Dog Food Allergy The Treatment and Diagnosis

Dog Food Allergy - The Treatment and Diagnosis
By John Hinkley

All dog breeds are often affected by allergies, such as dermatitis or other allergic reactions, from parasite bites. Another one that is less frequently met is the dog food allergy, that usually occurs with dogs around two to seven years. This allergy has no preferences regarding the shape, size or breed of your pet. It can occur within any sort of dog breed.

The symptoms are like the ones of any other allergy that the dog might have previously encountered. The allergies are sometimes hard to identify, though as soon as you think there might be a dog food allergy, you should remove the problem and prevent other critical health problems that may occur.

How is the Dog Food Allergy Developed?

Dog food allergies develop slowly and in time your pet may show a negative reaction to certain ingredients. If your pet has never encountered problems with a particular kind of food and unexpectedly develops a reaction, it is most likely due to food allergies. The immune system reacts to an allergen and in time, the more the system is exposed to it, the more powerful the response to it becomes.

If previously, your pet had no reaction to a certain ingredient, things may change. Due to the frequent contact to it, the dog may have an allergic reaction. A clear-cut distinction must be made between dog food allergies and the fact that sometimes, something in the food causes diarrhea or stomach aches.

How can I Diagnose the Dog Food Allergy?

To diagnose dog food allergy is a serious task because it is not a very common allergy and because its effects are similar to other kinds of allergies. Vets usually carry on different tests for skin or blood in order to find the allergy that troubles the dogs. Often, these methods seem to not be very successful and eventually a tests with a controlled food examination is the best solution in diagnosing any dog food allergy.Thus, ordinary dog food is limited to a special diet between eight and twelve weeks which contain high-carbohydrate food, proteins, water and nothing else that the dog has consumed before. It is important to make no concession with the new diet, in the sense that it must contain none of the food that your pet used to consume. If in three months time, the dog's state of health has gotten better, than surely, the former dog food is to be blamed for the allergies. Nevertheless, you could also check this diagnosis by turning back to the old diet in order to conclude your theory. It would be best to continue the new diet if there are any improvements. How can I Treat the Dog Food Allergy?

There is no need for an extra treatment as long as you have already detected the allergy. Still, you should continue the diet that your dog is not allergic to. Your dog may also become allergic to the new food as well. For preventing this occurance , avoid buying food that comprises fillers, which usually allows your dog to show an allergic reaction to it, so take care of the food you make at home, as your dog needs minerals and vitamins for it's health. Gradually, add new ingredients to the homemade food, but doing so, take care that there is nothing that could develop a new allergy. As soon as you identified and took the necessary steps to defeat the allergy, your pet will become happier and healthier.

Usually, it can be problematic to find and treat a dog food allergy. Having surmounted this problem and acting accordingly, your dog will be happy and most important, healthy!

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