News Archive:
Allergies in dogs
Just as humans allergies can show up as a
sneeze or rash, your
dog's allergies can manifest
as itchiness -- or even ear
infections. In fact, if your
dog's allergic to his food, it can
cause him to scratch
himself constantly, even with no obvious
parasite problem.
Dog allergies rarely get solved with medicine, so the best we
can do for our four-footed friends is focus on prevention.
Providing the right type of food is essential to stopping your
dog's scratching habit.
Many people like to share their food with their dogs or let
them help "clean up" the kitchen after a meal. Little do they
know, their dogs just may not be able to take the tasty food we
love so much, and some breeds (like the greyhound) are extremely
sensitive. Even common foods like cheese, beef sausage and tuna
may cause allergic reactions in some dogs. So it's best to let
dogs enjoy dog food and not human food, even though they
clearly adore and want what we're eating!
Narrowing Down the Problem
To determine the exact ingredients your dog is allergic to, try
an elimination diet. Although powerful, it also requires
patience. In fact, the elimination diet can call for
eliminating specific food for up to 12 weeks before you'll
notice the effects. And if you still haven't found the right
(and wrong) ingredients, you'll have to repeat the process all
over again.
So is there an alternative to the lengthy elimination diet? Yes
-- give your dog a brand or type of food he's never eaten
before. But simply changing to a new brand of dog food might
not be enough to eliminate his food allergies, since many
brands contain similar ingredients. Instead, study the existing
ingredients your dog is eating to determine which types of
protein source he hasn't been exposed to. Then, hunt for a dog
food that doesn't contain any of the ingredients you saw
listed. For example, there are many brands of dog food that
contains unusual protein sources such as rabbit or venison --
great for testing allergic reactions to other, more common
proteins.
Perhaps the best way for you to get control of dog's allergies
is to whip up your own dog food. That way, you'll know exactly
what he's getting and what he isn't -- something that's
extremely hard to tell from reading the back of a dog food bag.
Making your own food is especially helpful in elimination diets.
To start, combine a portion of rice with baby food and lamb --
so long as your dog isn't already eating lamb and possibly
displaying a reaction to it.
Dog food allergies are a special condition that can be
frustrating and take patience to solve. Since allergic
reactions don't disappear overnight, you'll need lots of time
and thoughtfulness to help your dog overcome this problem --
but his goofy smile and those scratch-free days ahead will
probably make it all worth it.
