Yahoo News Many dogs are allergic to the food we give them every day
Experts say around 15% of dogs have allergies, just as humans do, and can react to a variety of allergens in the food we regularly feed them. And surprisingly, chicken, beef and dairy are among the most common allergens for dogs.
Some of the signs of an allergic reaction in dogs may easily be misdiagnosed by owners and can include excess paw licking, waxy ears and intermittent runny stools. In general the more allergic triggers that accumulate in a dog at one time, the more likely it is that the dog will exhibit debilitating signs like itchy skin and ears, and paw licking.
Over time this can lead to redness, saliva staining, swelling and hair loss. Some dogs present with gastrointestinal signs, like vomiting or diarrhoea. Vet Dr Guy Sandelowsky has recommendations if your dog is showing any of the symptoms might be allergy-related:
Start a hypoallergenic diet trial, and cover for skin parasites treatment first, and see if this improves things, before more extensive tests are carried out. This is a common ground to begin with.
Dr Guy advises after the dog trials to seek a vet-approved, diet that is nutritionally complete. A commercial vegan pet food diet would be a good first point of call, preferably soy free and perhaps a hydrolysed diet if the former was not working out.
Some vets also recommend insect protein diets, although to a lesser extent. Soaring insect protein prices have made insect protein unaffordable for many.
It is possible to do allergy testing at the vet. One of the most reliable forms is via skin prick tests in which several common allergens are inserted under the dogs skin and the level of ‘reaction’ is recorded and analysed. These tests can also be costly and time consuming so it’s common for them to be performed as a last resort if medical or dietary management is not being tolerated or working. There is some success reported managing these extreme cases with allergy targeted immunisation therapy.
A lot of people seem to turn to raw diets when they find out their dog may have dietary allergies; it’s common for them to read misinformation online that their dog is reacting to the starch and grain in their commercial kibble. Though this is possible, the evidence shows that these are less likely to be the cause of the dogs signs and that feeding raw actually puts the dog at more risk due to foodborne pathogens in uncooked meat.
