Dog Food and Allergies

So over the past month or so I've had to deal with some food allergies in my household. Not human to food allergies but dog to food allergy. I never thought much of it. She loves to roll in the grass/snow and itch her back, and she loves to itch her back on the rug. We thought she was obsessive compulsive about licking her front paws and the amount of hair she was shedding, WOW! This all started a couple years after I stopped feeding her the BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diet.

Did you know that dogs can be allergic to certain foods. I always knew this but never paid much attention to it. I figured because I was feeding a grain-free raw kibble diet my dogs would be saved from allergies. Food allergies usually develop after the dog has been eating the same type of food for a number of years.

So what are the signs and symptoms of a dog that could be allergic to their food?
1. Itchy Skin
2. Ear Inflammation
3. Licking of the front paws
4. Red, irritated skin
5. Heavy shedding

More severe symptoms may include
1. Coughing, Wheezing, and Sneezing
2. Mucus discharge near their nose or eyes
3.Vomiting
4. Diarrhea

Some types of dogs are more prone to having an allergy to certain types of food. These breeds include, Beagles, Boxers, Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels, Collies, Dalmations, Golden Retrievers, Irish Setters, Labrador Retrievers, Lhasa Apsos, Poodles, Pugs, Schnauzers, Shih Tzus and Terriers.

Most food allergies are gastro-intestinal (diarrhea and vomiting). A study by Jeff Wayman, DVM, says approximately 10 to 15% of all allergic skin diseases in dogs are caused by food allergies.

What can you do??
Check your dog food label for foods on the "hot list". These foods include, but don't limit, Chicken, Beef, Corn, Wheat, Soy, and Dairy.

Corn and Wheat are the main culprits to allergies in dog food. The sad thing is that Corn and Wheat are usually used as cheap fillers in dog food and too much of it can build up in your dogs system and cause an allergic reaction (remember dogs don't digest like we do).

So try changing your food to a higher quality meat source as the primary ingredient. It will take some dogs a week to notice the difference and some dogs up to 3 months. Have patience, keep track of the symptoms you see, and note when you started feeding your dog the new food. If your dog's symptoms do not decrease or disappear you may have another type of allergy to deal with.

The positive side to this is there are some great dog foods out on the market today. The best way to go is a BARF food diet. If BARF food doesn't fit into your lifestyle than there are some great BARF food kibbles out there. Talk to your local pet food store, they know there foods and what works well!