Dog Food A
og.
llergy
Although a
dog food allergy
is not as common as other formsof allergies such as dermatitis or an allergic reaction from fleabites, it can still cause concern if it affects your large breed dIn fact, this problem can affect all different breeds of dogsregardless of size and of any sex and at any age. The majorityof
dog food allergies
do occur from somewhere between 2 to 7years of age though. Symptoms for a dog food allergy aresimilar to other allergies your dog may have and are thus often difficult to diagnose. If you suspect a dog food allergy in your pet you should take steps to help eliminate theproblem in order to prevent a more serious reaction or health problem with your dog.
One of the problems with a dog food allergy is that your dog may develop an allergicreaction to a particular food or ingredient gradually over time. That means that even if your dog is eating the same dog food she has eaten for years she can suddenly develop anallergy to something in her food. This is simply because an allergy is a reaction of theimmune system to an allergen and, over time, that response becomes stronger the morethe system is exposed to it. Whereas initially a food may not create a problem or anallergic reaction this could change with continued and repeated exposure to the offensiveallergen. Note too that a dog food allergy is not the same thing as an intolerance tosomething in the food. In the latter case, symptoms will include something similar towhat humans experience from food poisioning such as vomiting, diarrhea or simply anupset stomach.
Because dog food allergies are relatively uncommon and the symptoms are similar toother allergies, diagnosing the problem is oftentimes a difficult process. Manyveterinarians attempt to perform an interdermal skin test or a blood test to identify theallergy afflicting your dog. However, this testing process is not usually an effectivemethod for diagnosing a dog food allergy. Ultimately, the best method to determine theproblem is by performing a controlled food trial. In this case, the dog's diet is restrictedto a special diet for 8 to 12 weeks consisting of proteins and carbs that your dog has notconsumed before. That is, your dog will only eat something she has not eaten before withno exceptions. You can not sneak in table scraps or dog treats--only the special diet andwater. If you see improvements after 12 weeks you can usually assume that the prior dogfood was the culprit of the dog food allergy. To confirm this diagnosis, you can switchback to your old dog food and see if the allergy returns, but if your dog has improved it isprobably best to maintain the new diet.
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