Does Your Dog Have a Dog Food Allergy?

It is estimated that about ten percent of all allergies seen in dogs and cats are caused by food. After flea bite allergies, food allergies are the third most common cause. People seem to think that by introducing a lamb and rice diet, they are preventing or treating a dog food allergy. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

dog food mat

Food allergies can affect animals of both genders male and female, whether they have been neutered or spayed or are intact makes no difference. There is no specific age for an allergy to appear. They can show as early as five months and as late as twelve years of age. Generally, the vast majority of these symptoms occur between two and six years of age.

Dog Food

There is a difference between food intolerance and food allergy. The latter is a true allergy with symptoms of skin problems and constant itching both associated with canine and feline allergies. The symptoms for food allergy is different and this can result in the animal vomiting or having diarrhea. This, to the owner, may not appear to be a typical allergic reaction. Choosing a diet for your pet that is free from offending agents can eliminate both food intolerance and food allergy.

Through various studies, it has been acknowledged that some ingredients are more likely to cause a dog food allergy than others. The most common offenders for dogs are dairy products, beef, wheat, eggs, chicken, soy and corn. These are the common ingredients in dog foods and they are the most common offenders for allergies. Many pet foods for years have had ingredients of chicken, beef, wheat and corn. It was because of these allergies that several companies decided to produce a lamb and rice diet.

This diet of lamb and rice was nothing to be perceived as special apart from the two ingredients had never normally been present in pet foods. It is possible because the animals had never eaten rice and lamb before that it is not sure if they are allergic to this combination of food. If lamb and rice are to be the main ingredients in pet food, it may become apparent that the combination of these two will be responsible for food allergy. There are many other ingredients other than lamb and rice; this alone may be hard to detect if this is the cause of food allergy.

It can sometimes be hard to detect if your dog has a dog food allergy as symptoms can be similar to most other allergies seen in dogs. The most common sign is itchy skin; this may include recurring ear infections, excessive scratching, hair loss, hot spots and skin infections. These can be treated using antibiotics but can often reoccur after the treatment has finished. Dogs with food allergies sometimes have increased bowel movements, studies have showed a non-allergic dog has 1.5 bowel movement a day as opposed to a dog with food allergy possibly going three or more times a day.

Does Your Dog Have a Dog Food Allergy?

Dog Food