Monday, August 22, 2011

Dog Allergies to Food

It has only recently been learned that dogs, similar to people, can incur allergies to a particular food or foods from a specific food class. Dog allergies to food are among the five most basic forms of canine allergies, though the animal is ordinarily born with the food allergy, a food allergy could occur at any time throughout the rest of their lifetime.

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Causes and Symptoms of Dog Allergies to Food

Your dog will oftentimes sustain reactions to the diverse sorts of foods they feed on. Most often, the reaction is just a stomach ache that may produce vomiting and diarrhea. Food allergies are not like that however, besides just suffering from indigestion, it'll produce itchy skin in canines and also the previously stated symptoms of allergies to food: dog diarrhea, vomiting and bloating. An animal's itching and scratching can lead to peeling skin, eczema, skin rashes and loss of fur. In some canines, more signs of a food allergy might consist of a loss in weight, hyperactivity and quite possibly hostility.

In an animal with an allergy to food, the immune system overreacts to a particular ingredient that it ordinarily tolerates producing an allergic response. Dog allergies to food are typically brought on by proteins found in dairy foods, sugars and wheat as a direct result of feeding on table scraps. Even though proteins are the most probable cause of a canine's food allergy, any sort of food or food substance can incite an allergic reaction.

Diagnosing Dog Allergies to Food

Only a few years ago, an elimination diet was the sole system that existed to find out if an animal was inflicted with a food allergy. The dog would have eaten a diet of hypoallergenic dog food that didn't include the same substances that were in the earlier diet for roughly 2 or 3 months. Today, the diagnosis can be achieved by a vet utilizing a quick dog allergy test that is comprised of laboratory work run on a small quantity of blood drawn from the dog.

How to Treat Dog Allergies to Food

The sole cure for dog allergies to food is avoidance of the food substance or food that's the root of the allergy. The healthiest kind of food for dogs that have a food allergy is hypoallergenic dog food that's comprised of all natural ingredients. This type of dog food can be given to your pet for the rest of his lifetime without any worry of your pet's allergy to food recurring.

Due to the dog itching, you'll more than likely need to take care of dog skin conditions as well. The veterinarian will generally advise the use of topical creams and antihistamines. Because the use of antihistamines for canine allergies could possibly produce negative side effects, a natural treatment for food allergies in dogs is preferable. There are many all-natural formulas being sold that have been shown by dog owners to offer outstanding results.

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