Common Dog Food Allergies: Symptoms and Treatment Options

Dog food allergies and sensitivities are different, though they might seem the same. Allergies happen when a dog’s immune system reacts to something it has met before, leading to itchy skin and tummy problems. Sensitivities, more common, don’t involve the immune system. They usually cause stomach upset. Knowing the difference matters because each problem needs its solution.

Highlights

Allergies in dogs are immune responses to proteins or carbs, unlike sensitivities which cause stomach upset.
Beef, dairy, and chicken are top allergens, affecting up to 34%, 17%, and 15% of allergic dogs respectively.
Management of dog food allergies involves dietary changes and possibly medication for symptoms.
Certain breeds like French Bulldogs and Labradors are more prone to food allergies, requiring specialized care.

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Table of Contents

Understanding Dog Food Allergies

brown dog eating Image credits: freepik

When dogs have food allergies, their bodies see a certain food part, like a protein or carb, as a danger. This mistaken reaction involves the immune system. Food sensitivities are different because they don’t make the immune system respond and mainly cause stomach issues.

Immune Response: In allergies, dogs’ bodies fight against the food, thinking it’s harmful. This can make them inflamed and show various symptoms. The body needs to have met the allergen before to react this way.
Types of Reactions: Food allergies can make a dog’s skin itchy, upset their stomach, or even make it hard to breathe. These issues come from the body trying to get rid of what it thinks is bad.
The Role of the Immune System: Its main job is to guard against germs and strange substances. But, if a dog is allergic, it wrongly attacks certain foods. This mistake leads to the problems seen with food allergies.

Food allergies in dogs are not as common as you might think. In fact, things like seasonal allergies and problems with fleas or ticks happen a lot more often. Only a tiny fraction, about 0.2%, of dogs have food allergies.

Most Common Food Allergies In Dogs

illustration of Most Common Food Allergies In Dogs

Dog food allergies usually come from proteins in certain foods, such as beef or chicken. These allergies aren’t about the foods being bad. It’s about dogs’ immune systems overreacting to them. Proteins get mistakenly seen as harmful.

Most Common Food Allergens

Beef: It’s the biggest problem, with 34% of dogs reacting to it.
Dairy Products: About 17% of dogs have issues with dairy, like cheese and milk.
Chicken: This is a problem for 15% of dogs with allergies.
Wheat and Soy: Wheat bothers 13% of dogs, and soy 6%.
Other Proteins: Lamb, pork, and fish cause reactions in fewer dogs, around 5% to 2%.
Corn and Eggs: Each affects 4% of dogs. Rice is a problem for 2%.

Dogs can start being allergic to these foods over time, even if they’ve been fine with them for years. How allergies develop is complicated and involves the immune system treating food proteins as enemies.

Knowing which foods often cause allergies helps dog owners. They can watch for signs of allergies and change their dog’s diet to avoid problems.

Common Symptoms of Food Allergies in Dogs

Dog food allergies can show up in many ways, often confusing both dog owners and vets. It’s important to know these signs early and get a vet’s help to treat them right.

Skin Problems: The most common sign is skin trouble. Dogs might itch a lot, leading to skin damage and hot spots from too much scratching. Even though some think stomach issues would be the main sign, skin reactions are actually more usual.

Ear Infections: Dogs with these allergies can also get ear infections often. The itchiness and inflammation can spread to the ears, causing pain and sometimes more serious infections if not treated quickly.

Gastrointestinal Issues: Some dogs have stomach problems like vomiting and diarrhea. But, these signs can also show up in other health problems, making it hard to tell if it’s really a food allergy without more tests.

Respiratory Symptoms: Less common – some dogs might have breathing issues because of food allergies. But this is usually seen with other kinds of allergies.

Overlap with Other Conditions: The signs of food allergies can look a lot like other issues, such as environmental allergies or infections. For example, itching and ear infections could also be from things like pollen or dust, often changing with the seasons. This is why it’s so important to have a vet check things out to make sure it’s a food allergy.

Because these allergy symptoms can mean different things, seeing a vet is key. Vets might use special diets or food trials to figure out if a dog has food allergies, watching how the dog reacts to changes in what it eats.

Diagnostic Process of Food Allergies In Dogs

brown dog itching Image credits: Peggy_Marco

Finding out if a dog has food allergies starts with looking at symptoms. The key sign is itchiness that doesn’t change with the seasons. Dogs might itch all over or just in certain spots like their face, ears, legs, feet, and underarms. Sometimes, they might also have stomach troubles like vomiting, diarrhea, or belly pain. But these signs can be vague and come and go, which makes figuring out the problem hard.

It’s important to check for other issues first, like bugs (fleas, mites), skin infections, or other allergies. This step makes sure the problem is really a food allergy.

Food Trials: The Gold Standard

The best way to know for sure if it’s a food allergy is by doing food trials. This means giving the dog a special diet without the common allergens for about eight to twelve weeks. If the dog gets better, then the old food is given again to see if the symptoms come back. This confirms a food allergy. The hard part is sticking to this special diet without any slip-ups, which takes a lot of work from the pet parents.

There are different ways of food trials to figure out if your dog has food allergies:

A prescription diet with hydrolyzed protein. This diet breaks proteins into tiny pieces. These small pieces can’t start an allergic reaction because they don’t stick to the body’s allergy receptors.
An elimination diet. This diet uses only one type of protein and one type of carb. It can be specially made by a vet nutritionist or a homemade diet guided by a vet.

Most of the time, elimination diets are just to find out if there’s a food allergy. They aren’t meant to be the dog’s forever diet. If your dog’s skin or ear problems go away on this diet, then you know food is the problem. After that, you can look for a regular diet that doesn’t make your dog sick.

Diets with “novel” new types of protein or carbs. These diets have unusual new food ingredients that are less likely to cause allergies.
Diets that help the skin. These foods have special nutrients that help calm the immune system’s reaction.

Food trials or elimination diets are the best ways to find out if your dog has food allergies.

Food Allergies vs. Food Intolerances

It’s also key to tell the difference between food allergies and food intolerances. Food allergies involve the immune system and can cause skin problems or itching. Food intolerances mainly lead to stomach issues and don’t involve the immune system. Knowing the difference helps decide the best way to help the dog.

Limitations of Other Testing Methods

Even though some might use blood or saliva tests to find food allergies in dogs, these aren’t trustworthy. Studies show these tests can’t really tell if a dog has allergies, which could lead to wrong diets. So, these tests shouldn’t be used to figure out food allergies in dogs.

How to Treat Dogs with Food Allergies

Treating dog food allergies means changing their diet to avoid the foods that cause reactions. Finding out which foods are the problem usually begins with a food trial or elimination diet, guided by a vet.

Dietary Changes and Hypoallergenic Diets

Many dogs with food allergies might need a special diet. These diets don’t have the usual allergens. Instead, they have new types of meat like kangaroo or venison, or proteins broken down so small that the dog’s body doesn’t react to them. Before you feed your dog, it’s key to have a vet help with these diets.

Regular Veterinary Check-ups

Seeing the vet regularly helps keep track of how well the new diet works and if any changes are needed. Vets can suggest diets made for dogs with allergies. Some of these diets also help with skin problems and inflammation caused by allergies.

Additional Treatments

Besides diet changes, vets might give medicine to help with symptoms, especially if the dog has other allergies. Supplements like omega fatty acids can improve skin health and reduce allergy signs.

Long-term Management

Dealing with food allergies is ongoing. It means always being careful about what the dog eats, including treats, and avoiding table food that might have allergens. Some dogs do well on prescription diets made for allergy issues, like Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d, Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein HP, and Purina Pro Plan HA.

In short, managing dog food allergies takes a full plan that includes diet changes, vet visits, and sometimes extra treatments. Working closely with a vet is the best way to keep a dog with food allergies happy and healthy.

Breed-Specific Considerations

Keep in mind that some breeds are really affected by dog food allergies a lot more than others. Clearly, a defined plan is to enlighten and take good care of these allergies in some dogs. Let’s have a look at which breed is most at risk and how to help them:

Breeds Likely to Suffer from Food Allergies

French Bulldogs: It is probable that food allergies and skin problems will be experienced due to the genes and skin folds. The diet should be closely monitored and skin folds kept clean to manage them.

Boxers: They have both environmental and food allergies that lead to itching of the skin. One has to find the cause and work out a plan with a vet.

Labrador Retrievers: Their thick fur acts as a store for allergens and worsens skin problems. They may be allergic to specific food proteins requiring changes in their diet and more grooming.

German Shepherds: They are prone to skin and stomach allergies. For its management, control of diet, fleas, and immunotherapy should be considered.

Golden Retrievers: These dogs are often found to be prone to various skin problems, ear infections, and allergies, which create problems in breathing for them. The overall care required for them includes the usual maintenance towards avoidance of allergens and a clean and hygienic environment for them.

Conclusion: Common Dog Food Allergies

In essence, the management of allergies involving dog food includes care in watching for symptoms, testing the foods to find the incriminating agent, and adjusting their diet towards a healthier way. Breeds such as the French Bulldog, Boxer, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd, and Golden Retriever are more predisposed to these issues. Working closely with a vet is crucial to keep dogs with food allergies healthy.