Pet Food Allergies? Check Out What’s In The Bag
Monday, September 15th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Dogs, like their human companions, can have allergies to different varieties of food. Many times, the problem is that their bodies can’t handle the corn or wheat in the food, which can often show up as colitis.
An animal with dog food allergies may experience any of the following symptoms: Vomiting bile or blood, poor appetite, diarrhea and blood in the stools, itching, dry coat and skin, chronic or recurrent ear infections, hair loss, excessive scratching, hot spots and skin infections, increased bowel movements and other unpleasant conditions.
If you’re worried that your dog may have a food allergy or intolerance to a particular food, you should test to ensure that the food is what’s causing the problem. Other issues, such as parasites or infections, can cause similar symptoms.
It might be necessary to adhere to a diet of home made dog food, so you can control the ingredients, feeding a simple balance of protein and carbohydrates. Further complicating the issue, there are many additives in dog food, and it may be one of these instead of a certain kind of meat or grain, which is causing the allergy.
Common allergy-causing foods for dogs are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn, and soy. But these are the most common ingredients in dog foods! Yes, and there is a reason for that. Just like people who cannot tolerate lactose, being overexposed to these ingredients could be the root of the problem.
New recipes such as lamb and rice have been formulated because these are not traditional dog foods, therefore dogs have not had time to build up an intolerance. These may not actually be the solution to treating an intolerance though, as many of these brands contain soy, egg etc., so check the ingredients.
As more and more dogs are diagnosed with allergic reactions, many pet foods are marketed as hypoallergenic. Keep in mind that like any other thing, some dog food recipes may work well for you dog, and others may not be right for him at all. Take these only as guidelines.
Be prepared to compare dog food brands extensively, since one thing to consider is that many “healthy” dog foods may still cause allergies in your dog if they contain that trigger ingredient. Even human grade dog food might still be causing your dog stomach problems.
An intolerance to wheat or dairy contained in dog foods, natural and high quality though they may be, will still cause the end result, just as it does in humans. Canine skin problems are another sign that your dog may have an allergy.
About the Author: Rebecca Foxton wants to help you bring your pet better health with Fortiflora. Check out her nutrition tips for people with dogs and cats and read her dog food article series on Dog Buffs.
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