Food allergies are a problem that can lead to bigger health issues later. This is not a condition with which you want your dog to struggle. So what do you look for, and how do you prevent problems from cropping up in the first place?
First of all, it's true that allergies can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, but these symptoms can also be indicative of life-threatening illness such as parvo, so if your dog shows these symptoms, it's important to see a vet right away for diagnosis. But diarrhea can also mean a dog is intolerant to a food, without necessarily being allergic. If your dog is allergic, it's more than failure to digest the food properly or absorb ingredients-there are adverse reactions.
Here's how to tell if your dog may be suffering from food allergies:
1. Your dog suffers from frequent ear infections. Symptoms include dark discharge in your dog's ear which can be brown, reddish or black, and may or may not be grainy. This discharge may have a sour smell, and the dog may shake his head, scratch his ear, or squeal with discomfort.
2. Your dog frequently bites or licks his paws or his rear end, and you see no obvious cause for the irritation, such as a bur.
3. Your dog's hair is falling out. You may begin to see bare patches of skin.
4. You notice flakes of skin in the dog's hair, or the dog scratches a lot. The coat may look dull instead of glossy. The skin is dry.
Any of these symptoms alone could stem from a variety of causes, but if you're noticing a combination, food allergies may well be the source of the problem. It's a good idea to see what you're dealing with in any case, but if you suspect allergies, take a look at what's in your dog's food.
There are ingredients to which dogs are prone to develop allergies, so even if your dog shows no symptoms yet, it may be a good idea to consider switching foods if your dog's meal includes corn, wheat, beef, egg, or soy. In some cases rice can be the culprit, although this is less common and many dogs do very well on a diet with rice. The above causes of allergic reactions are not an exhaustive list, but those ingredients are the most common sources of problems. Now manufacturers offer a tremendous variety of flavors: salmon, anchovy, duck, oat, lamb, chicken, venison, ostrich, etc.
So how do you pick a good food, either for a symptomatic dog, or to prevent allergies from developing? The best place to begin is the actual ingredient label rather than the front of the package. Don't be fooled by a package front that says "Lamb and Rice." While there are many good, true lamb-and-rice foods, not all brands give the whole story up front. When you flip the bag over to read what's inside, some brands still use corn, possibly as the number one ingredient! So it may contain lamb and rice, but that doesn't mean the bad ingredient is absent. At any rate, you want meat or meat meal to be the first ingredient.
Secondly, it is so commonly said that you should pick one food and stick with it, but there are problems with this method of preventing diarrhea. Constant consumption of the same ingredients can actually cause allergies. So it's a good idea to make sure your dog is getting variety, but if diarrhea is a problem, change the food gradually, mixing the new in with the old in increasing amounts over a few days. This can make the transition easier, especially for dogs with sensitive digestive systems. It's a much better plan than keeping your dog on one food, one flavor, for life.
A note on recovering from allergies: if your dog has yeast infections because of the allergies, it can take up to twelve weeks for that yeast to get out of your dog's system, even after he's eating healthy. Maybe longer, depending on the severity of the allergy and the time he's been on problem foods. So if the change isn't sudden and you still see paw biting or ear infections, this could be why. Your vet can help you test for specific allergens if simply switching to a different dog food doesn't solve the problem. Good food costs a bit more, but keeping your dog on healthy food can actually prolong his life.
Jana Ortiz is the founder of Kosmar Enterprises, LLC, your holistic health resource for pets and the entire family. Visit Kosmar Enterprises, LLC at http://www.kosmarenterprises.com
Copyright 2007 Jana Ortiz. This article may be distributed and displayed freely as long as the entire article is kept intact, including author and copyright lines, and links are kept live.
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