Dog Food Allergies

Dog food allergies account for ten percent of all allergies in dogs. This is the most common cause after flea bite allergies and inhalant allergies. Some dog owners think they are preventing food allergies by utilizing rice or lamb diets in their dog’s food. Little do they know, they are not on the correct path.

Unlike atopy; there is no link between certain breeds of dogs and different food allergies. Dog food allergies usually appear five months or twelve years of age. Most animals with food allergies experience concurrent contact or inhalant allergies.

Most often, it is true that a certain ingredient may be the culprit to causing dog food allergies. Common culprits are chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, soy, corn, and beef. Dog foods have always been made up of chicken, corn, wheat or beef. There are a few companies that have produced food consisting of rice and lamb. Think about this, since dogs have never eaten lamb or rice in the past, they have not developed an allergy to it. If lamb and rice became the most common ingredient in dog food; there is a good chance your dog could possibly develop dog food allergies to lamb and rice, since it is now in their system.

The structure and size of glycoprotein in the dog food determines if a food is most likely to cause dog food allergies. It should be noted that rice and lamb based foods possess other ingredients. If your pet has developed dog food allergies to these other ingredients, the lamb and rice food will not aid you in treating these allergies.

Symptoms of dog food allergies are the same as other allergies in your pet. The main symptom is itchy skin. Dog food allergies include recurrent or chronic ear infections, loss of hair, hot spots, and skin infections that will respond to antibiotics but do reappear once antibiotics have been discontinued. Dog food allergies can contribute to your dog’s increased bowel movements as well. Dogs without dog food allergies have 1.5 bowel movements per day; dogs with dog food allergies will genuinely have three or more on a daily average.

Unfortunately, it is much harder to tell if your pet is simply suffering from dog food allergies than a pet that could be suffering from atopy or other allergies just from the physical signs. Dog food allergies usually come with symptoms such as ear problems, or yeast infections. Younger dogs may possess moderate to severe skin problems. Your dog may suffer from allergies on a yearly basis or the symptoms of dog food allergies may only begin during winter months. Sometimes your dog may have itchy skin, but has no response to steroid or antihistamine treatment.