It is important to learn to differentiate what a food allergy in dogs is from what a food intolerance is. Many times both pathologies have been confused and have been treated in the wrong way. For this reason we bring you this article where we will explain everything related to food allergies. So I invite you to continue reading and learn more about them.
How to Spot a Food Allergy in Dogs
Even though it may immediately seem to us that the symptoms of food allergy in dogs are clearly focused on digestive problems, the truth in these cases is that the most outstanding symptom of food allergy in dogs is itching and the consequent relief that has the dog in scratching. This type of allergies can happen to any breed of dog and at any age, regardless of the pattern of other allergies that are triggered by another type of factor. An example of this is pollen or even allergies triggered by bee stings.
The foods that can cause this type of food allergy are meat, milk, eggs, soy or cereals. First of all, you should know that an allergy is a hypersensitivity response that is triggered by a substance, or even by proteins, that are not supposed to compromise the well-being of the body. But if it turns out that the food puts your dog's health at risk, the allergy will be triggered. An important fact when identifying what may be causing your dog's allergy is that it must be exposed to the allergen several times for the allergy to be triggered.
So when you try to find out which allergen is causing harm to your dog, you should keep in mind that it will not appear on first contact. For this reason, you should pay special attention to the food you serve him since, if he has developed the allergy, it is because he has been eating the same diet for some time and the cause is in it. It is also important to bear in mind that if we suspect that our dog is suffering from a food allergy, the veterinarian should be consulted immediately. So that in this way you can prevent the picture from aggravating.
Food Allergy Symptoms
Many times we ask ourselves, how is food allergy in dogs reflected? Well, the symptoms are generally almost the same, you will develop dermatitis and this symptom will be the main one. This problem will cause redness and also intense itching. In addition, we can see that a kind of balls or small lumps of an intense red color and even wounds caused by scratching will also appear. This problem will become a skin disorder which will affect the lower part of the dog's body.
This disorder will also appear in the ears, thus causing otitis, which will be caused by food allergy in dogs. As for the area that surrounds the pads of dogs and together with the back of their legs, they will also be affected by this same skin disorder.
Last but not least, we have diarrhoea, which can be a very rare symptom, but it is not ruled out. We must bear in mind that a very fast digestive transit can be caused by food intolerances. For this reason, it is vitally important to notify the veterinarian about this, so that he can confirm the diagnosis of an allergic disorder that the dog may be presenting.
Only the veterinarian is trained to be able to differentiate food allergy from intolerance or even from another condition. Since these dermatological problems can also arise from other types of diseases or other types of allergies. For this, it is necessary to carry out a series of medical tests in order to reach an accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms of Feed Intolerance in Dogs
As has already been explained, food allergy in dogs and intolerance are two completely different health problems, even though they share certain symptoms. But they can also have different symptoms. As, for example, a dog with feed intolerance will have diarrhea and vomiting, these symptoms in turn will be related to abdominal pain.
Unlike a dog with an allergy to feed, where in this case only the symptoms of dermatitis that we had already explained before will be observed. It should be noted that in both situations the dog is not intolerant or allergic to the feed in general, but to one or more of its ingredients.
Food Allergy Tests
In order to diagnose food allergy in dogs, it is necessary for the veterinarian to order an evaluation that includes a hypoallergenic diet. With this diet we mean that the dog is put on an elimination diet. That is, it will indicate foods that the dog has not eaten before. In the market we will find a wide variety of feed and wet food that will be made up of various ingredients of unusual consumption. These will be completely natural, without any dyes, preservatives or even artificial flavors.
In addition, there are other various products for sale in the market, which are made up of hydrolyzed proteins. By this we mean those proteins that have been minimally fragmented, this helps the body not to react or trigger an allergic response. In the event that the symptoms presented by the dog do not improve with this change in its diet, the diagnosis of food allergy is then confirmed.
In case the elimination diet is very expensive, we proceed to carry this diet with those natural foods that you can find in your home. Even this method will make it much easier to identify those foods that cause the allergic reaction. But it is important that you take into account the opinion of the veterinarian, it is more, it is recommended that this diet be made at the hand of the veterinarian. Ultimately, a medical skin test can be ordered to identify the main food allergens.
How to Cure this type of Allergy
First of all, and what you should always keep in mind, is that food allergies in dogs will never be cured. For this reason, we must focus on preventing the dog from eating the food to which it is allergic, in this way our dog will lead a healthy and normal life, if you want to know how to remove this condition that your dog presents, then you already know the answer.
Therefore, the treatment of food allergy in dogs is going to happen with giving the food to which the dog does not react. For this reason, we invite you to make a list, detailing all the foods that your pet has eaten in the course of her life. Specifically indicating those that are bad for him and so you can make a completely renewed and healthy menu for your dog's health.
An important piece of information regarding this new diet should be given in a period of time of 8 to 10 weeks. If an improvement is observed, together with the instructions of the veterinarian, food can be added one by one in order to find the cause of the allergic reaction. This chain reaction can be easily identified, as the symptoms will return. If the diet works then it will be your daily diet for the rest of your life.
That is why you must bear in mind that the treatment will not be based on food allergy pills. Since the treatment is going to focus solely and exclusively on the food diet. But there are cases where there are medications prescribed by the veterinarian and that is when there are very serious dermatological lesions. These drugs are aimed at controlling itching, reducing inflammation or even treating infections if necessary.
Antihistamine for Dogs
Allergic reactions are going to occur due to a secretion of histamine, for this reason in this type of problem antihistamine drugs can be prescribed. Which are going to be prescribed when there is itching or dermatitis, which arises when there is a food allergy in dogs. In pet stores there are a wide variety of types of antihistamines for dogs that are administered and that will act in different ways in the body.
In order to know which one is indicated for our dog, it is necessary that the order be given by the veterinarian, who is the one who will indicate which of them is the best and the dose to be administered. It is completely forbidden to administer any drug for human use. You must bear in mind that antihistamines will only be used when symptoms are present. And corticosteroids can even be administered, but as highlighted before, the veterinarian is the one who will decide on their use.
Homemade Diet for Dogs with Food Allergy
In food allergies in dogs, it is more accessible to seek home remedies since the diet can be carried out at home. Since the ingredients for said diet will be very well chosen. They must be fresh and must be under our supervision. They should not contain any additives or dyes, since the food is intended to be free of any chemical substance and to be completely natural. What will be an excellent food for these dogs that have this type of health problem.
It is important to know that the diet must be very well balanced, this is vital and essential for the recovery of your pet. In addition, this diet must have the approval of your pet's veterinarian. This must have excellent knowledge about nutrition since we would be solving the allergy problem, but in return we produce nutritional deficiencies in our dog.
As already indicated, this diet must be made up of a series of ingredients that the dog has not eaten before. First, before deciding to create an exclusive diet for your dog, you should find out everything related to this type of diet. This type of diet is an excellent option as a home remedy for food allergies.
Food for Dogs with these Types of Problems
In the event that, for whatever reason, the dog does not have a homemade diet, we have already explained that there is a wide variety of feed exclusively for food allergies in dogs on the market. Apart from feed, there are also other much more natural foods for sale, aimed at treating these types of problems. Generally, these products are made up of ingredients that will generate a very low percentage of food allergies.
That is why any type of food aimed at helping dogs with food allergies will not have artificial colors or flavors. In order to help our pets, it is strictly recommended to feed them with 100% natural food. For this reason, it is recommended to look for the healthiest feed or food possible and even that are suitable for human consumption. Dogs have many gastrointestinal problems, which is why their diet must be taken care of. All this must be precarious, your digestive system is not very fast when it comes to digesting food. For this reason, the foods that are going to be consumed by them must be easily digestible.
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