Is My Dog Allergic to His Food?
By Brooke Sloate
We’ve
all probably seen our dogs lick or scratch themselves…they’re dogs, that’s what
they do! If done once in a while, it’s
not a problem. However, when this becomes a frequent activity, something
serious may be bothering your dog, and he’s certainly uncomfortable. What I’m
talking about are canine allergies.
Now
allergies are not the only reason that dogs itch. There are other conditions
that can cause itching such as seasonal allergies, flea bite hypersensitivity, a
drug reaction; a bacterial infection; a fungal infection; diseases like
pancreatic, liver or renal disease – for example. Therefore, it’s important to
see your veterinarian to rule out any serious conditions.
The
most common sign of an allergy in your dog is itching. They itch ALL OVER.
So
they scratch, chew, and lick their skin, paws or ears. Chronic allergies are
miserable for both pets and pet parents…they’re miserably itchy and you want to
help them feel better which can take time and money until you figure out what’s
wrong.
Let’s
talk about food allergies. A TRUE food allergy is less common than many pet
owners think. Some experts estimate this occurrence to be about 1% of all dogs
and 0.5% of all cats. As compared to flea bite hypersensitivity or flea
allergies at 40% or seasonal allergies at 10-15%. And almost half of all pets
who suffer from food allergies also exhibit other hypersensitivities, which
makes it even more difficult to diagnose.
What’s
more, is that you may not know whether you’re dealing with a food allergy or a
seasonal allergy, since they have similar symptoms.
Clinical
signs of a food allergy are extremely variable and can affect:
·
skin
issues (most frequent with generalized itchiness all over the body)
·
the
gastrointestinal tract
·
the
respiratory system
·
the
central nervous system
·
or
any combination of the above
So
how do you know if your pet has a food allergy? The fact is, most people don’t
actually get their pets tested for food allergies as these tests are very
expensive, and are known to be highly unreliable.
If
a dog or cat has an allergy to a protein, it’s usually to a protein they have
been exposed to before. One that can be more common is chicken, because many
pet foods use chicken in their formulas, especially puppy food (however again,
the likelihood is low). A food allergy develops when your pet’s immune system becomes
overly sensitive to that ingredient – similar to humans.
So
if I think my pet’s allergic to chicken, can he eat a food with chicken fat?
If
your pet IS allergic to chicken, for instance, they are allergic to the protein
in the chicken, not the fat (since fat does not contain protein). This is
helpful to note when reading pet food labels so you don’t rule out nutritious
food options.
And
remember, a food hypersensitivity can begin at any age, even late in the pet’s
life.
At
pawTree® we are committed to providing pet parents with a line of premium
products to help pets thrive. Look at our line of dog and cat food -- we refuse
to compromise on quality so you don't have to.
About Brooke…
Brooke
Sloate, Director of Product Development at pawTree LLC, is passionate about
solving problems for pets and creating products that truly make a difference to
pet parents.
With
over 20 years of experience in the pet industry working for a variety of pet
companies prior to pawTree®, including Nature's Variety®, Hill’s®, Mars®,
Petmate®, Applica® and Sergeant's®, Brooke has developed a wide range of
innovative pet products including pet food, treats, and pet accessories.
Brooke
enjoys the unconditional love of her family of Shih Tzus and responds by
spoiling them every chance she gets!
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