Dog’s with a Food Allergy
January 6, 2012
Dog’s with a Food Allergy: Treating and Managing Your Dog’s Allergy
A food allergy is one of the most common diseases in today’s society for humans. If that applies to you then you know that allergies can cause discomfort in your daily activities and you will not be able to do your daily activities properly. However, you have to also consider that your dog too can experience food allergies. Similarities are considerable so it must be something we deal with from both sides if we are a pet owner.
Why is your dog scratching all the time?
You have to consider the fact your dog too can have food allergies.
This is why you should also monitor your pet because allergies can cause severe discomfort in your dog and in severe cases, it can be life threatening.
It is very important that you should be aware of the signs and symptoms of dog allergies as it can be hard to detect. You have to remember that your dog cannot talk and cannot tell you what they are feeling. So, it is important to remember that you should know how to detect dog allergies in order for you to manage it properly and know how to effectively treat them.
Dogs today eat a variety of processed foods and food allergy is the third most common causes of allergies in dog. As with the human allergy, the dog’s immune system also overreacts to a certain kind of food that will trigger their immune system to release histamines to fight of the invader. You have to consider that the so-called invader is usually harmless to dogs and the immune system overreacts to it and mistakes it as harmful.
If your dog is suffering from an allergy attack, you will see that they have itching in several parts of the body. They will experience itching in the face, foot, limb, belly and they will also experience recurrent ear infections. You will also see that they will not be as active as usual, will refuse to eat and will vomit.
One of the main causes of food allergies is staring at you in the face. The dog foods available today that can be brought from several pet stores contains junk ingredients that can cause allergic reaction to your dogs. The proteins found in beef, chicken, chicken eggs, wheat and dairy products are the most common causes of allergies in dogs. As you can see, the ingredients mentioned are also the most common ingredients found in dog food. It is important that you should try switching your dog’s diet in order to determine what kind of food that is causing the allergy.
Also consider adding a daily probiotics supplement to help calm your dogs digestive system and give him a chance to boost his immune system response.
It is also important that you should take your dog to the vet in order to perform a series of physical examination that will determine what kind of ingredient in dog foods that contains ingredients that causes the allergies. Once the allergen is identified, the vet will recommend that your dog should change diet from regular dog food that contains allergens to hypoallergenic dog food. Although hypoallergenic or organic dog foods can cost quite higher than regular and popular dog foods available in the market, you can be sure that your dog will always be in shape and will always live a happy life.
You can also choose homemade diets but you have to remember that the vitamins and minerals should be carefully balanced in order to provide the adequate nourishment your dog needs. Your veterinarian will be able to provide you with a diet plan for your dog.
With proper management and proper treatment, your dog will be able to live a happier life and will minimize the risk of allergy attacks.
What Humans Can Do to Help Hypoallergenic Dogs
Human beings are not the only species that can suffer from allergies. Dogs can also have allergic reactions to objects in the home, chemicals and pollutants in the air, dog food, and their own hair and dander. Finding the source of these allergies can be difficult especially if the dog is allergic to a few things. If you have a dog that suffers from allergies, you may notice that they sneeze when around harmful chemicals, vomit after eating, have skin rashes, patches of fur missing, runny nose and eyes, or they may show signs of fatigue or restlessness.
Noticing these signs is the first step to helping your dog lead a normal, healthy life. You should monitor your dog for a month to see how it reacts to its environment, its food, and its own hair and dander. Since dogs need to keep themselves clean, they may be swallowing allergens that can cause an allergic reaction. The best way to combat a hair and dander allergy is to bathe your dog once a month and brushing the dog once a day.
If your dog has a thick undercoating, it will trap allergens and dander and keep it from falling off the body. After a while the dander will build up and fall off or be swallowed. If you have allergies, this could be one of the causes. Brushing the undercoating every day will help remove excess hair before it is swallowed or falls on the floor or carpeting. This will reduce your allergy problems as well.
Sometimes chemicals in dog food can lead to food allergies. If your dog vomits at least once a day, then they may be allergic to the food they are eating. Hypoallergenic dog food is available. The food contains fewer chemicals while providing your dog with enough nutrition. Try this dog food to see if it will reduce the vomiting. Wet dog food may also help your dog digest their foods easily. If the vomiting does not stop, you should visit the vet to see if your dog has other health problems.
Dogs that are allergic to cleaning supplies, mold, and shampoo may be more difficult to treat. You can switch to natural cleaning supplies that do not contain bleach and other harmful chemicals. This may help your dog breathe a little better. You can also have your home tested for mold, which could be causing your own allergies, and you can switch dog shampoos and try one for hypoallergenic dogs. You should not wash your dog more than twice a month as you could make the dog’s skin dry and flaky, which is why they are scratching and pulling more often than usual.
Taking care of a dog with allergies is easy once you have identified the problem. Asking a vet for advice is a good idea if you do not know where to begin. They will be able to ask the right questions and help you find the answers so you will be able to administer the proper treatments.
Read more on dog allergy treatments
