Food Allergy and Food Intolerance in Dogs
Food allergy is a fairly common phenomenon in the world of dogs. Symptoms of this kind of allergy can be similar to symptoms of other diseases, which dogs may have. It’s very important to understand that allergy reactions on the skin are just a part of the problem, and major changes occur in the organism of your dog and can’t be seen.
Symptoms of food allergy:
Itching;
Patches on the skin and poor coat quality;
Skin rash (mostly on the stomach, armpits, and snout);
Ear infection and allergic otitis, when dog constantly shakes his head;
Eye and nasal discharge, mucus accumulation in the corners of eyes;
Edema;
Alopecia (hair loss);
Breathing problems and dizziness;
Unpleasant smell of skin;
Digestive disorder, vomiting, diarrhea and chronic gas;
Obsessive licking.
If you noticed that your pet has any of these problems, don’t neglect going to the vet, because other diseases can have the similar symptoms. Veterinarian will examine the skin of your dog and will tell you more about right diet regime.
The most allergenic products are beef, pork, eggs, cereals and milk products. If you want to distinguish the product, which causes the food allergy, the best way to do it is to plan a good diet. During 3-4 weeks feed your dog rice and lamb till the symptoms completely disappear, and then start to add the allergenic product for not more than 2 weeks. After certain time you will be able to see the skin reaction on different products and define the roots of the allergy.
Don’t think that antihistamines and hormones can cure your puppy if he is suffering from the food allergy, because it can be not only acquired (wrong feeding, chronic illness, poor care, stress, etc.), but also hereditary (genetic tendency to disease).
Breeds, which are genetically prone to the food allergy:
Terrier;
Bulldog;
Labrador Retriever;
Cocker Spaniel;
Boxer;
Schnauzer;
Miniature Schnauzer;
Irish Setter;
Dalmatian
Causes for the food allergy development are not established for these breeds yet, and, unfortunately, they can’t be prevented. What you can do in such case is to carefully examine the ingredients of fodder, which you choose for your dog. Fodder with lamb and rice can be recommended to all dogs with the food allergy or intolerance. The most well-known hypoallergenic feeds are produced by Royal Canin (Anallergic AN18, Hypoallergenic, and Sensitivity control), Hiil’s (Ultra Allergen Free, Prescription Diet Canine z/d and Feline z/d), Eukanuba, Pro Pac and Nutro.
Some feeds (for example, Purina DRM) contain vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, having anti-inflammatory effects and increasing the protective properties of the skin. It can be a perfect auxiliary tool in the treatment of food allergy and disorders.
At each stage of the pet’s life food must meet the needs of particular age. If the dog has a food allergy, he needs special treatment and strict diet to treat the disease. Veterinarian picks the therapeutic diet individually, and you can choose the casual and specialized (for example, for growing puppies, spayed or older animals) fodder independently.
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