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Like humans, pets are also prone to allergies. Few dog owners may be listening to this fact for the first time. Also, many cannot recognize that the problems their dogs are facing is because of allergies. It is also true that the most common reason for allergies is the food that your pet intake. And, to curb that, all you need is a dog food allergy diet.

If your dog misses certain food, get them the non-allergic flavored ones from the market. These would compensate for their bad mood. At the same time, it you would be able to follow the strict diet without any trouble.

When owing a dog, regular visit to the veterinarian becomes a part of life. Either it’s the yearly vaccination or the spa sessions, every dog owner keep track of all the schedules. And, if something like allergies come into picture, you would only be increasing the number of visits for no reason. Hence, to know about the signs and ways to curb the problem would be a handy and safe solution.

What Signs You Should Look for?

Every pet is different. Dog food allergies symptoms ranges from ear infection to upset stomach. Not just the varying breeds but even the dogs of similar breed may have varied sings for developing allergies.

Itching Ear: The most common of all is the constant itching of ears. Usually, the ear itching happens in certain season. But, if you notice your dog doing it in non-itching season, you must get the allergies checked.

Itching Body: Constant itching of bodies or certain focused areas is also a sign of probable allergy your dog might be suffering from. Your dog can develop chronic skin as well as ear infection if not given the proper care.

Vomiting and Upset Stomach: If your dog is suffering from allergies, he or she will show the sign in different ways. If the upset stomach and gas is bothering your pet for most of the time, its time to get him checked right away.

Causes of Allergies in Dog

Among all the reasons, food is the major cause of allergies in dogs. Those dogs that are allergic to certain food are not able to tolerate protein in the diet. The source can be from plant as well as animal. For example, milk, chicken, beef and other source of high protein may get the situation worse for your pet.

Food allergies do not develop in a day. It takes time for allergies to be diagnosed. It may happen that your dog would have been doing fine after eating protein rich food the other day. But, the next time, he or she starts showing the signs of allergy. So, do not be confused and cross out allergies from being one of the many reasons for your pet’s condition.

How to Diagnose Food Allergies in Dogs?

I would not like to upset you. But, most of the tests that are available in the clinic or online do not have a concrete method of diagnosing the allergies. There is no test that can prove to provide positive test for allergic dogs and negative test results for non-allergic dogs.

But, do not be disappointed. There is still one way that is better than any other solution provided, either it’s the saliva test, fur test or skin examination.

This method is known as dietary elimination trial. Its kind of a trail and test method. To get on this trail, one gets the food especially prepared for allergic dogs from the veterinarian. It is fed to the dog for a month. If the health improves, it signals something, isn’t it? After a month, the old diet is followed again. If the condition relapses, the test becomes more obvious. The dog is then turned to the diet provided by the veterinarian until the condition improves. This confirms that the dog is suffering from the allergies.

Further to find the food your dog is allergic to; the pet is given one food from the old time at once with the dog food allergy diet provided by the veterinarian. This helps in ruling out the ones that are safe for the pet.

What is the Best Dog Food Allergy Diet?

While finding the answer to this question, you take the back seat. Let your veterinarian find out what would be the best food for your dog. Is it the dry dog food allergies diet or something else? He is the one to provide the right solution.

It may be possible to switch the dog to the old diet only if the one making the mess was found with the dietary elimination trial. In case of any unfavorable situation, the first thing you would need is a vet’s supervision.

Also, you vet may recommend you keep a note of all the food diet that you would be following even after the culprit for causing the allergies is found. This would help in case of any other problem that develops later on.

It has been rightly said: “It is better to be safe than sorry.”    

The Conclusion

Health comes first, either its us or our pets. There have been cases when the pet was admitted at the last minute without their owner realizing that the fur buddy was in so much pain and discomfort. This can happen to anyone. Dogs cannot speak. On top of that, they do not have the ways to tell us what’s difficulty they are facing.

It is us who can find out the signs before its too late. Allergies may not sound like a huge fuss. But, trust me, no one would like to carry an upset stomach constantly. Your dog always needs you and you need him or her back too. And, to keep that bond strong and long, taking care that your allergic dog follows the dog food allergy diet is a must.