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Many of us have allergies which cause us discomfort. Some of these allergies may be food related such as lactose intolerance. If you are affected by any then it can hurt not to be able to eat some of your favourite food. If you own a dog, did you know that your best buddy can also have allergic reactions to their food just like you? Do you know how to recognise the signs and what you can do to help your dog? If your dog is allergic to a certain type of food, or develops an allergy to food he normally eats without a problem then you obviously need to do something about it. However it is not always easy to pick up on as your dog can’t tell you he is suffering. It is mostly up to you to be on the lookout for signs of distress. Some of the general symptoms of an allergic food allergy may include your dog starting to itch or scratch, hair loss, skin infections, flatulence, vomiting or appearing generally off colour. Even if the above symptoms do start to manifest in your dog it might not be a straightforward case to zero in on a food allergy. There could be wider health considerations. So it is suggested that as the overall health of your dog is of paramount importance that you strongly consider a visit to your vet for a full and accurate diagnosis. If, however, it is a case of him having an allergy to some of his diet then it is usually a case of identifying the offending food and cutting it out of his diet. This can be easier said than done as it generally involves trial and error to get it right not least because modern dog foods (particularly canned food) contain all sorts of chemicals and additives and it is possible for your pooch to be allergic to any of them. Food allergies will differ from dog to dog. Before you think about introducing anything new to his diet consider it carefully especially the ingredients of the proposed new dietary addition. Might there be anything in it which may cause him trouble. If in doubt, leave it out! If you have introduced something new to your dog’s diet and he starts showing some adverse reaction to it then simply removing it from his diet should be sufficient. If on the other hand he starts showing an adverse reaction to his normal diet then it is a little more difficult to get to the bottom of as it involves removing stuff from his diet until the offending food item is found. This can take some time. Some general tips and considerations to help avoid your dog developing food allergies are to always feed him the best quality food you can afford, reduce or cut out the treats, consider his feeding needs and when the best feeding times are for him – for example little and often or larger meals at say breakfast time and in the evening. Plenty of exercise will help keep him healthy too. All dogs love regular “walkies” after all. But please, as I know you will do anyway, if you are in any doubt at all or have any concerns about your dog’s health do what’s best for him and consult with your vet. Even what may appear to be a simple food allergy could be a sign of a deeper problem. So here we have looked briefly at some of the reasons why dogs can develop food allergies, some of the signs of that and some of the steps you can take to identify the culprit and remove it from your dog’s diet. With many dog owners the raw dog food diett is gaining popularity and that is something you may consider introducing your dog to – not just for allergy reasons as it is considered by some as a generally healthier option than canned dog food. Please click here for some more information and a free report about the raw dog food diet.
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dog, dog health, dog food allergy, dog diet, raw dog food diet,
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