ingredients to figure out what causes a reaction. During the food elimination trial, give your dog plenty of hugs and soothe its itchy skin.