How to Identify and Treat Food Allergies

Is your companion itchy?  Does she have digestive difficulties?  These are some of the most common issues that cause guardians to seek veterinary care for their companions.  Sometimes it is difficult to get to the bottom of those troublesome itches and tummy upsets.  They may be a sign of food allergies or sensitivities. 

The most common symptoms of allergies are:

• excessive scratching
• licking
• paw chewing

Additional symptoms of allergies:

• chronic ear infections
• respiratory symptoms such as coughing or nasal congestion
• eye discharge
• vomiting
• loose stools & diarrhea
• inflammatory bowel disease

Many holistic veterinarians also believe that seizures, arthritis, asthma and chronic urinary tract infections can be caused or complicated by food allergies.

If you and your veterinarian have ruled out other causes of your companion’s itchiness such as fleas, mange, ringworm or infection, then changing the diet may help alleviate the itch.  If tummy troubles are the predominant symptom, a diet change may help this as well.

Controlling Allergies with a Raw Food Diet

Many dogs with food sensitivities and allergies have seen dramatic improvements by switching to a raw food diet.  It’s a good idea to stick with one protein source when you begin the new diet, and then switch to another if symptoms do not begin to subside after 10 days on a raw food diet.  Often the change to raw food and elimination of grains is all it takes to begin to see improvement.  If symptoms persist, however, then switch to another protein source for another 10 days.  Duck, buffalo and turkey are often good proteins to use for an allergic animal.

If you typically mix kibble with raw, it is best to eliminate the kibble component of the diet until symptoms subside.  Then find a high-quality kibble, preferably grain-free, that contains the same protein you are feeding in the raw diet.

Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) supplementation with high quality fish oil can be beneficial for both itchy skin and digestive troubles.  EFA’s aid in reducing inflammation and support the health of both the skin and the lining of the digestive tract.

Keep in mind that any secondary bacterial or yeast infections must be treated during the switch.  Hot spots must be closely monitored as infection can easily ensue.  These must be controlled with bathing and topical treatments while the animal’s immune system is recovering.

Resources:

Natural Veterinary Medicine by Susan G. Wynn and Steve Marsden

Herbs for Pets by Gregory L. Tilford and Mary L. Wulff

I found this to be informative and felt a need to share it.  My dog has allergies,  but not from his food, from something that is air born. I know this because his constant scratching starts the minute I walk out to my car and see the yellow pollen on the windshield.   A vet can do an allergy test on your pet but it is very expensive and some vets don’t even offer the service. (Mine does not)

So I am now on a quest to find out what works for my dog. Of course each dog is different but if you can offer any advice regarding non-food allergies PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. I tried Children’s Benadryl ( which my vet told me to continue using) but it didn’t help.  Last year I used a hard to find Shampoo, NuSal T and it seemed to work but I only found it at the end of the pollen season. I’m starting the use of this shampoo again and we’ll see what happens.

So, as of now, no more trips to the groomers for a while I’ll be doing the washing. Brooklyn will love that!  He doesn’t like to go to the groomers and besides he can pay me back for that bath that he dislikes so much. And pay me back he does. Shaking water on me as many times as possible until I’m wetter than he is. I swear he’s smiling as he watches me jumping back to TRY to avoid getting wet.

Below are a few of the symptoms of allergies:

• excessive scratching
• licking
• Red Eyes

According to the Humane Society of the United States, 50 percent of children will be bitten by a dog before their 12th birthday. Children under the age of 5 are most likely to be bitten, and most of these bites come from a dog that the child knows, such as the family dog or that of a relative or friend.

Why are children more likely to be bitten by dogs than adults? A child moves faster than an adult; fast movement stimulates a dog’s prey drive and can sometimes elicit its chasing instinct. Children talk in higher pitched voices than adults, which can sometimes startle a dog and make it fearful. Children may frustrate a dog with rough play and teasing or inadvertently inflict pain with the pull of a tail or a poke in the eye. Younger children are closer to a dog’s eye level, making it easier for a dog to feel threatened by eye-to-eye contact and for the child to be bitten in the face. It is also much harder for a child to read and understand a dog’s body language; they can miss vital signals that would warn an adult to back off.

Remember to teach your child to always ask the owner if they may pet a dog. Let your child know that tail pulling is a BIG “no no”. When it comes to young children education is always the best. You tell your children not to talk to strangers then tell your child not to approach a dog that is a stranger. The “Act Like a Tree” is always good if an angry dog approaches. Teach your child to plant their feet firmly on the ground, not to move, and avoid eye contact with the dog. “Act Like a Tree” is the “Stop, Drop, Roll” (used in teaching children if they catch on fire) for behavior that needs to be used with aggressive dogs.