Your dog is itchy all over, scratching non-stop and in a constant state of discomfort. His skin is red and inflamed, his hair is falling out and he’s shaking his head and ears about every other minute.
The diagnosis from your vet? Your pooch could be suffering from a food allergy.
Food allergies occur when a dog’s immune system reacts to a particular food.
Though relatively uncommon, it’s thought that food allergies account for roughly 10 percent of the allergies seen in dogs, causing irritation and sometimes intense distress for affected animals.Unfortunately, there’s no reliable way to test for food allergies in dogs. However, allergies can be diagnosed by conducting an elimination diet trial. Keep reading to find out how!
Signs of Dog Food Allergies
If your pet has come over all itchy and scratchy, there’s a pretty good chance that an allergy could be the cause. Symptoms of food allergies are the same as any other type of allergy, and itching is the most common sign to keep an eye out for. It can cause your furry friend to scratch, rub and chew at the affected areas — anything to provide even a little relief.
The face, paws, ears, legs, armpits and the areas around the anus are the parts of the body most likely to be affected, and it’s usually pretty easy to notice your pooch’s discomfort. All this scratching can, in turn, produce other telltale signs, like hair loss, redness and nasty-looking “hot spots”. An allergic dog may also suffer from frequent ear infections, while in severe cases chronic skin infections can also occur.
Some dogs with food allergies may experience gastrointestinal upset in addition to all that itching. Vomiting, diarrhea or even loose stools can all indicate that your pet is at least intolerant and maybe even allergic to a particular food.
If your dog shows any of the above signs and symptoms, it’s worth heading to the veterinarian for a check-up to get to the root of the problem.
Body Language
Your pooch’s body language can contain several telltale clues to indicate that he may be suffering from a food allergy. These include:
Whining
Chewing
Scratching
Weakness
Other Signs
Other signs of food allergies in dogs include:
Itching
Chewing And Rubbing
Hair Loss
Poor Coat Quality
Ear Infections
Vomiting And Diarrhea
Skin Infections
The Science of Dog Food Allergies
Humans aren’t the only creatures on the planet to suffer from allergies, with basically every type of mammal capable of developing them. However, while many of the symptoms of food intolerance are similar in animals and humans, adverse reactions in dogs generally tend to mostly affect the skin, followed by the gastrointestinal tract.
Studies have shown that food allergies account for around 10 percent of all allergies in dogs, making it the third most common cause, after flea allergy dermatitis and atopy (inhalant allergy). However, our understanding of how dogs become sensitized to particular foods and the effect they have on an animal’s immune system is quite limited.
What we do know is that food allergies can develop in dogs of any age, affecting both males and females and neutered and intact animals. Many dogs with a food allergy suffer from inhalant or contact allergies at the same time.
We also know that around 70 percent of pets affected by food allergies actually develop an allergic reaction to foods they have been fed for a long time, typically more than two years.
Unfortunately, until we can develop a deeper understanding of what causes dog food allergies, a reliable test to diagnose those allergies is still a long way off. In the meantime, feeding an elimination diet is the best way to properly diagnose food allergies in our canine companions.
How to Test For Dog Food Allergies
If your pet suffers from atopy, your veterinarian can rely on blood tests and intradermal skin testing to help diagnose the problem. Unfortunately, there’s currently no reliable way to test for food allergies in our furry friends.
Instead, an accurate diagnosis can only be made after the much longer process of an elimination diet. The first step in this process is to provide your veterinarian with an accurate diary of everything your pet has eaten, including any treats and table scraps, and the symptoms their allergy has produced.
Your veterinarian will then start your dog on a special elimination diet for a period of six, eight or even 12 weeks. This could be a home-prepared diet or a commercially available prescription diet, and it consists of protein and carbohydrate sources different to what your dog has had before. You’ll also need to make sure your dog sticks to the diet religiously and doesn’t eat anything that could cause their allergy symptoms to flare up.
If your dog has a food allergy, their symptoms will improve during the course of the trial. Then, if the symptoms worsen again as you start reintroducing other foods into your pet’s diet, you should be able to identify the culprit.
Once you know what’s causing your dog’s itchiness and irritation, you can make sure your pet avoids the offending ingredient altogether.
“Diagnosing food allergies in dogs: The power of an elimination diet”
Tips & Things to Know
1️⃣ If your dog is constantly scratching, losing hair, or showing signs of discomfort, it might be suffering from a food allergy. Food allergies in dogs are not very common but they account for about 10% of all allergies seen in dogs. The symptoms are similar to other forms of allergies and often affect the skin and gastrointestinal tract.
2️⃣ There is currently no direct test for food allergies in dogs. The most effective way to diagnose if your dog has a food allergy is through an elimination diet trial. This involves feeding your dog a special diet that excludes all the foods it usually eats, for a period of 6 to 12 weeks. If your dog’s symptoms improve during this period, it is likely that they have a food allergy.
3️⃣ Keep a detailed record of what your dog eats and its symptoms to help your vet diagnose the problem. Once the cause of your dog’s allergic reaction is identified through the elimination diet, you can avoid feeding your dog that particular food to prevent future allergic reactions.
Frequently Asked Questions, Answered ✅
1. What are the signs of a food allergy in dogs?
– The signs of a food allergy in dogs include itching, scratching, hair loss, poor coat quality, ear infections, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin infections.
2. How can food allergies in dogs be diagnosed?
– Food allergies in dogs can be diagnosed through an elimination diet trial. This involves feeding the dog a special diet for a period of six to twelve weeks and carefully monitoring their symptoms.
3. Can food allergies in dogs be tested through blood tests or skin testing?
– No, currently there is no reliable way to test for food allergies in dogs through blood tests or skin testing. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through an elimination diet trial.
4. Can dogs develop food allergies to foods they have been fed for a long time?
– Yes, around 70% of pets affected by food allergies actually develop an allergic reaction to foods they have been fed for a long time, typically more than two years.
5. What should be done if a dog is diagnosed with a food allergy?
– If a dog is diagnosed with a food allergy, the offending ingredient should be avoided altogether to prevent symptoms from recurring.
