How to Help Dogs with Food Allergies

To anyone who’s never owned or heard of dogs with food allergies, it may seem strange, or even funny, that dogs even get food allergies. However, if you’re the owner of one of these dogs, it’s certainly no laughing matter.

Faced with a dog that has developed hives, excessive licking or even a sudden upset stomach, or any of the other sometimes frightening symptoms of an allergic reaction, particularly if you’ve never owned dogs with food allergies before, can be a daunting and downright scary prospect. Bear in mind, of course, that in humans, as in dogs, some food allergens can even cause anaphylactic shock, and death!

Identifying an Allergy
If you’ve noticed any bad reaction following feeding, or any time you’ve given your dog a special treat, chances are he’s allergic to the food you’ve given him. Simple enough if his diet is limited to one type of food, but if you’re feeding a mixture of different foods, you’ll need to use a process of elimination to detect the problem.

First, find out from your vet what the best option for an allergy free, or hypo allergenic diet is. Then, one by one, reintroduce your dog’s regular foods. When you get a reaction, you know you’ve found an allergen. Continue this process until you’ve eliminated all potential allergens.

Allergy Free Food
Of course, some dogs seem to be allergic to a very common ingredient, and none of the commonly available commercial foods will help those dogs with food allergies. In that case, the best course of action is to serve home cooked meals, with as few as possible ingredients. Chicken and rice, for instance, are usually a safe option for most dogs with allergies.

If you don’t have the time to cook for your dog, or would rather use dry food, your vet should be able to recommend a good brand that contains few ingredients, and is safe for allergic dogs. Of course, your dog may not be the biggest fan of the change, but you’ll need to stick with it – even his usual treats could contain the allergen, and then you’re right back to square one. Remember though that it can take up to ten weeks for a new, hypoallergenic diet to remove all symptoms in dogs with allergies.

Quick Fix Treatment
If your dog has a sudden allergic reaction to a new food, you may want to try administering seven to twenty five milliliters of milk of magnesia per pound of body weight, which should help to speed up the removal of the allergen from the dogs’ digestive system. Remember to check with your veterinarian first though!

Living with dogs with food allergies can be tricky at first, but you’ll soon come to recognize triggers and avoid them, and find a diet that helps keep your best friend in the best health possible. A little perseverance, and trial and error, should have him back in tip top shape in no time though, and from there on, you shouldn’t have too many problems.