| Food allergies make up about ten percent of all the | | | | those ingredients except that they are uncommon in |
| allergies occurring in dogs and cats, coming in after | | | | pet foods. If lamb and rice become the most common |
| inhalants and flea bites. Many people feel that diets | | | | ingredients, more dogs will have reactions to them. |
| based on lamb and rice are helping them treat or | | | | Most allergies in dogs have the same symptom - itchy |
| prevent allergies in their pets, but they may not be. We | | | | skin. Other symptoms that come up often include |
| don't really understand how dogs become sensitive to | | | | scratching, skin infections, hair loss and chronic ear |
| particular foods or food ingredients. Fortunately, there | | | | infections. Dogs with allergies may also have more |
| are still plenty of things we do know. Let's look at the | | | | bowel movements than non allergic dogs. |
| way we diagnose food allergies, how we treat them, | | | | Unfortunately, the fact that most allergies appear the |
| and what the symptoms are. | | | | same means that it can be hard to tell what your dog |
| Unlike inhalant allergies, there isn't a strong link between | | | | is allergic to. If your pet has recurrent ear problems, |
| a dog being a particular breed and developing particular | | | | has allergies year round, has moderate to severe skin |
| allergies. Male and female animals are equally affected, | | | | problems or doesn't respond to steroid or antihistamine |
| and neutering seems to have no effect. Allergies can | | | | treatment, food allergies might be the culprit. |
| show up as young as five months of age, and as late | | | | Once you've ruled out all other causes of allergy and |
| as twelve, but most dogs show their symptoms | | | | have determined the problem is definitely food, it's time |
| between the ages of two and six. The majority of | | | | to do a food trial. The method used is to feed a new |
| animals with allergies to foods will also have other | | | | source of protein and carbohydrates for twelve |
| allergic reactions as well. | | | | weeks, using foods the animal has not eaten in the |
| We do need to distinguish between real allergies and | | | | past. Venison and potato, rabbit and rice, and duck and |
| mere food intolerances. Food allergies involve skin | | | | rutabaga have all been used by people making |
| problems and itching, while food intolerances tend to | | | | homemade diets. There are some commercial diets, |
| involve digestive issues and don't have a standard | | | | too. |
| allergic response. Fortunately, the best way to treat | | | | The pet must eat nothing else for twelve weeks, even |
| both types of problem is to remove the food causing | | | | treats. If the symptoms disappear or are reduced, the |
| the allergy or insensitivity from the diet. | | | | next step is to try the old food again, to make sure |
| There are a number of ingredients that are most likely | | | | they return. If this happens, a food allergy is confirmed. |
| to cause allergies, including dairy, wheat, corn, chicken, | | | | Blood tests and skin testing may also be performed, |
| eggs, soy and beef. Of course, these are also the | | | | and once a positive diagnosis is made, you can then |
| most common ingredients in dog food. The incidence | | | | choose a new commercial diet or a homemade diet to |
| of reactions is likely associated with exposure. Lamb | | | | prevent allergies from happening again. Specific |
| and rice diets have been produced to attempt to | | | | ingredients can be tested one at a time till you find the |
| combat allergies, but there is nothing special about | | | | perfect diet for your pet. |