What You Need To Know About Dog Food Allergies

We all know that people develop allergies to food, but did you know that dogs also develop food allergies?  Your dog can be just as likely to develop a harmful food allergy as a person, if their body decides that there’s something in the food that isn’t good for them.

The question is, how can you tell if your dog has a food allergy?  And, if he does have a food allergy, is there anything you can do about it?  After all, your dog can’t tell you he’s allergic to something.  He can’t say, “I think this food is making me itchy.”  That’s why it’s up to you to pay attention to the way your dog acts and make any needed changes to your dog’s food.

Recognizing Food Allergies

Food allergies are the third most common form of allergies in dogs, behind flea bite allergies and inhalant allergies.  Experts estimate that about 10 percent of the allergies seen in dogs are food-related.  Food allergies are believed to account for about 20 percent of the skin problems in dogs that result in itching in scratching.

Food allergies can start at any time in your dog’s life after your dog is about five months old.  They can even start as late as when your dog is 12 years old.  There doesn’t seem to be any connection to particular breeds, genders, or even a dog’s medical history.  Food allergies can occur in just about any dog.  However, if a dog does have a food allergy, he may also have other kinds of allergies, too.

Just to be clear, there is a difference between a food allergy and intolerance.  A dog can be intolerant of a food and he may have diarrhea and vomiting.  Allergies, however, usually affect the skin and cause itching and redness.  Both intolerances and allergies are usually treated in similar ways, but intolerances can be more dangerous for your dog.

Common Foods

Dogs can become allergic to just about any kind of food but in the case of food allergies they usually become allergic to the foods that they eat most often.  These are usually common foods such as beef, chicken, fish, and lamb — foods that are found in most dog foods.  They can also become allergic to dairy products, chicken eggs, wheat, corn, and soy, which are also found in dog foods.

In most cases, dogs won’t be allergic to foods they haven’t eaten before.  They haven’t come in contact with these foods.  A dog usually has to be exposed to a food, and its proteins, a certain number of times before they start to become allergic to it.  This is how people start to develop allergies to foods when they’re children.

Allergy Symptoms

Allergy symptoms usually include itching skin around the dog’s face, paws, legs, ears, and anus.  Dogs also frequently experience repeated ear infections, lose their hair, have hot spots, and may have lesions that become infected and keep coming back after any antibiotics are gone.

Although these symptoms may sound specific, it can be difficult to diagnose a food allergy.  The symptoms are very similar to the symptoms for an allergic reaction to flea bites or an inhalant allergy, as when a dog inhales pollen.  One sign of a food allergy that does not usually occur with the other kinds of allergies, however, is a yeast infection in the dog’s ears.  This is a frequent sign of a food allergy, along with extreme skin problems and symptoms that last all year long.

Dealing With A Food Allergy

You can help your dog with a food allergy by using a food trial test.  These trials are a long process that involve removing outside sources of food from what you feed your dog.  You’ll need to take away all treats, rawhides, flavored medications, toothpastes, and food.

Once you have removed these outside sources from your dog’s diet, you can put your dog on a diet prescribed by your vet that features one strong protein.  Feed your dog this diet for 12 weeks.  Then you can start reintroducing your dog’s usual diet.  If your dog starts showing symptoms again you can start to find out which food in their diet is causing the symptoms.

This method is a great help in determining which foods are causing your dog’s symptoms.  Your dog can’t tell you that he doesn’t feel well.  You can use blood tests to isolate certain antibodies causing your dog’s allergies but this method is not as accurate as using a food trial.

If you think that your dog may have food allergies, see your veterinarian right away to talk about food allergies and your dog’s health.

About the Author: Wayne Booth is owner of Canine Behavior Specialists in Nashville, TN.  Wayne has been teaching people how to become Professional Dog Trainers since 1990 and he is the Training Director of Canine Behavior Specialists Network, www.K9-University.com